Brazil Transgender Model Sampaio 'fighting For Better World'

MILAN, , (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Feb, 2017 ) - Valentina Sampaio, the first transgender model to make the cover of French "Vogue", will be flying the flag for the LGBT movement at Milan fashion week.

The 22-year-old Brazilian, who appeared on the cover of Elle Brazil in November and has modelled for labels such as Gisela Franck and Rchlo, is in the city to attend casting sessions in the hope of snapping up a place on the catwalk for the world's top fashion houses.

The shy, green-eyed brunette told AFP in Milan, where the autumn-winter collections go on show from Wednesday, she was "proud" of being a role model for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

Her dream, she said, would be to model for the likes of Italian icon Giorgio Armani. Sitting on a bench in the sunshine, her face lights up as she talks of the opportunities fame and fashion could bring her in the fight to combat transgender prejudice.

Sampaio, who began her modelling career in Brazil four years ago before becoming an "ambassador" for L'Oreal, said landing the coveted cover of Vogue magazine was "important because fashion is a means to stop people speaking about us with prejudice". While several US fashion magazines have already featured transgender models, this is a first for France.