The queer icon used her acceptance speech to talk about the necessity of change within society
BY SARAH KENNELLY (SHE/HER), IMAGE VIA INSTAGRAM(@ALEXCONSANI)
Alex Consani has made history as the first trans woman to win Model of The Year at the 2024 British Fashion Council Awards. The 21-year-old Californian, famous for her icy blonde locks and bleached brows, dedicated the win to “the Black Trans women who really fought for the space I’m in today.”
The win follows a string of successes for Consani who was the youngest trans model signed to an agency and the first to grace the Victoria’s Secret runway, alongside Valentina Sampaio.
Accepting the award from supermodel Ashley Graham and Baby Reindeer actress Nava Mau, Consani wore a custom Dilara Findikoglu dress with Union Jack draping as a whimsical nod to her love for British culture.
In the emotional acceptance speech, she thanked her parents for their unwavering support during her transition and encourages others to do the same: “Now more than ever it’s an important conversation that should be had about how to truly support one another especially those who have been made to feel insignificant. Change is more than possible, it’s needed.”
Recognising the work of models whose work transcends the catwalk, other nominees included Amelia Gray, Anok Yai, and Mona Tougaard. This marked the second time Anok Yai, the first Black model to open a Prada show since 1997, lost out on the award. After the ceremony, she posted the famous photo of Kanye West storming the VMA stage to declare that Beyoncé should have won Best Video over Taylor Swift.
This sparked a heated debate online on which model deserved to be crowned Model of The Year and the discrimination that Black women have faced in the fashion industry. Yai clarified her support for Consani on X: “If you have seen the effort that I’ve seen Alex put in; you would understand how proud I am of her. But Alex can be proud and I can be exhausted at the same time. It doesn’t take away how much love we have for each other.”
If you have seen the effort that I’ve seen Alex put in; you would understand how proud I am of her.
— ROCK (@Anok_Yai) December 3, 2024
But Alex can be proud and I can be exhausted at the same time.
It doesn’t take away how much love we have for each other
DIVA magazine celebrates 30 years in print in 2024. If you like what we do, then get behind LGBTQIA media and keep us going for another generation. Your support is invaluable.
