![]() ![]() 'Kelsey’s infectiously warm personality makes her extremely lovable and we are so excited we get to work with a woman who is beautiful inside and out.' She went on: 'Kelsey's pride in being the first Filipino model in the SI Swimsuit issue is matched by her commitment to sustainability and her dedication to using her platform to inform and educate. 'She prioritized her education before entering the modeling space and her career has been full steam ahead ever since.' 'Brains and beauty is our favorite combo and that is exactly how we describe Kelsey,' said editor MJ Day. She walked in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2018 as the brand's first Filipino-American model - which happened to be her very first runway show, too. Kelsey graduated from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines and racked up commercials in her home country before moving to New York City and signing with Wilhelmina. In 2019, Filipino-American stunner Kelsey Merritt, 24, became the first woman from the Philippines to grace the inside of iconic issue. Wow! She walked in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2018 as the brand's first Filipino-American model - which happened to be her very first runway show, too ![]() She joins our team, not because of what she represents but because of her beauty, commitment and desire to leave the world a better place.' We are honored to have her in this year's issue and understand the effect it will have on so many others. 'She represents every person’s right to love themselves and be who they want to be. 'Her presence as the first trans woman of color to be in our issue is a result of her lifetime dedication to forging her own path that has led to acceptance, love and change. 'Her story represents one grounded in resilience and we couldn’t be more thrilled to help her tell it,' she went on. Writing on Instagram, the editor added that Leyna is 'strikingly gorgeous and has an undeniable sense of self that shines through the minute she walks on set'. They have a seat at the table, they have a right to be there,' she said. And that's what I want for every woman to feel in their life. 'She walked on that set and she owned it. MJ Day also appeared on the morning show to sing Leyna's praises. Praises: SI Swim editor MJ Day said she is 'strikingly gorgeous and has an undeniable sense of self that shines through the minute she walks on set' 'I never imagined that I would be born in a time when something like this would happen for someone with my skin tone and for someone with my background.' 'This is a magazine that says we're allowed to be beautiful in all our shapes and sizes, and that should be loved, because we're not often seen in that way,' she told Good Morning America. Leyna says their presence in the magazine refutes criticism that the brand is just about objectifying women. She was also one of only a few trans models to take to the runways of New York City Fashion Week, the only trans model to walk in the Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya’s 2019 Fall/Winter show, and was the first trans woman of color in Vogue India. 'Port Authority' star Leyna has already racked up several 'firsts,' including being the first trans woman of color to have a leading role in a movie featured at the Cannes Film Festival. Gushing about Valentina's appearance in this year's issue, editor MJ Day called the model 'one of the most breathtakingly beautiful women I have ever met.'įirst: 'Port Authority' star Leyna has already racked up several 'firsts,' including being the first trans woman of color to have a leading role in a movie featured at the Cannes Film FestivalĬhicago-born model, dancer, actor, and activist Leyna Bloom, 27, is the second trans model to pose for SI Swim, making her debut this year. In 2019, she was the first transgender model for Victoria’s Secret, and the next year she was named an SI Swim Rookie. She also went on to pose for Vogue Brasil and Vogue Germany, as well as Vanity Fair Italia and Elle Mexico. But my reaction was just to get out of that situation,' she said.īut she has since booked gigs with L'Oreal, Dior, H&M, Marc Jacobs, Moschino, and Philipp Plein, and in 2017, was the first trans model to appear on the cover of Vogue Paris. It was like I was wrong to be in that place, like I didn’t belong there. She told BuzzFeed that she scored her first job in an ad campaign for a clothing company in 2014, but was fired when the company - which she wouldn't name - found out she was trans. The young model has already broken through a lifetime of boundaries in her career, but it got off to a rough start. The young model has already broken through a lifetime of boundaries in her career, but it got off to a rough start ![]()
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