Alex Consani has won Model of the Year, becoming the first transgender model to land the prestigious award.
The 21-year-old accepted the accolade at the 2024 Fashion Awards in London on Monday evening, telling the crowd that her achievement was a “big step in the right direction,” per CNN.
“Now, more than ever, it’s an important conversation that should be had about how to truly support and uplift one another within this industry, especially those who have been made to feel insignificant,” she added, as the audience applauded. “Because change is more than possible—it’s needed.”
She also paid homage to the Black transgender women who “really fought for the space … that allowed me to flourish today,” including models Connie Fleming and Aaron Rose Philip.
The Petaluma, California native rose to prominence via TikTok, with almost four million followers. Consani signed to IMG Models in 2019, later making her catwalk debut for Tom Ford in 2021. Since then, she has made runway appearances for Chanel, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, and Versace. This October, she and Valentina Sampaio became the first trans models to appear in Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
Last year, Black trans model Kai-Isaiah Jamal was a Model of the Year nominee, though the prize ultimately went to plus-size model Paloma Elsesser.
