On December 2nd, stars like A$AP Rocky, Rihanna, Law Roach, Julia Fox, and more filled the Royal Albert Hall in London to recognize the top talent among designers, models, and artists. The annual event, which has been running for 35 years, aims to showcase businesses and individuals who have made the greatest contributions to the fashion industry during the year.
Fashion lovers eagerly anticipate the most notable award during this event, the “Model of the Year” title. Previous winners include Naomi Campbell, Bella Hadid, and Kate Moss. This year, the winner represented a historical shift in the social attitudes of the fashion industry. Alex Cosani, a 21-year-old IMG model and influencer, has received the title for 2024, making her the first transgender woman to achieve this.
Cosani’s win is pivotal for other transgender individuals in the space as well as other minorities. It reflects the fashion industry departing from its problematic, conservative traditions and catching up with the progressive attitudes of modern society (especially within creative industries like fashion).
On a grander scale, her win opens up the door for numerous other talented minority models to gain the confidence that they too can be internationally recognized for their work.
Despite all the greatness that came with Cosani’s moment, there were outcries from other groups that highlighted a major discrepancy. Fans were critical of 26-year-old South Sudanese model Anok Yai’s loss. Many, especially those from the black community, felt the model was “robbed” of the award as she has been passed over for it four consecutive times despite being a trailblazer for Black individuals in fashion. User @CindyGabriellek emphasized in a tweet responding to the loss, “...I just want y’all to remember that when black women say they have to work 10x harder to get half as much as their white counterparts it's not a joke”. Anok Yai also subtly commented on her disappointing loss by reposting the photo of Kanye West from the 2009 VMAs where he very publicly announced that Beyonce should have won on her Instagram story.
Alex Cosani becoming the first transgender woman to win the title is certainly monumental and well-deserved, but it also highlights remaining blind spots within the fashion industry.
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