BURBANK, Calif. — Her entire life, Austin Wolfe has dreamed of this moment. She’s about to shoot her first big campaign, with several makeup artists fussing around her, and she’s doing her best to stay calm.
“I’m trying to distract myself so I’m not too much in my mind,” she said.
It’s a big day, not just professionally, but also on a personal level. This week also happens to mark the four-year anniversary of her first hormone treatment.
“I knew I wanted to transition around high school,” she said, adding that was when she discovered what she "wanted in life."
She’s shooting a campaign for a new clothing line by Hotbox, a Southern California-based cannabis company that is now launching a streetwear line.
Just a few years ago Wolfe would have been considered a novelty at a shoot like this. But today, she’s just another model. And by the looks of it, she’s fitting right in.
"It’s nice to have people glam you up,” she said laughing. “I like it, to be completely honest. I think it’s fun.”
Transgender visibility in the fashion wold has been slowly increasing in recent years, with more trans and non-binary models both off and on the runway. Earlier this year, Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio made history, becoming the first ever transgender woman to be featured in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.
“That definitely gives me hope,” Wolfe said. Seeing transgender models in Sports Illustrated, she added, “breaks the stereotype that trans isn’t sexy or that trans isn’t desirable.”
Not only is it desirable, these days it can be an asset, as designers and brands look to capitalize on a broader and more diverse customer base.
Casey Reinholtz is the COO of Hotbox’s parent company, American Made. When it came time to cast the models, diversity was at the top of his list.
“I started Googling modeling agencies from L.A. and I started breaking them down by not only were they transgender friendly, were they LGBTQ friendly, but was there a sense of fashion couture, street art behind it,” he said.
He ended up going with Slay, which bills itself as "the world’s first all-trans modeling agency." It’s owner, Cece Asuncion says companies should hire transgender models simply because it’s the right thing to do.
“If a model can fit the clothes and walk the walk, if they can talk the talk, who cares how they were born?” he asked.
He said that while the fashion industry is going in the right direction, there’s still a long road ahead when it comes to trans representation. Trans models, he said, still earn half as much as their cisgender counterparts.
“I see the invoices,” he said. “I know what they get paid.”
But today he’s celebrating a big win. After hair and make up, Wolfe, his client, is ready for her big moment.
She’s nervous, but confident. With every click of the shutter, she changes her pose. She looks just like any other model on set. And that’s exactly the point.
As the shoot comes to an end, Wolfe begins to wind down. It’s been an eventful long day, one she hopes will be the first of many.
“Overall so far today has been a 10 out of 10,” she said.