5 Transgender Designers Rewriting Fashion Rules

Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31) is right around the corner, which means there are even more opportunities to place our transgender peers in the spotlight. Excelling in life is hard enough for the average human, but doing so as a member of the queer community is even more challenging. Most people aren't familiar with the experiences of trans individuals, and some simply don't care to be. As a result, a lot of trans people don’t have equal access to opportunity. This means that they rarely make headlines and if they are supported, it is often tokenism. It's time we disrupt those narratives and not only stand in solidarity with our peers, but also celebrate and advocate for them whenever we can.

Here are five trans designers to support, now and forever.

Pierre Davis of No Sesso

Pierre Davis made history in 2019 as the first transgender designer to debut at New York Fashion Week. Through her brand, No Sesso, she creates agender clothing and hopes to bring a more inclusive approach to the fashion world. On her personal Instagram account, the designer gives with her followers a behind-the-scenes look at life as a trans designer in Los Angeles and New York, and often shares raunchy looks that we wish we could pull off so graciously.

Nix Lecourt Mansion of Lecourt Mansion

French designer Nix Lecourt Mansion takes pride in being a "6’2 punk venus designing shiny clothing for flamboyant people." The designer has dressed the likes of Lady Gaga and Kendall Jenner, and uses her platform to advocate for trans people. She was inspired to create her revenge-themed Fall/Winter 2022 collection after being stalked and assaulted for simply being herself as a trans woman. The result was a fabulous runway show that featured all aspects of femininity from women of color to pregnant women.

Gogo Graham

Like for most artists, creativity sparks when it does, and Gogo Graham is worth the wait. Each collection she produces is unique from the last, which means you never know what she'll come up with next. The designer also plays with fantasy to draw attention to common issues faced by trans individuals, such as work place discrimination and lack of reproductive rights. Her most recent runway show featured friend and Euphoria star Hunter Schafer in a corseted dress.

Chris Rhodes of FLAVNT

Chris Rhodes is a trans designer who owns FLAVNT, an inclusive streetwear and queer goods brand. His brand was actually one of the first to create a range of binders, which are compression garments for queer folks. On his personal Instagram account, Rhodes shares lifestyle content of his journey as a transgender male as well as travel and fitness content. Rhodes' company also helps support trans initiatives, and when there isn't a brand partner available, the proceeds go to supporting their team made up on 50% trans individuals and 50% queer women.

Saisha Shinde

Saisha Shinde is a former Project Runway contestant and designer of the 2021 Miss Universe's gown. She came out at the age of 40, and is now recognized as India's first openly transgender woman. On the one-year anniversary of being openly trans, Shinde shared that opening up about her journey has not been easy, but she does so to help empower those who once felt as alone and out of alignment as she did.