New Transgender-Only Modeling Agency Opening in Los Angeles

The world’s first transgender modeling agency is opening in Los Angeles. The people behind the project shared their excitement in beginning work.

Huffington Post reported that Apple Model Management from Thailand announced that it will launch an all-transgender modeling agency in Los Angeles, California in the summer of 2015. The project will be directed by filmmaker Cecilio Asuncion, who made the 2012 documentary, “What’s the T?” which focused on the lives of five transgender women.

“We see trans individuals as beautiful. Our strong commitment to developing them as successful models is never about quantifying or qualifying their gender. It’s never a question of if they are women or men, it’s about their passion and commitment to being the best possible models they can be,” Asuncion told The Advocate.

“We’re very excited to do work with these amazing women and men and to see the amazing talent LA has to offer. At Apple Model Management, you’re a model first, and a trans person second,” the agency director said.

Apple Model Management is one of the top agencies in Thailand and its client list includes male and female transgender models. The agency has six transgender models on its roster in Los Angeles at present. Asuncion shared that the landscape of transgender modeling has changed in Thailand in recent times. Because of the Asian country’s Buddhist culture, people have been more open to trans individuals. The agency is now looking for more transgender male and female models. Trans men standing six feet or higher and trans women standing 5’8” and higher may apply on the official agency website.

Asuncion’s documentary “What’s the T?” followed transgender individuals, and cited that there have been great trans models throughout history like Andreja Pejic, Candy Darling, Octavia Saint Laurent and Tula, among others, although their full potential was never reached because of the current stigma in the community regarding transgenders. He indicated that change is a necessity and people need to embrace the culture more.

Top fashion firms like Vogue and Barney’s New York have become more open to the trans community, featuring transgender models at times. Fashion guru Tim Gunn previously told Huffington Post that the fashion elite have already accepted the change and that it would make a bigger impact if other mainstream places would also follow.

More news and details about the new all-trans modeling agency in L.A. is set to surface in the following weeks.