The transgender model opens up to ETonline about her recent success and what it means for the transgender community.
If there are any barriers facing the transgender community in
the fashion industry, Andreja Pejic does not appear to be intimidated.
Since coming out as a transgender woman in July 2014, the
24-year-old Bosnian beauty -- already a success thanks to her androgynous
appeal and ability to model both men’s and women’s clothing -- continues to push
her career to new heights.
In May 2015, Pejic became the first openly transgender model
profiled in Vogue magazine. In the
same year, she modeled two seasons of GILES during London Fashion Week and
became the face of Make Up For Ever. In February, she landed her first major magazine
cover -- the March 2016 issue of Marie
Claire Spain -- since her transition. The magazine named her “Model of the
Year,” a distinction that’s gone to Irina Shayk, Gemma Ward, and Linda Evangelista
before her.
Given the recent success of other transgender models (most notably,
Hari Nef was signed by IMG Models last May and made her acting debut in Transparent season two), it’s no wonder
Pejic views this as a watershed moment. “It’s a point of validation for my
career,” she tells ETonline about the recognition in high-profile fashion
magazines.
“[It’s a] gate-opening moment for transgender models,” Pejic
adds with excitement about what it means for her to be recognized alongside Marie Claire Spain’s other top models. “It feels beyond to have my name follow and
gives me hope in showing that girls like us, are girls that are just as good!”
Going beyond what it means to be the “first” to do
something, Pejic is looking for some normalcy in the fashion world. “I hope
that halfway through my career or at least by the end of my career, it becomes
normal to be a ‘transgender model,’” she says, echoing a similar sentiment expressed by Geena Rocero, a fellow model and producer of LOGO’s Beautiful as I Want to Be.
“I want to offer more than just a conversation on being
trans,” Rocero recently told ETonline about being accepted in the industry.
Like Nef and Rocero, Pejic also has ambitions outside of the
modeling world. She chronicled her transition for a Kickstarter documentary. She’s
even dabbled in the world of acting, making her debut on a Turkish TV series,
Fatih. But further attempts at acting
have stalled. She was slated to appear in Sofia Coppola’s adaptation of The Little Mermaid before that production
fell apart and she told Marie Claire
Spain she didn’t get a role as a transgender character on Penny Dreadful because she was too far
into her transition.
Her most notable work outside the fashion world may be her appearance alongside David Bowie and Tilda Swinton in the late singer’s
2013 music video for “The Stars (Are Out Tonight).” Bowie, who built a career
on an androgynous persona, meant everything to Pejic.
“Meeting him and working with him on his music video is
hands down the highlight of my life,” she says, recalling his comforting nature
on set. “He was incredibly sweet; we chatted about politics in between me
sticking claws down his throat.”
She’s even remained in touch with Swinton, who reached out
to the model after Bowie’s death. “The last email I got was, ‘Star man waiting
in the sky,’” Pejic says, sharing the Oscar-winner’s reference to the 1972
song, “Starman.”
While what happens outside of modeling for her remains to be seen,
Pejic is grateful for her recent success. “Only a year ago, I released a new
life,” she told Marie Claire Spain.
When asked if she has any advice for other transgender models
hoping to achieve the same level as her, Pejic’s answer to ETonline is simple: “Kill
it.” No doubt, as she continues to do.