Leyna Bloom, 27, has been a professional model since 2014, walking in shows for brands including Chromat and The Blonds.
However the Chicago-born artist and transgender activist rose to prominence last year, breaking new ground as the first openly trans woman of colour to model for Vogue India. Never shy to call out mainstream fashion brands for their lack of diversity, the New York based model recently launched a Twitter campaign to become the first trans woman on the Victoria's Secret catwalk, saying 'It's always been a dream for me, like so many others, not just trans - POC, all women'. With the hashtag #LeynaforVS now trending and one of her viral tweets attracting more than 32,000 retweets and nearly 110,000 likes, Bloom hopes the lingerie giant will cast her in a move she reckons 'would have the power to set the tone' for trans women in the fashion industry.