Trans Model Geena Rocero to VS: I Can Sell "Fantasy" Just Fine, Thank You Very Much

Who can and can't sell "fantasy"? Following the taping of its 2018 fashion show, Victoria's Secret faced backlash over Chief Marketing Officer Ed Razek's comments suggesting that transgender models didn't belong on the VS runway. One trans Filipina model, Geena Rocero, responded by posting a series of photos and videos of herself in lingerie and swimwear. "I'm so sorry I can't sell fantasy #transisbeautiful," she wrote in one post, "But I can sell [a] 10 million dollar hair flip #transisbeautiful" she followed up in another.

The Manila-born activist rose to prominence back in 2014 when she gave a TED talk coming out as transgender and launched her trans advocacy organization Gender Proud. She's since become one of the first trans models to be featured on the cover of any Harper's BAZAAR international edition, and has walked runways for Chromat, Carmen Marc Valvo, and Marco Marco. Here, Rocero shares swim photos that showcase the kind of "fantasy" she can create and speaks to ELLE.com about what Victoria's Secret got so wrong, fighting deep-rooted beauty standards, and what the fashion industry as a whole needs to do better.

I started posting videos and photos of myself as a gut reaction to the erasure. I can't believe that [Ed Razek] would say that in public. Growing up in the Philippines, every time my sister, my cousins, and my mom would send a balikbayan box from the U.S., I used to ask them to include Victoria's Secret lotions and fragrances. It's always been such an aspiration to be a part of that dream.

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I’m so sorry I can’t sell Fantasy #TransIsBeautiful @victoriassecret