Valentina Sampaio continues to make history.
It was just announced that the 23-year-old will be featured in the 2020 SI Swimsuit Issue, making her the first transgender model to appear in the company’s famous edition.
“Our goal in selecting who we feature in the SI Swimsuit Issue is centered around identifying some of the most inspiring, interesting and multi-dimensional women that we can find,” MJ Day, editor of SI Swimsuit, said of the edition. “Valentina has been on our radar for some time now and when we finally met face to face it became apparent that besides her obvious beauty, she is an impassioned activist, a true pioneer for the LGBT+ community and just simply embodies the well-rounded woman we are proud to have represent SI Swimsuit across our platforms.”
“We are deeply moved that Valentina was willing to put her trust in us and we didn’t think twice about wanting to amplify her voice, her message and give her a platform to advocate from on behalf of her personal aspirations and the trans community,” Day continued. “That is what we can do as a brand, especially during these uncertain times- support her and celebrate her.”