By Abigail Holliday
Staff Writer
Alex Consani won the 2024 Model of the Year award on Dec. 2, making her the first transgender woman to ever win this award. The award, hosted in London, has been given under The Fashion Awards for the last three decades.
The 21-year-old model began her career at the age of 12, making her the youngest transgender model at the time. Consani has worked with powerful names in the fashion industry, such as Tom Ford, Gianni Versace, Coco Chanel and Alexander McQueen. She was also the first transgender woman to walk in the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, according to the New York Times.
Her unique, authentic and outgoing personality was not only attractive to modeling agencies, but also made her very influential online. Consani garnered over 4 million followers on TikTok from her behind-the-scenes runway and dancing videos. She was also on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and was named “Fashion’s New It Girl” by E! News.
The Model of the Year award “recognizes the global impact of a model who over the last 12 months has dominated the industry” and awards a model “with an influence that transcends the catwalk.” The Model of The Year is someone who has “made an outstanding contribution to the industry, garnering numerous editorial and advertising campaigns throughout the year.”
Previous winners of this award include Bella and Gigi Hadid, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Paloma Elsesser. Nava Mau, the first transgender woman nominated for Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie at the Emmys this year helped to present this award to Consani, according to Yahoo Entertainment.
Many other qualified models, such as Anok Yai, Alva Claire and Mona Tougaard, were nominated for the award. In her speech, Consani thanked those who have paved the way for her to receive this award.
“I am the first trans woman to win this award but I can’t accept this award without thanking those who came before me,” she said. “Specifically the Black trans women who really fought for the space I’m in today: Dominique Jackson, Connie Fleming, Aaron Rose Phillips, and countless more who fought for the space that allowed me to flourish today.”
Consani is also an activist, speaking out in support of LGBTQ+ rights. “Now, more than ever, it’s an important conversation that should be had about how to truly support and uplift one another within this industry,” she said in her acceptance speech. “Especially those who have been made to feel insignificant because change is more than possible — it’s needed.”
