14 DAY TRIAL // Givenchy model Lea T, who stunned the world last year when she became one of the few pre-op models in the industry – and every designer’s dream model –, is making another step in her high fashion career, closing the Philipp Plein show in Italy.
Modeling at the Milan Fashion Week is a dream for every model out there, aspiring or professional, and, the other day, Lea T got to live that dream, as the photo attached to this article and the Daily Mail will confirm.
“The brunette opened and closed the Philipp Plein show and, according to Vogue Italia, had an exclusive with the Swiss designer,” the British tab writes.
“The Brazilian beauty, who has endless legs, donned a printed crop top which was paired with high-waisted shorts and some dazzling gold and silver accessories,” adds the same media outlet.
Lea T was discovered by Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci, who had hired her as a personal assistant. At the time, Lea considered herself female even though she had not yet undergone gender reassignment surgery.
Tisci cast her in one of the Givenchy campaigns and styled her as a woman. This was the stepping-stone for the brunette stunner, who moved on to much bigger things from here.
Speaking to Oprah at about that time, Lea T revealed plans to go under the knife to become a woman physically as well, but also opened up on what a painful transition hers had been, as we also reported at the time.
She had gender reassignment surgery in late 2011. However, she knew she’d been born in the wrong body ever since she was younger.
“I was hoping I was gay. Because, for my family, it would be less painful. And then I could... have a normal life,” Lea said of how she first tried to solve what she perceived as her “problem.”
“I wish I could accept my body like men. It would be much easier for me if I could be a straight guy and have a girlfriend, family and daughters, married, all this normal life. But it’s something in your brain – born in the wrong body,” she said.
Eventually, both her father and her very religious mother accepted that she was a woman, even though it was very difficult for them at first.