Vogue US features its first-ever transgender cover star

Chosen to represent ‘Generation America,’ Ariel Nicholson has made history as the first transgender person to grace the revered fashion magazine’s front page.

Though fashion still has a very long way to go in terms of achieving genuine inclusion and diversity, the industry does appear to have been making significant headway as of late.

Namely, its exploration of a fluid future that could see brands stop operating within the boundaries of standard gender categorisations and the development of adaptive clothing for disabled consumers.

A more recent venture into this shifting landscape is Vogue’s decision to feature Ariel Nicholson on the cover of its upcoming September issue, which debuted across social media on August 5.

The theme? ‘New Beginnings,’ to celebrate the models and designers of all sizes, ages, ethnicities, and genders who are challenging definitions of beauty and bringing about an industry-wide reckoning over unrealistic ideals.

Also aiming to showcase the ‘transformation of the model from object to subject,’ it looks to be a bid to address the publication’s problem with model diversity.

Chosen to represent ‘Generation America’ alongside plus-size icons Yumi Nu and Precious Lee, Nicholson has made history as the first-ever openly trans model to grace the front page of the US edition of the magazine.

She follows in the footsteps of  Laverne Cox, who covered British Vogue in 2019, and Valentina Sampaio, who covered Vogue Paris in 2017.

Change has long been on the mind of Nicholson, who previously told V Magazine that she strives to use her platform to uplift her community – to create space for them by existing and advocating.

‘Feeling unbelievably blessed to be a part of Vogue history as the first trans person to be featured on the cover of American Vogue,’ wrote the LGBTQ+ rights advocate in an Instagram post. ‘I’m grateful to work alongside legends and for the communities that have shaped me and inspire me every day.’

Despite her positivity towards this landmark moment, however, Nicholson remains sceptical of the limits to ‘what representation can do,’ reflecting on how this applies to visibility of marginalised identities in her official Vogue interview.

For an issue that celebrates new beginnings, she speaks bluntly on how visibility is not a fabled silver bullet when it comes to racism, homophobia, or transphobia.

‘Obviously it’s a big deal being the first trans woman on the cover of Vogue, but it’s also hard to say exactly what kind of big deal it is when the effects are so intangible,’ she says.

‘I’ve been put in this box – oh trans model – which is what I am, but that’s not all I am. I guess there’s a part of me that feels labels can be limiting. In an ideal world, maybe we wouldn’t have them.’

But it is a distinction that’s slowly becoming more common as culture in general grows more familiar with and accepting of the transgender community.

‘What stands out about the women on this revolutionary cover is that they’re not reducible to kind; each is a unique superstar with her own story to tell, of which her beauty is merely a part.’