The movie holds a special place in Bloom’s heart as she can relate it to her real life and all she experienced and overcame as a trans woman. Leyna is in the lead role as Wye alongside Paul (Fionn Whitehead) in the romantic drama that follows her life as an underground ballroom dancer living in Port Authority, New York. In 2019 she became the only transgender woman to walk the Paris Fashion week for Tommy Hilfiger x Zendeya’s Fall /Winter Collection.ĭuring the same year, she made history again as the first transgender woman of color to star in the feature film Port Authority, which premiered at the Canes Film Festival. 2018 ended up being another great year for Bloom, as Glamour named the striking model as one of the ‘6 Women Shaping The Future of Fashion.’ in their October 2018 issue. In 2017, Leyna became the first transgender woman of color to grace the cover of Vogue India, and this was only the beginning of her success. Her groundbreaking accomplishments played a considerable part in her landing on the international magazine. Leyna always pushed for more representation of trans women within film and fashion spaces. Her exotic looks landed her deals with high-end brands like Nike and fashion designers like Jeremy Scott. Bloom’s Modelling and Film Career.īefore Leyna Bloom appeared in the 2021 Swimsuit issue, she made undeniable strides in the film and modeling industry.
Her bold statements got her the recognition she wanted and shone a light on her community’s struggles in creative industries. While Bloom didn’t get the runway gig, she called out Victoria Secrets’ for their lack of diversity in their models since, according to her, they only cast ‘skinny, white models.’ She added that in their 2017 Victoria’s Secret runway show, they should cast trans and curvy models of all colors. Bloom attached gorgeous bikini photos showing off her toned body in her tweet, which got over 52,000 likes in just a day. Leyna caught everyone’s attention in 2018 when she started a Twitter campaign to become the first trans woman of color to walk in the Victoria Secrets’ fashion show. Her coming out not only opened doors for her but encouraged other trans women to love themselves and be proud of who they are. In 2014, she officially identified as an openly trans model. It’s in New York City where she found her home, House of Mugler, and ever since, she has built a strong reputation for herself as the “Polenisian Princess.” Bloom believes all the struggles she went through growing up, from losing her mom to being homeless, led her to where she is now. She was ready to chase her dreams as a dancer, which eventually led her to New York’s Ballroom scene. The first years were tough as she worked, became homeless, and bounced from one place to another.
It all started when Leyna lived in Chicago with her father and decided to move to New York City on her own at 17. So how did she do it? Let’s take a look at Leyna Bloom’s journey of how she landed on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Leyna’s magazine cover did not come easy, though the activist has been at the forefront of championing more representation for the trans community in fashion for years.
The popular magazine, which has been around for close to 60 years, also featured other talented and beautiful women, including rapper Megan Thee Stallion and pro tennis player Naomi Osaka. Actress and model Leyna Bloom made history by becoming the first-ever trans woman of color to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated.