A new collaboration from Diesel and the German brand About You stars models Benjamin Melzer and Loiza Lamers, who both have one thing in common: they're transgender.
Melzer, who lives in Germany, was the first trans model to appear on the cover of Men's Health in Europe, according to The Telegraph. Lamers, a Dutch model, won Holland's Next Top Model last year.
The collaboration kicked off with a video of both of them in photoshoots set to EMF's "Unbelievable."
Lamers shared a snippet of it with the caption "So happy to finally show you the results of my Diesel ABOUT YOU campaign with transgender model @egoshooter."
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"Proud to represent who we are and what we do," both of them wrote in separate Instagram posts showing this photo.
Metzel shared another one of himself in a Diesel sweatshirt, and Lamers showed herself in jeans.
"Diesel contacted me for a campaign around the same time Loiza and I were planning on doing a concept shoot to raise awareness to create more opportunities for transgender models in campaigns for major brands," Melzer told Mic. "Diesel heard the idea and loved it."
The modeling world has been challenging gender roles for a while with androgynous clothes and has been gaining more visibility for transgender people over the past few years. There's now a modeling agency and show dedicated to trans models.
Hopefully, these changes in the fashion world will also help transform people's attitudes in everyday life. Lamers told Mic she hopes the collaboration will "really open people's eyes and bring a change, acceptance and awareness."
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