Boston-born model Teddy Quinlivin just achieved a major milestone with news she will be the first openly trans model cast in a Chanel Beauty campaign.
Quinlivin announced the news on Instagram where she wrote, “I find I don’t cry anymore when things are sad, but isn’t it interesting when we shed tears in moments of triumph. This was one of those triumphant cry moments for me. My whole life has been a fight. From being bullied at school consistently, kids threatening to kill me and going into graphic detail how they were going to do it, my own father beating me and calling me a fagot, to receiving industry blowback after speaking publicly about being sexually assaulted on the job… This was a victory that made all of that shit worth it.”
The Boston-born Quinlivan’s modeling career took flight after she was cast in 2015 by Louis Vuitton creative director Nicolas Ghesquière to walk the label’s spring 2016 presentation. Since then, she’s walked for multiple top-tier labels and has landed covers for L’Officiel, Porter Magazine and Wonderland.
On her Instagram post Quinlivan said she kept her trans identity hidden when she was cast for two Chanel runways and feared she wouldn’t work with the label again once she came out in fall 2017.
Chanel isn’t Quinlivan’s first beauty campaign. She’s been featured in marketing efforts for Milk Makeup, Redken and Maison Margiela fragrances.
