NEW YORK FASHION WEEK. "TRANS BODIES". TRANS & NON BINARY PEOPLE vs GAY MEN IN DRAG

Collection Seven, the latest line from Marco Marco, made history for presenting an entirely transgender roster of models at the designer underwear brand’s New York Fashion Week runway show — the most trans men ever assembled on a NYFW runway.

“Although I have always had trans and non binary people in my shows, it became apparent to me that their presence was often overshadowed by cis gay men or cis gay men in drag,” designer Marco Morante said in an interview when asked about the casting. “I wanted to create a space to celebrate trans bodies. This was an opportunity for their presence to be undeniable and reinforce that trans is beautiful.”

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“This was such a historic moment, and a statement for the fashion industry,” Laith Ashley said in an interview. “Many of the guys had never done something like this before and they displayed so much self-confidence, unity, and courage. Marco has always had a diverse runway, and to have an all trans show, with individuals of all different ages, sizes, backgrounds, colors and identities within the trans umbrella was spectacular.”

Morante is among a small crop of designers, most notably Gogo Graham, who have chosen to prioritize the casting of trans models both on the runway and in fashion presentations. (mic.com, 9/2018)