Lea T is a Brazilian super model, the creative muse of Riccardo Tisci, and the face of famous brands such as Burberry and Redken. She is also one of the first major Transgender models in the world and has used her popularity and platform to advocate for transgender rights globally. Lea was first discovered in 2010 by Riccardo Tisci who at the time worked for Givenchy, and she saw a meteoric rise to popularity following her discovery. He was so impressed with her that he made Lea the face of the company’s 2010 lineup. The following year, Lea was showcased and walked in runway shows for Alexandre Herchocovitch, Givenchy, Benetton, Phillip Plein, and was routinely the subject of illustrious photographers like Terry Richardson. She has also been featured in numerous editorials in multiple fashion magazines like Vogue, Vogue Paris, Interview, Love, Glamour, and many more. She has starred in TV shows like Dancing With the Stars and Forbes magazine listed her as one of the top ten women to have changed the Italian modelling and fashion world. She has gained an incredible amount of fame and respect for her incredible career and was the first transgender women to participate in an Olympic opening ceremony in 2016 for Brazil. However, her life has not been entirely simple. Lea T was raised in a devout catholic family and community and was born to well-known Brazilian footballer Toninho Cerezo. Once Lea T announced her transition her father and family did not receive the news well at all. To make matters worse, Brazilian tabloids exploited this family rift and used it to fuel their gossip and celebrity columns in their journals. Lea T did not let this overwhelm her, and she turned this difficult moment into one of strength and an opportunity to discuss important social issues in Latin American cultures. She has been very open about the difficulty of being a trans woman and the isolation it can create. She has also talked extensively about the toxic expectations that a hyper masculine society can create for men and women. Lea has used her popularity and fame to address these topics, and to generate a discussion surrounding them. Lea T’s platform has been an incredible boon towards herself and Brazilian transgender activists. She has brought visibility to an often ignored and attacked community and shown that anything is possible. She has championed an openness and desire for discussion on how members of the transgender community are treated, and she has advocated for a better society where rigid and toxic gender expectations can be undone.