ANTM Alum Isis Is the First Transgender Model To Star in an American Apparel Ad
- Written by Brianna Nicole Austin
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"America's Next Top Model" alum Isis King has a new Tyra-free gig: fronting a line of Pride Month t-shirts for California retailer American Apparel.
American Apparel is no stranger to controversial advertising: You’d be hard pressed to name something the LA-based brand hasn’t already done. Between nipples,pubic hair, and non-homogenized milk-consumption, there’s little master-mind Dov Charney could do at this point to surprise us.
But AA’s latest promotional images don’t simply push product–they’re also aiming to do some good to promote LGBT equality.
The new campaign, for a line of ‘Pride’ tees and tanks made in partnership with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), features ANTM alum Isis King, who happens to be transgender.
This is the first time ever that American Apparel has featured an openly transgender model in a campaign. Proceeds from the tees, which are screen-printed with “Legalize Gay” and “GAY OK,” will partially benefit GLAAD and its work in the upcoming Pride marches across the country (June is LGBT Pride Month).
In 2008 King, the 25-year-old model from Maryland, became the first transgender model to participate on Tyra Banks' reality show "America's Next Top Model." This September, she returned for ANTM's "All-Stars" cycle, which featured 14 former competitors from the show's past casts.
King outshone many of her fellow "ANTM" alums by actually landing something of a modeling career following the show, walking in Baltimore Fashion Week.
15% of proceeds from American Apparel's new tees will benefit GLAAD.