I Love A Success Story - Valentina Sampaio

Valentina Sampaio

Gorgeous Brazilian makes history as Victoria’s Secret first transgender model

I first talked about Valentina Sampaio back in 2017.  These were the words I used then:

" Stunning, smoldering, sensational — all words used to capture the essence of the woman gracing the cover of the November issue of Elle (2017)   magazine in Brazil. 

According to the Daily News recently:

By MURI ASSUNÇÃO
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS AUG 03, 2019

 This angel is making history.

Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio is breaking yet another glass ceiling — this time a pink-colored, glam-drenched, fantasy-fueled ceiling put up by the $7 billion lingerie empire Victoria’s Secret.

The 22-year-old 5-foot-9, green-eyed, full-lipped beauty is the first transgender model to pose for the iconic brand, who has given wings — literally — to some of the world’s biggest models, such as Gisele Bündchen, Heidi Klum and Tyra Banks.

Sampaio is the daughter of a school teacher and a fisherman from Aquiraz — a small coastal city in the northeast of Brazil, located 1,610 miles north of Rio de Janeiro. On Thursday she posted on Instagram a behind-the-scenes look at a photoshoot for PINK, the brand’s more playful line, marketed to younger customers.

“Wow finally!” the actress and LGBTQ advocate Laverne Cox wrote.

According to the Brazilian news site Gauchazh, Sampaio was discovered by Joy Model, the same agency that launched the career of fellow Brazilian super model — and Victoria’s Secret angel — Lais Ribeiro.

Ribeiro took to Twitter to congratulate Sampaio, writing: “First transgender to shoot with Vs! This make me so happy!”

Vogue Paris - Valentina Sampaio