Sport Illustrated he chose Leyna Bloom as the protagonist for the July issue. With her there are also the rapper Megan Thee Stallion and the tennis player Naomi Osaka: all three are the stars of the costume special.
Leyna is not just any model, but a black and transgender woman, the first to be photographed in costume for a magazine cover. She called it a historic moment, for herself and for all girls like her.
Who is Leyna Bloom
Leyna Bloom is a ‘actress, dancer, model is activist for transgender rights of Filipino and African origins. She didn’t have an easy life: she was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city.
In fact, in his past there are stories of abuse and suffering, even experienced on the street. But her difficult story didn’t discourage her, and in 2017 she became the first openly transgender black woman to appear on Vogue India. In recent years it has paraded for important stylists and she was the first black transgender to be star of a movie with his role in Port Authority, presented in 2019 at the Cannes Film Festival.
Leyna Bloom, Sports Illustrated cover
Leyna Bloom appears more provocative than ever on the cover of Sports Illustrated: curly hair blown by the wind, kneeling with legs apart on the sand and the shapes wrapped in a white one-piece swimsuit. This cover is another important step in Leyna’s bias challenge. With her shots she wants to represent trans beauty in all its shapes and sizes, she said on Instagram, but she also takes care of all black and immigrant women. But for her this project also goes beyond the charm:
It’s not just about being beautiful, but about being beautiful with a powerful message. When I think of a powerful woman, I think of someone who is truly unstoppable, especially when she knows she deserves so much more than society believes she is capable of. Continue to feel stronger despite the fear. To make a powerful statement regardless of what she is wearing. He wakes up and faces his day knowing that there are adversities in every room he enters. She keeps her head up and speaks for herself and others when no one will
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In fact, for the photographs he set some conditions: no bikini, thong or nudity. He has chosen to wear only one-piece swimsuits, in which he feels most comfortable. Sports Illustrated took 12 photos of Leyna, each wearing a different costume and all in different poses. Some provocative, others stronger: they do all part of his character and capture its essence in the round.
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