December 3, 2021 • 14 mins
Model and advocate Valentina Sampaio speaks to host Amanda de Cadenet about everything from being a part of the transgender community, life in Brazil, her conservative upbringing, and breaking into the fashion industry.
In conversations around gender identity, societal expectations, and self-acceptance, Sampaio gives us an in-depth glimpse into her life and career.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to VS Voices. I'm a Mandate Acadney. Today I'm
interviewing model, actress and advocate Valentino's Empio. On this episode
of Voices, we talk about the trauma of being fired
on set after a brand realized Valentina was trans and
how that experience inspired her to be even more visible,
the profound impact of eighties icon Roberta Close, her lifelong
(00:27):
goal to one day not have to advocate for her
communities right to live, and how Valentina always saw herself
as a girl. So thank you. I'm really pleased to
be speaking with you again. Um. I I feel so
(00:47):
lucky that I get to speak to all of the
women in the collective and to hear where they're at
and hear their stories. And I've been really looking forward
to talking to you. So here we go, y um.
And I'm excited for the Victorious Secret community to to
(01:08):
learn more about you, because what I learned about you
so far has been so interesting for me. So can
you tell me a little bit about your family and
how you grew up. Yeah, I had a very happy childhood,
surrounded by a big family of seven siblings in a small,
(01:30):
humble fishing Villas inert is there, Brazil. My parents had
a very conservative upbringing. They are not very emotionally expressive
on a verbal level. It was challenging for me to
grow into myself without being able to open and share
my thoughts and emotions, but it helped me major quickly
(01:56):
because bing born trans means that often had to self
reflect in a very introspective way. Open and motive communication
with parents is important for any child, but especially for
a trans child that is trying to understand the place
in the world. I was quite alone in this process,
(02:19):
despite being surrounded by family and love, so I would
play often by myself, creating my own word. Do you
feel less alone now? Um? Yes, like the people surrounded
by me there even more open like to speak too,
(02:44):
to have a conversation, because how that I that I
say like my parents had a very conservative at the bringing.
They are not very emotionally expressed on a verbal level.
If they don't know, like how to have like a conversation,
I know how I can start the conversation with Then
(03:08):
you know, mm hmmm. It must feel good for you
to be able to communicate your truth. Yeah, and to
be appreciated for who you are what are your earliest
memories when it comes to understanding your gender. From the
(03:30):
beginning of my existence, I always knew who I was,
I always felt myself. I always identified immediately with femininity.
I was only introduced to the conception of being different
or transgender because of the external words perception. So a
(03:51):
site expected me to be different than what my essence
and true nature was if they would call me out
on it. I can't remember the exact moment. That's a
side didn't online with who I was. What I do
remember was feeling judged by people because of the way
(04:15):
I dressed, and feeling confused by things like the gifts
people would give me as a child that I simply
didn't connect with. Why were my siblings gift things that
they could connect and love playing When I could not
connect or comprehend what people would give to me, I
(04:40):
would hear comments like walk right, speak right, as if
the way I walked or spoke was wrong and I
simply could not understand it. I was just being me.
What could be wrong in that? There's nothing wrong in that.
Do your remember what it felt like the first time
(05:02):
you saw a trans woman in the media. Huberta close
was a public persona that I felt most represented and
inspired by. In Roberta. Eye witnessed a trans woman being
have fabler self as well as being a dard and
(05:24):
applauded it. She opened the door to hope and possibility
in ways I was wasn't sure could exist for me.
She was suspot, she was respected, she was celebrated. I
was absolutely fascinated and inspired by Roberta. Also, when you
(05:47):
were growing up, it was the height of the Brazilian
supermodel trend. Did you always want to be a model?
H like seeing someone from my counting experienced success generated
a sense of pride, but I didn't. I didn't feel
(06:08):
represented by then. Mm hmm. So it sounds like there
was not many people to look to and too, you know,
want to choose the path that they chose. Yeah, exactly
how were you discovered As a teenager, I enjoyed taking
(06:33):
pictures of myself and posting them on Facebook. Then when
I first went to the university, started fashion at sixteen
days when people started asking me to model for them,
and it is just organically grow from there. I had
a friend that was a makeup artist and he was
(06:54):
always encouraging me to model professionally, but it was very
challenging at the time because people were afraid of me
as a transforman to represent their brand social media and
my first film really ended up becoming my graters unexpecting champions. Actually,
(07:19):
my first contract came to me via Instagram. Oh wow. Yeah,
And it was very challenging at the beginning because even
when people went to work with me or there would
be prejudice or scare of higher and transforman. I faced
much ignorance and fear. Can you talk a bit about
(07:44):
one of the first experiences you had with a brand.
You said that you experienced much ignorance and fear. But
is it true that a brand fired you after um
learning about your gender identity. Yeah, it's true. Being fired
and humiliating on said the day was traumatizing, but it
(08:06):
was also what leads the fire within me to overcome
my personal heart ache. It made me see beyond myself.
It allowed me to understand that I need to shed
light and create not just for myself, but for the
(08:27):
humanization and benefit of ultrans people whenever and wherever possible.
Shortly after experience, I was cast in a filming that
was shot in real that creative opportunity helped me again
the courage to reopen myself to modeling and moved to
(08:48):
So Paulo. Within a few months of that movie, I
was asked to model for the COVID of Paris Vogue
and my career took off. Yes, you have had a
lot of first You were the first trans model on
(09:10):
the cover of French Volk, you were the first transgender
model for Victoria's Secret, and the first transgender model in
the Sports Illustrated Swims to issue. You're doing a lot
to represent your community. How does that feel for you?
(09:31):
Are Duvocating for the basic dignity and respect of the
trans community is a responsibility that I embrace with open arms.
I do what I can, and I tried to not
get over roumed by a sense of pressure. I'm just
(09:52):
a human trying to blunt seeds of acceptance in respect
by leaving and work in an outing away. My hope
is that by working with people and brands that they
get to experience the beauty of diversity. Regardless of our shall,
(10:12):
we are all humans, and what we share despite our
shall is the common desire to safely be accepted and
loved for who we truly are. That is the truth.
That is the common desire of I think all human
beings to want to be seen and valued for who
(10:35):
they are. How do you hope to continue your advocacy
as part of the VS collective? The The reality of
what my community face on a daily basis is heavy
and challenging. I try to leave and create beyond individual self.
(11:02):
I tried to embrace whatever I do, which as much
conscious respect, love and out changeously as I can. I
shared positivity and create possibility that extends beyond my personal experience.
(11:23):
That's beautiful. Are you surprised by your success? Yes, I
am surprised because years ago it was looking possible. It
was imaginal for me to be here today, Like even
(11:45):
when I try to started like the challenge that I faced. Yeah,
everything that I have to overcome too to arrive here.
You have overcome a lot. I started to us like
five years ago, and in these five years, the word
is it's change, Like we are making steps forward. You're
(12:11):
going in the right direction. Yeah, we're going in the
right direction. And I and I hope that one day
I don't need to withstand for my rights, for for
basic things like my right to exist. I hope that
is the case too, and you're doing really incredible work
(12:33):
to change and make progress. So thank you, thank you too. Yeah,
and I am I am really happy like to have that.
I am having opportunity that have some platform that or
(12:54):
give me opportunity to raise my voice for my community.
And this is so parton because my community, we need
everybody twistend together with Twist, stand together with ours, not
just me as a trance, not just not just as
(13:15):
a as a trance, but everybody. We need everybody to
stand together with us. I so enjoy what you say
when you when you answer my questions, you just speak
so beautifully from your heart. Thank you. This is VS Voices,
(13:43):
a brand new original podcast series by Victoria's Secret. Listen
here or wherever you get your podcasts. Ass
Welcome to VS Voices. I'm a Mandate Acadney. Today I'm
interviewing model, actress and advocate Valentino's Empio. On this episode
of Voices, we talk about the trauma of being fired
on set after a brand realized Valentina was trans and
how that experience inspired her to be even more visible,
the profound impact of eighties icon Roberta Close, her lifelong
(00:27):
goal to one day not have to advocate for her
communities right to live, and how Valentina always saw herself
as a girl. So thank you. I'm really pleased to
be speaking with you again. Um. I I feel so
(00:47):
lucky that I get to speak to all of the
women in the collective and to hear where they're at
and hear their stories. And I've been really looking forward
to talking to you. So here we go, y um.
And I'm excited for the Victorious Secret community to to
(01:08):
learn more about you, because what I learned about you
so far has been so interesting for me. So can
you tell me a little bit about your family and
how you grew up. Yeah, I had a very happy childhood,
surrounded by a big family of seven siblings in a small,
(01:30):
humble fishing Villas inert is there, Brazil. My parents had
a very conservative upbringing. They are not very emotionally expressive
on a verbal level. It was challenging for me to
grow into myself without being able to open and share
my thoughts and emotions, but it helped me major quickly
(01:56):
because bing born trans means that often had to self
reflect in a very introspective way. Open and motive communication
with parents is important for any child, but especially for
a trans child that is trying to understand the place
in the world. I was quite alone in this process,
(02:19):
despite being surrounded by family and love, so I would
play often by myself, creating my own word. Do you
feel less alone now? Um? Yes, like the people surrounded
by me there even more open like to speak too,
(02:44):
to have a conversation, because how that I that I
say like my parents had a very conservative at the bringing.
They are not very emotionally expressed on a verbal level.
If they don't know, like how to have like a conversation,
I know how I can start the conversation with Then
(03:08):
you know, mm hmmm. It must feel good for you
to be able to communicate your truth. Yeah, and to
be appreciated for who you are what are your earliest
memories when it comes to understanding your gender. From the
(03:30):
beginning of my existence, I always knew who I was,
I always felt myself. I always identified immediately with femininity.
I was only introduced to the conception of being different
or transgender because of the external words perception. So a
(03:51):
site expected me to be different than what my essence
and true nature was if they would call me out
on it. I can't remember the exact moment. That's a
side didn't online with who I was. What I do
remember was feeling judged by people because of the way
(04:15):
I dressed, and feeling confused by things like the gifts
people would give me as a child that I simply
didn't connect with. Why were my siblings gift things that
they could connect and love playing When I could not
connect or comprehend what people would give to me, I
(04:40):
would hear comments like walk right, speak right, as if
the way I walked or spoke was wrong and I
simply could not understand it. I was just being me.
What could be wrong in that? There's nothing wrong in that.
Do your remember what it felt like the first time
(05:02):
you saw a trans woman in the media. Huberta close
was a public persona that I felt most represented and
inspired by. In Roberta. Eye witnessed a trans woman being
have fabler self as well as being a dard and
(05:24):
applauded it. She opened the door to hope and possibility
in ways I was wasn't sure could exist for me.
She was suspot, she was respected, she was celebrated. I
was absolutely fascinated and inspired by Roberta. Also, when you
(05:47):
were growing up, it was the height of the Brazilian
supermodel trend. Did you always want to be a model?
H like seeing someone from my counting experienced success generated
a sense of pride, but I didn't. I didn't feel
(06:08):
represented by then. Mm hmm. So it sounds like there
was not many people to look to and too, you know,
want to choose the path that they chose. Yeah, exactly
how were you discovered As a teenager, I enjoyed taking
(06:33):
pictures of myself and posting them on Facebook. Then when
I first went to the university, started fashion at sixteen
days when people started asking me to model for them,
and it is just organically grow from there. I had
a friend that was a makeup artist and he was
(06:54):
always encouraging me to model professionally, but it was very
challenging at the time because people were afraid of me
as a transforman to represent their brand social media and
my first film really ended up becoming my graters unexpecting champions. Actually,
(07:19):
my first contract came to me via Instagram. Oh wow. Yeah,
And it was very challenging at the beginning because even
when people went to work with me or there would
be prejudice or scare of higher and transforman. I faced
much ignorance and fear. Can you talk a bit about
(07:44):
one of the first experiences you had with a brand.
You said that you experienced much ignorance and fear. But
is it true that a brand fired you after um
learning about your gender identity. Yeah, it's true. Being fired
and humiliating on said the day was traumatizing, but it
(08:06):
was also what leads the fire within me to overcome
my personal heart ache. It made me see beyond myself.
It allowed me to understand that I need to shed
light and create not just for myself, but for the
(08:27):
humanization and benefit of ultrans people whenever and wherever possible.
Shortly after experience, I was cast in a filming that
was shot in real that creative opportunity helped me again
the courage to reopen myself to modeling and moved to
(08:48):
So Paulo. Within a few months of that movie, I
was asked to model for the COVID of Paris Vogue
and my career took off. Yes, you have had a
lot of first You were the first trans model on
(09:10):
the cover of French Volk, you were the first transgender
model for Victoria's Secret, and the first transgender model in
the Sports Illustrated Swims to issue. You're doing a lot
to represent your community. How does that feel for you?
(09:31):
Are Duvocating for the basic dignity and respect of the
trans community is a responsibility that I embrace with open arms.
I do what I can, and I tried to not
get over roumed by a sense of pressure. I'm just
(09:52):
a human trying to blunt seeds of acceptance in respect
by leaving and work in an outing away. My hope
is that by working with people and brands that they
get to experience the beauty of diversity. Regardless of our shall,
(10:12):
we are all humans, and what we share despite our
shall is the common desire to safely be accepted and
loved for who we truly are. That is the truth.
That is the common desire of I think all human
beings to want to be seen and valued for who
(10:35):
they are. How do you hope to continue your advocacy
as part of the VS collective? The The reality of
what my community face on a daily basis is heavy
and challenging. I try to leave and create beyond individual self.
(11:02):
I tried to embrace whatever I do, which as much
conscious respect, love and out changeously as I can. I
shared positivity and create possibility that extends beyond my personal experience.
(11:23):
That's beautiful. Are you surprised by your success? Yes, I
am surprised because years ago it was looking possible. It
was imaginal for me to be here today, Like even
(11:45):
when I try to started like the challenge that I faced. Yeah,
everything that I have to overcome too to arrive here.
You have overcome a lot. I started to us like
five years ago, and in these five years, the word
is it's change, Like we are making steps forward. You're
(12:11):
going in the right direction. Yeah, we're going in the
right direction. And I and I hope that one day
I don't need to withstand for my rights, for for
basic things like my right to exist. I hope that
is the case too, and you're doing really incredible work
(12:33):
to change and make progress. So thank you, thank you too. Yeah,
and I am I am really happy like to have that.
I am having opportunity that have some platform that or
(12:54):
give me opportunity to raise my voice for my community.
And this is so parton because my community, we need
everybody twistend together with Twist, stand together with ours, not
just me as a trance, not just not just as
(13:15):
a as a trance, but everybody. We need everybody to
stand together with us. I so enjoy what you say
when you when you answer my questions, you just speak
so beautifully from your heart. Thank you. This is VS Voices,
(13:43):
a brand new original podcast series by Victoria's Secret. Listen
here or wherever you get your podcasts. Ass
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