Transgender Model Anjali Lama Scores A Calvin Klein Campaign

Anjali Lama shook up the Indian fashion scene when she made her debut at Lakme Fashion Week in 2017 and became the first transgender model to walk for a major fashion week in the country. The 34-year-old from Nepal has built a space for herself in the fashion industry and has now made history by bagging a campaign with Calvin Klein, in their series #mycalvins which focuses on the underwear collection of the clothing giant.

The campaign which is Asia specific was shot in Phuket, Thailand and features 10 fearless women along with Anjali including artist Pang Jing, Japanese filmmaker Shiori Ito and Chef Bo Songvisava from Thailand.  The campaign will be released on March 14, but teasers have already appeared on the brand’s social media handle.

Speaking to a leading daily about her campaign, Anjali said “I never thought I’d do a Calvin Klein campaign one day. There were women from 10 countries in the campaign and I was one of them.”

Anjali’s path to success wasn’t an easy one. Born in a small village in Nepal as Nabin Waiba Tamang, it was only  in 2003, when she moved to Kathmandu and discovered the local trans community, that she finally felt at peace. Her first big break was on the cover of the local magazine, Voice of Women.  She applied to Lakme Fashion Week and was rejected twice till she was finally accepted. Since then she’s walked for the likes of Gaurav Gupta, Rajesh Pratap Singh and Ritu Kumar. She’s even scored a cover with a leading Indian fashion magazine.

Speaking to a leading daily about her being a role model for trans people she stated, “Of course, I get many queries on Instagram and Facebook from people on their journey, and I counsel and direct them to where they might find help. But I don’t feel I need to work at a community centre, Wherever I’m going, my identity goes with me and the community is represented through me. When they mention me, everybody describes me as transgender. If you work and are exposed with your identity, that’s a big thing.”  

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