New Barneys New York campaign features transgender models

Weber cast 17 transgender models from around the world to appear in his black and white images, as well as a number of short films and a 15-minute video set to appear on the store’s website.

“I hope that my photographs and films of these 17 new friends, who are transgender men and women, convey the respect I have for them and how I stand in awe of their courage to face the world,” Weber told WWD.

The story behind each of the models has also been told by Vanity Fair’s Patricia Bosworth. The company partnered with the National Center for Transgender Equality, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center, and on February 11 Barneys will donate 10 percent of sales from its flagships and online store to the two non-profits.

While certainly designed to draw attention to equality issues and the struggles many transgender people face, Barneys is also tapping into a recent trend for androgynous and transgender models in the fashion industry. Over the past few years we’ve seen the rise of Lea T (notable for her Givenchy campaigns) and Australian model Andrej Pejic. 

Check out the video at http://vimeo.com/85408525