& Other Stories Recruits Transgender Cast and Crew for New Campaign

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H&M-owned & Other Stories is the latest brand to feature transgender models in a campaign, and WWD reports that beyond that, & Other Stories also assembled a creative team of transgender professionals for the shoot. Amos Mac shot the photos of models Valentijn De Hingh and Hari Nef, while the ads were styled by Love Bailey with makeup by Nina Poon. & Other Stories creative director Sara Hildén Bengtsson told WWD: "There’s a lot of talk about transgender today, but for us, it was a lateral step to do [the campaign]." The capsule collection is launching in stores on August 20th.

In the ads, Nef and De Hingh wear athletic-inspired looks, like metallic anoraks, mesh tees, and printed bomber jackets. De Hingh said that the crew formed "a bond that’s immediate and palpable," and that having brands hire transgender models is a major statement. "Sometimes to get a political message across, having a commercial brand support an issue can actually help….The thing that you have to be worried about is that it’s not just a fad. It’s not a fashion trend to have transgender people in a youth campaign, then after two seasons not have them anymore," De Hingh told WWD. "I think that the way things are moving right now, it’s looking like even when the fad is over there will still be awareness of our story and our issues."