In her acceptance speech, Consani told a star-studded audience at the Royal Albert Hall that her victory marked a “big step in the right direction.”

“Now, more than ever, it’s an important conversation that should be had about how to truly support and uplift one another within this industry, especially those who have been made to feel insignificant,” she added, to cheers from the crowd, after collecting her trophy from model and body activist Ashley Graham and “Baby Reindeer” star Nava Mau.

“Because change is more than possible — it’s needed.”

Having signed with IMG Models (an agency representing supermodels including Claudia Schiffer, Hailey Bieber and the Hadid sisters) in 2019, Consani rose to prominence through TikTok, where she now boasts almost 4 million followers. She made her catwalk debut for Tom Ford in 2021 and later walked for top labels such as Alexander McQueen and Versace.

In October, Consani and Valentina Sampaio made history by becoming the first trans models to appear on the runway at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

Wearing a ripped Union Flag dress by Turkish-British designer Dilara Findikoglu, California-born Consani used her acceptance speech to honor the Black transgender women — including fellow models Connie Fleming and Aaron Rose Philip — who “really fought for the space … that allowed me to flourish today.” She also paid tribute to her parents for supporting her modeling aspirations.

Recognizing the “the global impact” of someone who has “dominated the industry” in the last 12 months, the prestigious Model of the Year prize combines the opinion of an industry panel with the result of a public vote, according to award organizers the British Fashion Council. Black trans model Kai-Isaiah Jamal was among the nominees for last year’s award, which was ultimately won by plus-size model Paloma Elsesser. What do you think of this success of Consani? WE LOVE HER