This Trans Latinx Group Is Taking Fashion Forward

The sequins were sparkling, the music was pumping, and the models were strutting down the catwalk. Trans style was in full effect this winter at the Annual GARRAS Fashion Show, the "show that transcends borders" in downtown Los Angeles. GARRAS stands for Groundbreaking Activism Redirecting and Reforming All Systems, which makes sense as the show is an annual event put on by the TransLatina Coalition, a national organization advocating for specific needs of transgender Latinas, many of whom are immigrants without paperwork).

The event raises funds for the group's leadership, wellness, and drop-in programs (including daily food distribution and supporting survivors of immigration detention with rental assistance, transportation, and food). TransLatina founder and CEO Bamby Salcedo says the fashion show aims to highlight trans and gender-nonconforming people as high-fashion models and increase visibility of the trans community. This year, the show featured 12 amazing designers, and dozens of beautiful and handsome trans models.

Photography by Louis Kengi Carr