# Valentina Sampaio

> Brazilian model and activist whose agency biography records her 2017 Vogue Paris cover as the first by a transgender model on any edition of Vogue. She became the first transgender model in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue in 2020 and walked the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2024.

- Canonical: https://thecastindex.com/rising/valentina-sampaio
- Status: Established · Talent Watch (unnumbered)
- Nationality: Brazil
- Specialty: Editorial / campaigns / runway
- Agency: The Lions · New York
- Source: https://www.thelionsmanagement.com/main/valentina-sampaio/about
- Editor: Kaiser Khan
- Sources reviewed: 2026-10-22



## Selected milestones

- 2017-03 — [Vogue Paris “Transgender Beauty” issue cover](https://www.thelionsmanagement.com/main/valentina-sampaio/about)
- 2020-07-10 — [First openly transgender model in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue](https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/gma/story/valentina-sampaio-1st-openly-transgender-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-71711910)
- 2024-10-15 — [Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, as a VS Collective ambassador](https://www.thelionsmanagement.com/main/valentina-sampaio/about)
- 2026-04 — [Harper’s Bazaar Greece cover and editorial](https://models.com/models/valentina-sampaio)

## Sources

- [The Lions — Valentina Sampaio biography](https://www.thelionsmanagement.com/main/valentina-sampaio/about)
- [Models.com — Valentina Sampaio profile](https://models.com/models/valentina-sampaio)
- [Good Morning America — first transgender model hired by Victoria’s Secret, August 2019](https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/valentina-sampaio-announces-modeling-victorias-secret-trans-model-64779645)
- [Good Morning America — Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, July 2020](https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/gma/story/valentina-sampaio-1st-openly-transgender-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-71711910)