(France 24) – Los Angeles designer Pierre Davis made her debut in New York this week, becoming the first openly transgender creator to present a collection at Fashion Week, further shaking up an event that had already featured trans models. The powerful Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), which says it represents more than 500 creators and has made diversity its battle cry, announced last month that Davis’s No Sesso brand would be “making NYFW history” at Monday’s event,

which opened with a parade of whimsical garments. Fashion Week began with a focus on men and will turn to women’s wear on Thursday. Davis, a trans woman born with the attributes of a man, told CFDA that she hopes the brand “will inspire people to be more community-minded and to realize not everything is just about aesthetics or commerce. It’s also about humanity.” She added it is important “that people of all intersectional identities are given a fighting chance regardless of their identity. READ MORE