Supermodel Valentina Sampaio Teams Up With LUKSO, The Lions and Creatives On Fashion NFT for LGBTQI+ Charities

After a two year hiatus from its full-fledged glory, The Met Gala finally returned as one of the most glamorous events on the annual fashion circuit on Monday, Sept. 13, filled with stars and celebrities alike decked out in designer threads curated specifically to a chosen theme. This year’s iteration marked the debut ofThe Lions Management’s Brazilian transgender supermodel Valentina Sampaio on the red carpet as a member of the newly-minted VS Collective, wearing a red-hued gown by Iris Van Herpen to fashion’s biggest night. But Monday evening represented more than just a gala for Sampaio, as her significant role in collaboration with blockchain company LUKSO, her agency The Lions, and a team of international creatives launched in the form of an NFT that very same night, currently going strong at a bid of $300,000 and with all proceeds set to go directly to LGBTQ+ charities upon its close.

As The Met Gala’s theme, ‘In America: A Lexicon of Fashion,’ pulled from historic moments in United States pop culture and history, Sampaio simultaneously proposed her own question to the nation’s actions in present day: “What does it mean to be an American if you are trans?” A total of 44 trans humans were killed for their very existence in 2020, with the number only expected to grow in 2021, making Sampaio’s profound and personal query all that much more potent.

“I hope that young trans women can see women like us at The Met Gala and other cultural epicenters and come to know that trans women do belong,” said Sampaio. “Our existence and visibility matter.”

Sampaio explored this idea in a short film directed by Branislav Jankic and written by Jesse Ball, created specifically to accompany the LUKSO and The Lions-backed NFT. Within the video, Sampaio recites the names of American trans lives lost this past year, while a deep red CGI gown designed by Muscovite digital artist NERI (Gia Djahaia) forms on her body in their memory, with the unique dress thereafter immediately launching for sale as an NFT.

“Branislav Jankic and Jesse Ball’s new film begins with the beautiful diversity and joy of the transgender community and quickly moves to spotlight the urgent epidemic of violence facing transgender people, especially transgender women of color,” continued Sampaio. “Together with partners at The Lions and LUKSO, we hope our film and NERI’s striking NFT raise visibility for the trans community and create an urgent call to action for the fashion and blockchain communities to proudly and strongly stand with trans people.”

The talent-laden collaboration’s still-climbing auction price, which is already eight times higher than the previous record set by a fashion NFT, will ultimately benefit LGBTQ+ philanthropic groups The Ali Forney Center, GLAAD, and longtime charity partner of The Lions Pride Live, with the goal of aiding the American trans community.

“We are honored to partner with The Lions and LUKSO on this ground-breaking project led by Valentina,” said Diana Rodriguez, founder of Pride Live. “To be able to bring such global awareness to the escalating dangers faced by the trans community is representative of who Valentina is, and the impact she wants to have in this world. Her leadership to encourage engagement in new and developing ways and platforms, like LUKSO expands the breath and impact of this vitally important message.”

The project garnered worldwide attention in turn, with a corresponding digital V Magazine cover featuring Sampaio wearing the dress hitting newsstands just one day after the NFT’s launch. The cover reached millions of users across social media channels, achieving a much higher than average number of 68,000 views on V Magazine’s own post and a variety of shares from high-profile influencers on Instagram.

As Monday night publicly displayed Sampaio’s widely successful introduction into both the world of The MET Gala and the newfound NFT space, September 13th will hopefully go down in history as a step forward in representation for trans rights across America.