Artist, blogger, and model, Chella Man, has given us an extremely intimate look into his life documenting many aspects of his transition. Across videos posted to YouTube and a recurring column in Them, he has brought us along in an ongoing personal journey that has been educational and inspiring.
Teen Vogue broke word today that Chella Man has been signed to modeling agency IMG. As a deaf, trans, Chinese, and Jewish individual, he has been a fierce advocate for inter-sectional inclusivity and representation making his signing all the more momentous. "It's surreal. Honestly, it has not quite hit me yet," Man said in response to the news. "I am honored to be a part of the IMG family as they have been nothing but welcoming and accepting. I actually had hoped to sign with them as close friends have told me they are one of the most inclusive agencies right now."
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Senior Vice President at IMG Models, David Cunningham said about the decision to sign Man "His ongoing efforts to promote change, specifically around diversity and inclusion in the fashion space, is truly inspiring and completely aligned with our missions here at IMG."
Currently studying Virtual Reality Programming and Game Design at the Parsons School for Design in Manhattan, Man was picked at the beginning of this year as one of PAPER's names to know in 2018 and voted most likely to melt our hearts. (He certainly did!) Since then, Man has given a TedX talk, fronted a GAP campaign, and walked the runway for Nicopanda at Macy's, plus there are three more months left in the year so who knows what else we can expect!
Photo via Instagram