Emira D’Spain has a lot to celebrate this Valentine’s Day, as she just became the first black transgender model to work with Victoria’s Secret. The gorgeous social media star, known for her makeup tips and tutorials, partnered with the lingerie company to create a fun guide on how to spend the holiday solo called “Single Girl’s Guide to the Perfect Valentine’s Day.” “The best love is self love!” Emira captioned the clip, where she gets ready for a day of pampering in her red Victoria’s Secret corset.
In the video (below), Emira bops around the Big Apple treating herself to lunch and a shopping spree, which includes purchasing a pair of diamond earrings and a bouquet of roses. “I don’t need a man to buy me flowers,” Emira explains, before adding, “Valentine’s Day may be about love, but it also includes loving yourself.” She concludes the adorable video by taking a bubble bath and slipping into a set of Victoria’s Secret pajamas.
@xoxoemira Valentine’s Day SINGLE Girl Edition 💌💖💫 with @Victoria’s Secret ❤️ The best love is self love! #vsfeelthelove #vspartner
The collaboration comes as Victoria’s Secret launched a rebranding of the company after it faced allegations of stealing designs, sexual harassment and discrimination against the trans community. In a 2018 Vogue interview, then Victoria’s Secret chief marketing officer Ed Razek said he didn’t think their annual runway event should include “transsexuals” because “the show is a fantasy.” He later apologized, saying, “To be clear, we absolutely would cast a transgender model in our show.”
Now that Emira is an integral part of the change happening at the famed company, fans want to know all about the fabulous model. Learn more on Emira, below.
1. Emira was born in Dubai
Emira, who is signed with Andrew Warren’s marketing agency, CollXab, was born in Dubai, raised in Dallas, and now lives in New York City. The model loves to strike a pose for selfies taken in the Big Apple, which she posts to her Instagram. In one recent winter post, she captioned the snap, “Icy queen at the NY Botanical Garden.”
2. She’s a TikTok star
Emira has a huge presence on social media, which includes a massive following on TikTok with over 773,000 followers. On the site, Emira has become famous for her beauty tips and daily “Get Ready With Me” videos. When it was announced she would be making history with Victoria’s Secret collaboration, her TikTok fans went wild. “So proud of you and the little black girl inside of me is screaming for you!!!!!” said user @danibananiie. “Congratulations baby, you deserve everything good and more,” said TikToker @maddietpwk.
3. Emira has worked with some huge brand names
Although she is relatively new to the modeling scene, Emira has already built a reputation for working with some huge names in the business. Last year, she also collaborated with Nars, Ugg, Google, Anastasia Beverly Hills and Fenty Skin!
4. Emira wants to use her platform to empower others
Emira knows she has a platform to inspire others and inspire change in the fashion industry. “I want to empower young trans women and men around the world to show them that the beauty and fashion industries are changing, especially if you are a POC,” she said in a statement to USA Today. “I am so grateful to work with Victoria’s Secret and hope this paves the way for those after me.”
5. Emira credits another Victoria’s Secret model for paving the way
Emira isn’t the first transgender trailblazer working with Victoria’s Secret and she knows it! The beauty thanked fellow model Valentina Sampaio for paving the way after Valentina became the first transgender model to work with the company in 2019. In her Instagram post announcing her collaboration with Voctoria’s Secret, Emira wrote, “Honored to be the first black trans girl working with @victoriassecret. As a kid I only DREAMED of being a part of Victoria’s Secret. @valentts paved the way and it’s such an honor to continue that legacy on the first day of black history month. Go watch my TikTok to see and stay tuned for more to come.”