While most 12-year-olds focus on attending school and hanging out with their friends, Pedro Lourenço was designing his first collection for his mother’s brand Carlota Joakina, which was shown at Sao Paulo Fashion Week. Almost two decades later, Lourenço founded genderless, sustainable brand ZILVER, dropping the debut collection in September last year.  

To celebrate the launch of its new e-shop, ZILVER is also releasing a new series entitled ZILVER CONVERSATION. The series invites several different guests to discuss subjects that are important to them. The first episode features a candid discussion about gender fluidity and fashion with model and actress Andreja Pejic.

As the first ever transgender woman to appear in American Vogue, Pejic explains that the constraints on what it means to be female can be “quite limiting and oppressive”. With genderless brands like ZILVER becoming more common, it provides limitless opportunities for those exploring their gender identity. “A girl can wear men’s jeans and be beautiful, and a boy can wear girl’s jeans and also be beautiful,” Pejic explains. Before coming out as transgender in 2014, she recalls the media being fascinated with her androgyny as she modelled both menswear and womenswear. “I found great courage in being able to morph into each one,” she says.

Elsewhere, the model discusses the power she finds different clothes bring to her. “I don’t want to be a servant to clothes, I think clothes should serve the human being. I think they should empower the human being and allow you to be more free,” she says. “For me, freedom is walking into a room, and not feeling you would be judged by anything. Not caring about what they may think of you and not caring what their prejudices may be”.

Keep a look out for the rest of ZILVER CONVERSATION, to watch more exciting guests discussing topical issues.