Marking the announcement with an Instagram post shot by Collier Schorr, former Dazed 100 model and two-time Dazed cover star Nathan Westling has come out as transgender. 

As part of an interview with CNN Style published this afternoon, Westling discussed moving from New York to LA in April last year to start his transition, and opened up about his battles with anxiety, anger, and depression, explaining that he’d long known where at least some of these issues arose from.

Having missed the AW19 fashion season to focus on his journey, Westling speaks openly about the process.

“It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows,” he explains in the interview. “It wasn’t until I started to see physical changes that aligned with ... my mental state that I finally woke up and started living. I’m happy. I can’t even imagine going back to how I was before because it’s just darkness.” He is also candid about growing up in Arizona, a state known for its conservatism, and the challenges that came with feeling like an outsider during his time at high school.

Westling finishes by outlining his intentions to move back to New York and begin modelling again, joining the likes of models Krow and Finn Buchanan, who are currently leading the way when it comes to trans acceptance in fashion. Keep your eyes peeled for his SS20 runway debut – we can’t wait to see what his future holds.