Words by Natasha Djanogly
Edited by Valerie Aitova
For years, models have been expected to be poised, reserved, and demure – but model Alex Consani is anything but. She is loudmouthed, chaotic, and extravagant – and it is exactly what fashion needs.The now 22-year-old, known for her bleached locks, porcelain skin, and piercing blue eyes, was born in Petaluma, California, and at 12 became the youngest transgender model at the time. While shooting with supermodel Dominique Jackson at 13 and going viral in 2016 thanks to Cosmopolitan Germany launched her modelling career, it was in classic Gen Z style – TikTok that really catapulted her during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Under the alias @Captincroook, inspired by a personal nickname and her love for Megan Thee Stallion, she has since produced a stream of absurd, viral videos. From pretending to be in MTV Cribs, standing outside the Pasadena Scientology building and telling strangers they can get a Hunger Games book there, and shouting at drivers to vogue RuPaul-style on a busy New York street, to fake-pursuing crocodiles in Yucatán Park to make her own Birkin (a £10,000+ bag), her rebellious spirit and unapologetic humour has garnered her an impressive 6.1 million TikTok followers.
With such an influential social media persona, Consani only became more marketable, attracting industry and particularly casting director attention . This, along with her commanding walk and sharp features ultimately skyrocketed her modelling career. Since then, she has worked with the biggest names in fashion, including Balenciaga, Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Tom Ford, Fendi, Coperni, Versace, Michael Kors, and Victoria’s Secret – and even won Model of the Year 2024.
In all her work, Consani injects a refreshing, light-hearted sense of humour, joy, and relatable awkwardness into what has traditionally been a stuffy, serious, and perfectionist industry. Consani proposes another type of model – not anonymous, but charismatic, fun, and unapologetically human. When asked by British Vogue, “What are you most looking forward to about walking the show?” – the model’s answer says it all: “Ending the night at a Wetherspoons, probably…a five-dollar pint will entice the girl”.
Consani has a massive platform, and with her big mouth, exuberant dance moves, and proud trans identity, coupled with her fierce commitment to social activism, she fearlessly takes up space and discourse. Despite intense backlash, Consani has been outspoken about trans rights because, for her, “being uncensored is an inherent part of being trans.”
“It’s scary to see the most politically powerful and the most wealthy people in the world directly targeting my community specifically and mostly targeting the kids that are helpless to any of this… Even in the face of such negative policies, we’re able to recognize that us – as a community can’t be affected. We’re never going to go away. We’re never going to go away.”
Consani not only disturbs society’s bias for quiet, passive, and well-behaved cisgender women but is also opening up a more inclusive, empowered, and gender-fluid sphere in fashion – an industry typically based on exclusive, politely nonpolitical, and gender-binary standards.
The fact that she is still so outspoken and successful while openly presenting such a systematically targeted identity is inspiring.
“It can be a bit difficult to speak about it in a way that won’t create more hate towards my identity as a trans person.”
However, she takes the hit and not only provides vital trans body representation and celebration but demonstrates to emerging models and fashion industry figures that they too can – and must – speak up and fight for social change.
“As a young trans girl, I always saw the lack of representation. I wanted to fill the void and show other trans and nonbinary people that it was beautiful to be trans – not something to be ashamed of.”
Consani is also unafraid to criticize fashion directly and frequently does so with sharp nuance. Specifically she critiques fashion’s preference for what she calls “digestible diversity”. “You have to be skinny and Black or skinny and trans or trans and white or trans and trans-passing” she explains. As a white, skinny Trans passing woman, she points out the disproportionate support and opportunity she receives as someone with an identity alternative enough to tick the diversity box but not too shocking for high fashion’s typically conservative consumers.
“Where are the dolls of color?…People see me as kitschy and different, but if you’re ever around a Black doll, then you kind of get the same energy that I’m celebrated for. I’m celebrated because I’m white”
Fashion is a multibillion-dollar industry with overarching social influence, and the fact that it so openly tokenises, commodifies and erases underrepresented identities is unacceptable. In the face of lacking institutional and systematic progress, grassroots change is the solution. As much as Consani is leading the conversation, she is astute enough to step back and pass the mic to others, and this might be her most powerful move.
“I started because I wanted to represent trans people…I’m not really the person to do that in a full-scale way because I’m only one part of it”
Gen Z is often mocked for TikTok, identity expression freedom, and outspoken voices, but it is through these tools that Consani’s vision is reaching millions. The rising star is accelerating progress, not only by calling out the industry but by carving out a space for, and giving a voice to, those who have been silenced, forgotten or ignored. As Consani becomes increasingly influential and her message spreads, she highlights the beauty and strength in each person and proves that everyone has the power to make change.
With another September winter season of Consani killing it on the runway – and even on the big screen, with her Milan Fashion Week cameo in Demna’s critically acclaimed Gucci debut film The Tiger – soon under wraps, it’s impossible to know exactly what Consani is planning next. However one thing is certain, whether it is stomping down the runway for Balenciaga, boldly championing Trans Rights or hitting Wetherspoons for a night out – chaos will ensue and heads turn.
