Biography
Who is Valentina Sampaio?
Early life and background
Valentina Sampaio was born in a fishing village located in Aquiraz, Ceará, within Northeastern Brazil. Her father worked as a fisherman, while her mother served as a schoolteacher. She possesses a diverse heritage of Dutch, African, and Native Brazilian ancestry.
When she was eight years old, a psychologist recognized her as transgender. She began identifying as Valentina at age twelve. During her upbringing, she reported that her parents were always supportive of her identity. Her school classmates also accepted her, as she noted they viewed her as a girl from a young age.
Education and career beginnings
Valentina initially pursued studies in architecture while living in Fortaleza. At age sixteen, she chose to leave those studies to focus on fashion instead. A makeup artist noticed her talent and connected her with a modeling agency based in São Paulo.
Her early professional experience included a setback when a clothing company dismissed her from a job in 2014. The brand cited its conservative nature as the reason for letting her go. Despite this initial hurdle, she traveled away from Ceará to act in an independent film produced in Rio de Janeiro.
Modeling and brand milestones
Valentina Sampaio first walked a runway in November 2016 at São Paulo Fashion Week. Shortly afterward, L'Oréal produced a film about her for International Women's Day and appointed her as a brand ambassador. She joined other Brazilian spokeswomen like Taís Araújo and Juliana Paes in this role.
International recognition grew significantly in February 2017 when she appeared on the cover of Vogue Paris. This made her the first transgender model to grace the magazine's cover. She subsequently appeared on the covers of Vogue Brasil and Vogue Germany. Her portfolio includes work for major fashion houses such as Dior, Marc Jacobs, H&M, and Moschino. She is currently represented by The Lions agency in New York.
Breaking industry barriers
In August 2019, Valentina announced a partnership with Victoria's Secret PINK, becoming the first openly transgender model for the company. She continued this trend of firsts by appearing in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2020. She also became an ambassador for Armani Beauty in late 2021.
Her runway career reached another milestone on October 15, 2024. Alongside model Alex Consani, she became one of the first two transgender women to walk in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Outside of her modeling work, she actively advocates for transgender equality and awareness in Brazil.
Birthday and age
Valentina Sampaio was born on December 10, 1996, which makes Valentina 29 years old today. That birthday falls under the Sagittarius sign. Valentina shares the date with 25 other famous people.
Explore more
