Rue Jansen's story of being discovered is the kind Hollywood dreams are made of. The 18-year-old, who identifies as transgender female, walked the catwalk in Black Coffee's show on the final evening of South African Fashion Week in Johannesburg.
Jansen, who is from the small town of Kathu in the Northern Cape, got her big break while shopping in a Black Coffee store for a dress to wear to her mother's wedding.
She tried on a few dresses with her sister and then "a lady behind the counter asked me if I would be keen on modelling for the design house. The next morning I was doing fittings for the show," said Jansen.
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Breaking into the industry is something she's wanted to do for as long as she can remember.
Jansen said the South African fashion industry was not as open-minded as it could be when it came to people who identify as transgender.
"The industry is still not a space where transgender people can express themselves freely."
Jansen described Black Coffee's designs as "incredibly beautiful". She sees everything that she's experiencing at the moment as a highlight, but "I don't want to get overexcited by the trend too quickly. Trends come and go in the fashion industry."
One thing she wants to accomplish with her career is to create awareness for transgender communities.
She also hopes her work will show young people that anything is possible, regardless of who you are and where you're from.
"I want to be a voice of hope," she said. Her plans for the future include flourishing in the fashion industry and living a life of activism.
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