Connie Fleming

Fleming was born in Jamaica.^[2] She has no siblings.^[3] She and her mother moved to Flatbush in New York City, US, when she was five years old to pursue a better education and to leave her alcoholic father. During her school years, Fleming began openly identifying as a trans girl. She was bullied while at school and faced physical and sexual violence. At the same time, her relationship with her mother became strained.^[2] She graduated high school in 1984.^[4]

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

Fleming was one of the first transgender supermodels.^[5] In 1984, while working at a boutique, Fleming met David Glamamore, a drag queen, and Matthew Kasten.^[2][4] Through Kasten, Fleming got work drag performing at the Boy Bar.^[2] Glamamore and Fleming became known as "Boy Bar Beauties", and Fleming found herself a downtown celebrity^[2] becoming known as "Connie Girl".^[2][6] She was also a doorperson at clubs, referring to herself as "the door bitch from hell",^[7] and was known for her "evil door bitch" persona.^[2]

Later, Fleming decided to leave the Boy Bar and drag performing in order to become a serious fashion model.^[2] She felt like her identity as a transgender woman was not taken seriously when she was a drag performer, and that she was labelled as a drag queen, although she did not identify as such.^[8][2] While working as a drag performer, Fleming met International Chrysis, who introduced her to fashion modeling.^[8]

She was a model at the 1989 and 1990 editions of Paris Fashion Week for Thierry Mugler^[2][8] and appeared in the 1992 music video of the song "Too Funky" by George Michael.^[9][2] She modeled for Patricia Field, Steven Meisel, Thierry Mugler, and Vivienne Westwood.^[2][10] She was the muse of Mugler and Westwood,^[7] and frequently appeared in Mugler's runways.^[9] Her appearance as an openly transgender woman was controversial and led to the belief that Mugler's business would end.^[11]

During her time as a model, Fleming was subject to transphobia. She was deemed difficult to work with for refusing to answer transphobic questions, and lost opportunities.^[2] The rise of drag queen RuPaul also made it difficult for Fleming to be taken seriously as a woman and not a drag performer, with whom she was frequently grouped.^[8][11] Her career in modeling was halted due to the transphobia^[12] and as the trend of drag grew less popular.^[11] Fleming began producing fashion shows and continued working in clubs.^[2] She later became a fashion illustrator.^[9][1] In 2012, she portrayed Michelle Obama for the cover of Candy Magazine.^[13]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fleming drew art. Some of her work was displayed in Never Apart's art gallery in 2021.^[14] She works as a doorperson at Le Bain as of 2020.^[15] In 2023, Fleming made her comeback to modeling by walking the runway at Casey Cadwallader's SS24 show for Mugler.^[16][17] Laverne Cox praised the "historic" return.^[18] She walked again under Cadwallader for Mugler at the Fall/Winter 2024–2025 show.^[19]

Fleming was named an "it girl" by The Cut^[4][20] and The New York Times.^[9] She is also considered a transgender icon.^{[7][10][19][21]}

Fleming's look at Mugler's Spring/Summer 1992 show, a rhinestone corset with a ten-gallon hat, was named one of the most iconic catwalk images by British Vogue.^[18] In 2024, Beyoncé paid homage to the image in a photoshoot for her eighth studio album Cowboy Carter.^[18][12][19] Fleming is considered a pioneer of transgender models.^[22][16] Fleming's appearance on major runways as an openly transgender woman was a rarity in its time.^[19]

Fleming transitioned in the 1980s.^[11] Though she and her mother had a strained relationship when she was a teenager, they eventually reconciled.^[2] Fleming got breast implants in 2000, and was diagnosed with BIA-ALCL lymphoma, a rare form of cancer, as a result. She was declared cancer-free in July 2019.^[1]