Please allow us to introduce you if you don’t already know Madelyn and Margo Whitley. The 22-year-old Texan sisters have had a fantastic time, modeling for stars like Rodarte, Helmut Lang, and Rochas and going viral on TikTok with their transition video. The two defied an unsupportive, conventional community by coming out as transgender a year apart before quickly relocating to New York, where they eventually secured lucrative modeling contracts. We tracked them down to find out what their upcoming main plans are.
What was it like for gay young people to grow up in the Bible Belt in a Trump-supporting, gun-toting state?
Madelyn: It was kind of awful that we attended an all-boys private Catholic high school. There was a teacher who, after we transitioned, had very publicly criticized us and warned us that we were going to Hell. There were numerous threats to our health. As difficult as that is, you kind of just had to depersonalize, move on, and surround yourself with positive people.
Margo and Young Maddie
Q: You both came out as transgender within a year of one another, and people frequently discuss sisters’ coordination. When you two came out as transgender, did you experience something similar between you?
Margo: I realize that saying we felt that would have been nice, but it requires a lot of self-acceptance because the process is so unique. Maddie came out before me, and if she had detected it in me—which I believe she did—she knew better than to call it out because I simply wasn’t prepared.
How did you start modeling, exactly?
Margo: When we were very young, we first got scouted at a music festival. A man handed us his business cards, but I told Maddie to throw it away because I believed it to be classic sexual trafficking—we’re young at a festival, no thanks! After that, we immediately relocated to New York, where we both finally got signed.
What was your very first modeling “pinch me” moment?
Madelyn: Marc Jacobs and I had our first significant career together. Without success, we had spent the entire summer trying to succeed as models in New York City. We had to give up and return to Texas because we were completely broke. After moving all of our belongings across the country, we received a phone call as soon as we arrived home asking us to return to New York City to perform at Marc Jacobs. We were able to continue studying modeling because the income from that work actually kept us afloat for two or three years. One of the craziest events of our lives was receiving that call.
Do you think the fashion industry wants to promote trans skills?
Madelyn: I thought being trans wouldn’t be a big deal because of how queer fashion is. But for some work and clients, it was really very challenging. With their incredible underground queer communities, New York and London have been the most welcoming, but Milan and Paris have occasionally felt less so. It’s difficult because occasionally the crew on a shoot will talk about our bodies in another language because they believe we can’t understand them. However, I now have excellent agents and a nice community around me. My sister is my biggest role model in the industry, and we see you and are proud of you, just like all the other transgender models out there.
How significant has personal style been to you throughout your journey?
Margo: When I tried on a dress for the first time, I felt like the most beautiful woman on the planet and experienced this enormous confidence boost. Although it was a terrible look with poor makeup when I looked at the pictures, I felt untouchable at that precise moment. You can be a fresh person every day thanks to style, which has been the most enjoyable way to discover femininity.
Madelyn: Ever since the day I realized I wanted to come out, I’ve dreamed of being able to grow my hair out and wear the clothes and beauty I want. I believe that how we present ourselves in public plays a significant role in our transition, and I didn’t feel I could do that at an all-boys’ private school. It’s crucial to feel liberated.
How can the fashion industry support transgender people more?
Margo: Hiring LGBTQ+ folks for jobs is just as important as the talent in front of the lens because there are whole large artistic teams behind the scenes that make shoots happen.
Madelyn: I’d like to see more celebrations of transgender people of all races, genders, and talents.
You both have a sizable following on TikTok. How will social media impact society in 2024?
Margo: It’s actually assisting in educating people about queer personalities who may not have previously understood us. It’s amazing how many DMs have said, “Thank you so much for telling your story, you inspired me to come out or made me question things.” The next thing we want
to do is appear on a magazine’s cover and make enough money to support the transgender community.
