Slay Model Management, the world’s first trans exclusive modeling agency based in Los Angeles, California, USA, has announced the launch of its Asian operations with the opening of Manila-based Slay Models Asia.
On April 22, Slay Model Management founder and director Cece Asuncion announced the appointment of Niccolo Cosme and Ben Bernabe as co-directors of Slay Models Asia. Under their leadership, Slay Models Asia will hold the license for the Slay Model Management brand not only in the Philippines but also throughout the entire Asian region.
The announcement was made during the preliminary competition of Slay Model Search Asia at Revel at the Palace, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. The final competition airs tonight at 8:00 on ABS-CBN platforms iWantTFC and ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel. Bigo Live live-streamed all the excitement backstage.
“This increased visibility for Asian talents, including models, is an opportunity that I don’t want to miss. That’s why I’ve decided to partner with Niccolo and Ben to launch Slay Models Asia this year,” said Asuncion.
“The modeling agency business is all about trust and personal relationships; as a model, you have to trust your agent to help you build your business and protect your interests. It’s the same with opening a Slay Models agency in Manila for the Asian market,” he adds.
For his part, Niccolo Cosme, who is the creative director of digital marketing and creative agency Howwwl Digital, is excited not just for the trans models but also for the modeling industry in the Philippines as a whole.
“As a fashion and beauty photographer for more than two decades, I have made it a point to advocate for trans visibility and representation in fashion and beauty, not just through my words but also through my body of work. I have been working with trans models—whether for my conceptual art pieces or my commercial work—to promote inclusivity in my industry,” says Cosme.
Ben Bernabe, who is the executive director of health and human rights NGO The Red Whistle, is thrilled about the impact of this launch on trans representation and visibility in the Philippines and in Asia.
“Speaking as an LGBTQIA+ rights advocate, the success of Slay Model Management is a concrete example that trans visibility matters; trans representation matters,” Bernabe stresses.
“I am excited to be a co-director of Slay Models Asia and to work towards greater inclusivity for trans people in the region. Trans models, just like any model of any gender identity, just want to work and give their best at what they do and we will do our best to find clients who will see them as the beautiful persons that they are,” he ends.