Andreja Pejic

Gender dysphoria is never an easy thing to live with, mainly because people don't understand it. ”

As a kid, you get to the stage where you realise the gender barriers that exist in society and what you're supposed to do and not supposed to do. ”

Most female models don't have any muscle mass. ”

My favourite author is Leon Trotsky - the political philosophy and the way he writes is beautiful, and really relevant, too. ”

I was planning to transition right after high school and attend university as a girl, but then the modeling thing came up. It was an opportunity to see the world. My family knew I identified as a girl, but I didn't tell people in fashion. ”

My dream was, start young, take hormones, live as a woman, try and become as passable as possible, bury your past, change your friends. Now I've realised that I don't have to be ashamed of my past. ”

In the beginning, I was worried there are too many shots of me as a boy out there. Now I'm at a point where I know my past doesn't make me any less of a woman today. I can be proud of it. I don't have to bury it. ”

Other women don't go around saying, 'Wow, I'm female.' They have room in their lives for other things. That's my goal. One day, I would like to be just another girl. ”

I didn't know if I could have a career in fashion; I didn't fit in an obvious box. ”

I was scouted working at the register at McDonald's in Melbourne, Australia. I worked there as my first job, and a guy walked in and gave me his card. I was 16. I was skeptical, but I looked it up when I got home, and it was legitimate. ”