Blue Man courts controversy with Rio model

FASHION followers have flocked to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the city’s annual fashion week has earned a reputation for turning models into global sensations.

That would certainly seem to be the case with transsexual model Lea T, who has already gained a lot of attention for her work with the Givenchy label and as a cover girl for Love.

Lea T yesterday starred in her first swimwear campaign, for Blue Man, one of Brazil’s most well-known swim lines. Respected fashion photographer Terry Richardson shot the spring/summer campaign on the beach in Rio.

Blue Man is no stranger to controversy: it took heat from the Catholic Church in the 1990s when it showed a swimsuit bearing an image of Jesus.

The two principal Rio fashion events, Fashion Rio and Rio-A-Porter, were developed to boost sales of Brazilian products to national and international buyers. These events take place in Pier Maua, a neighbourhood undergoing remodelling for the 2016 Olympics.

Big brands at Fashion Rio include Lenny, Salinas and Triya, plus the debut of Herchcovitch, 2nd Floor and Ágatha.

Other brands include: Acquastudio, Alessa, Andrea Marques, Auslander, British Colony, Cantão, Coven, Espaço Fashion, Filhas de Gaia, Giulia Borges, Lenny, Maria Bonita Extra, Melk Z-Da, New Order, Nica Kessler, OEstudio, Patachou, R.Groove, Salinas, Têca, TNG, Totem, Triya and Walter Rodrigues.