As someone who struggled to find the right words to describe their experience, I began exploring my identity from a young age. I would experiment with my mother's red nail polish to wrapping myself in her sarees, and fill my sketchbook with designs I hoped to wear one day. After coming out to my family at 15 and then being homeless at 16, I finally began to express myself fully living in a shelter. There, I rummaged through the heaps of donated clothing to find something I felt beautiful in and applied makeup with other girls in the bathroom. Fashion and beauty became my daily armor against my difficult reality, empowering me to move forward. To sure that being “Jamie" is possible, even though I chose to hide my identity and live in stealth.

Although I pursued a degree in Psychology, my undeniable love for fashion led me to work in retail for many years. I aimed to help others find confidence in themselves through clothing, to express themselves and feel their best. After losing my job and publicly coming out, I became a content creator to inspire others, whether trans or not, to live authentically and to build a supportive community.

As a brown transgender woman, I feel the absence of representation in most spaces, including in luxury fashion spaces like Yorkville. I am grateful for where I am in life and for my achievements in breaking barriers. Seeing someone like me in these spaces and for luxury brands to work with us is crucial—it shows that we, too, can dream and turn those dreams into reality. Representation matters because it affirms that brown trans women belong in these spaces, paving the way for others to see themselves and their possibilities.

By Jamie Pandit

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@Justjamiep

@justjamiepandit

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Photography

@alanka_k

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