Culture

Germany’s Next Topmodel just crowned its first trans winner

On the left: Close-up of Alex-Mariah Peter's face. On the right: Alex-Mariah Peter in a red and silver frilly dress

Alex-Mariah Peter in the finale of Germany’ Next Top Model. (Screen captures via ProSieben)

Alex-Mariah Peter won Germany’s Next Topmodel Tuesday evening (27 May) – becoming the first trans woman to take home the crown.

The 23-year-old from Cologne dazzled judge Heidi Klum throughout the 16th season to take the top spot of, well, top model.

“I’m going to eat a schnitzel now,” Peter joked in an interview after being declared the winner, which sees her score a cover and spread in the German Harper’s Bazaar magazine.

Beating out models Dascha Carriero, Romina Palm and Soulin Omar – and the more than 17,000 applicants who sought a place on the coveted ProSieben show – Peter also takes home a thumping €100,000 cash prize.

“I always thought at the beginning that my story has always been told when you hear my voice,” Alex-Mariah Peter told Klum about why she deserves to be top model.

“I am a trans woman, yes. But first and foremost I am a woman.”

She added: “Being different is much more normal than we admit to ourselves.”

After the final aired, fans took to Twitter to share their joy and pride.

Peter’s win is a huge leap for trans representation in the German show, a spin-off of Tyra Banks’ America’s Next Top Model which began airing in 2006. The franchise at large crowned its trans first winner in 2015, when Loiza Lamers was named Holland’s Next Top Model.

Speaking to Web.De before the finale, which was filmed in Berlin, Peter contributed her success in the competition to her ability to remain resilient and “true to myself”.

“I think I made it this far for the same reason why the other girls are now at this point with me,” she said.

“Due to diligence, perseverance, ambition and perhaps a pinch of luck.”

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