CHARLIE NISHIMURA IS A MODEL, ACTOR AND SUSTAINABLE FASHION DESIGNER BASED IN NYC. WITH MAJOR EDITORIALS IN TEEN VOGUE, VOGUE ESPANA, AND VOGUE MEXICO. THE RISING ROOKING WAS NO STRANGER TO THE INDUSTRY HAVING ATTENDED FIT FOR FASHION DESIGN AND GROWING UP AS A FEMME, NON-BINARY PERSON, NISHIMURA DEFINED THEMSELVES WITH FASHION EARLY ON. SINCE THEN, NISHIMURA HAS USED THEIR PLATFORM TO HIGHLIGHT HOW ESSENTIAL FASHION IS IN AIDING AND AMPLIFYING THE TRANS AND GENDER NON-CONFORMING COMMUNITIES. "I HAD TO LEARN AND LIVE LIFE TO GET TO THIS PLACE WHERE I FEEL SO STRONG IN MY PERSON. EVEN WHAT I'M DOING NOW WITHIN MODELING, REPRESENTATION IS IMPORTANT. I FEEL LIKE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT BEING TRANS WAS UNTIL MORE RECENTLY AND OBVIOUSLY, IT'S EXPLODED INTO THE MAINSTREAM." WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO CHARLIE IS THAT TRANS INCLUSIVITY AND EDUCATION GO BEYOND BILLBOARDS AND PRIDE SLOGANS AND ENACT CHANGE BEHIND THE LENS, AS WELL.