By Cedie Lazaro
The fashion world is witnessing a quiet revolution, and it is being broadcast one TikTok video at a time.
When Victoria’s Secret announced its historic 2026 “Search for the Next Angel” Open Casting Call, the brand promised a completely revamped playing field– one with inclusivity and diversity.
For Aerin Daclan, a rising Filipina transgender US-based model and creator, it was the ultimate green light to turn a lifelong dream into a historic reality.
As a proud transgender Filipina woman, Daclan’s solo advancement into the high-stress, in-person callback rounds represents a profound milestone for inclusive representation.
Out of over 100,000 global applicants who submitted digital entries, Daclan survived the monumental cuts to become one of only 800 to 900 girls selected for the live, physical auditions. Her journey proves that digital grit and raw talent can bypass the fashion industry’s oldest gatekeepers.
Historically, elite luxury fashion castings were kept strictly behind closed doors, with elite agencies tightly controlling the gates. Daclan completely flipped this dynamic by using social media to democratize her entire audition experience.
By vlogging the unpolished reality of the 2026 callback process, she pulled back the curtain on the industry’s strictest requirements, from the vulnerable “no-makeup mandate” to the grueling mental stamina required to stand in line for hours. But the ultimate test came when she finally stepped onto the runway to face the architects of the modern brand.
Check out Stylish Magazine’s exclusive interview here:
Aerin Daclan on her live callback experience
Stylish: After you do your walk you stand in front of the judging panel including Gigi Hadid and Adam Selman?
Aerin: “Being in front of two very influential people in fashion, I honestly felt like I was dreaming! I was a little nervous but I was ready to answer the questions.”
To maintain her composure under the intense gaze of fashion royalty, Daclan relied on authenticity and familial support.
“I think it also helped just being myself in front of the judges,” she shares. “My mom, who was in the audience cheering for me, definitely helped with my nervousness as well!”
Aerin is just getting started, and here’s fingers crossing that she makes in to Victoria’s Secret main fashion show. Go Aerin!
Redefining the “Pinay Blueprint”
Daclan’s presence in the live callback rounds adds a profound layer of inclusive history to the modern wave of Filipino representation. In the Philippines, beauty validation is traditionally treated like a national sport, with the public spotlight heavily monopolized by traditional, mainstream pageant infrastructure.
By breaking through an independent, global digital open call as a transgender woman, Daclan is actively redefining what a modern Pinay icon looks like—and she refuses to let society limit her potential.
"I do believe that you should always aim for something higher and not put yourself in a box. You have to dream bigger. Especially being a trans woman, we have to show everyone that we’re just like everyone else and that being trans is just a part of us and not everything about us. I definitely feel like the world is changing for the better slowly but surely."
— Aerin Daclan on redefining modern beauty
Daclan’s journey is deeply intertwined with a broader, historic moment for LGBTQ+ Filipina creatives. Her trek echoes the resilient path of Veejay Floresca, who recently made history as the first openly transgender Filipina designer to win Project Runway (Season 21). Just as Floresca proved the community’s elite creative discipline, Daclan is taking that exact same energy directly onto the global catwalk.
Earning those wings for me personally means representation, diversity, and inclusivity where everyone is welcome in this new era of fashion,” Daclan concludes. “It would mean a lot to me to walk for the show because I would get to represent something that has not gotten a lot of representation—especially for a brand like Victoria’s Secret and just the fashion industry overall—and on top of that, I would also get to represent the Philippines.”
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Janeena Chan is on the cover of STYLISH Magazine right now. The multihyphenate media star, in-demand host, singer, actress, Sparkle artist, and our very own Stylish correspondent shares her journey as a modern Filipina-Chinese woman navigating her career in entertainment and lifestyle while embracing her heritage.
Read the Stylish Magazine January-February 2026 cover story here.
Our #StylishPodcast episode featuring our September-October cover girl Jasmine Curtis-Smith is out. Watch it on Facebook and YouTube.
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