Dwyane Wade’s daughter was crediting her stepmother Gabrielle Union for the lessons about beauty and self-love. Years after coming out as transgender, Zaya Wade got featured on Dazed magazine’s spring 2023 issue, and was asked about what the beauty icon for black girls had taught her.
Reacting to the topic thrown in the interview for her first-ever cover story, Zaya opened up, “The lesson has changed over time, but more recently it’s that beauty is in yourself.” She added, “It’s about being you and expressing yourself the way you want to.”
Referencing her step mother, the model said, “She tries to teach me that beauty standards are arbitrary and that they don’t mean anything.” She went on to explain, “They don’t matter any more; what people thought was the standard is not. And just that being myself is the best technique out there.”
In the interview, Zaya also opened up about the source of her strength. She confessed the moment she felt the most empowered was “when my family surrounds me.” She added, “They are such a giant support system and have always been there for me. No matter what happens, I feel strongest when I’m with them.”
When discussing how her family grew while she was transitioning, Zaya spilled, “So many big changes have happened over the last couple of years with me, but also just in general.” She then pointed out, “I think it’s not my job, but it’s my honor to continue and further my family’s education and appreciation for the entire LBGTQ+ community as we grow together.”
“As our understanding of acceptance has broadened over the past couple of years, we have made the strides to keep ourselves educated and combat the ignorance,” the 15-year-old activist additionally shared.
Zaya’s modeling career has been blooming. In early March, Zaya made her catwalk debut at Paris Fashion Week for Miu Miu’s fall/winter 2023 show. Afterwards, she took to Instagram to share moments she had on the show. One of the footage posted displayed a heart-warming backstage moment when her dad Dwyane proudly hugged her.
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