We humans are strange creatures: we do everything and its opposite. Our actions and choices reflect the confusion and selfishness that permeate us, living within us. Instead of uniting, we always tend to divide. We love giving ourselves names, building walls, creating boundaries, and splitting into groups and categories. Often, we justify this behaviour as a desire for identity or social recognition, but in the end, we evaluate people with inaccurate categories, inadequate tools, and, above all, a lack of empathy that could thaw even the iciest hearts.

On an October afternoon, with that crisp air, red leaves scattered on the ground, and a sky turning grey, between a cigarette and a thread of hope in our eyes, my friend Tiresia and I decided to meet. Digging deep into our souls, our words came alive and transformed into an idea. It was time to give a voice to a silenced reality, bent by the fear of speaking out, afraid of being pushed into a corner. A meeting which, though whispered among the folds of a city that prides itself on being inclusive, carried the weight of an unheard truth.

Now you’re probably wondering: who is Tiresia? Well, Tiresia is a beautiful model and actress with eyes the colour of a May sky and full lips. Her amber skin invites you to caress it for hours, while her golden curls tell stories of passion and whimsy. She’s been working as a model for many years, and having lived in various European cities, we found ourselves discussing the fashion industry and “Modelling in Berlin.” Who better than her to enlighten me on the subject? Who better than her to open my horizons on the perspectives and perceptions of a trans model in Berlin? The answer is obvious: Tiresia.

During that conversation, Tiresia shared her journey: “My modelling career started long before my transition. Back then, in my past, I was a cis ‘boy’ with a very attractive feminine appearance and an athletic physique. I fit into a well-defined category, which made me easy to market. But when I began transitioning, my appearance no longer fit into any category: neither woman enough nor ‘strange’ enough for the Berlin market. In fact, at the moment I’m struggling to find a model agency here in Berlin that would represent me.”

Berlin, celebrated globally as a bastion of progressive ideals and diversity, hides a more insidious reality: a subtle yet pervasive discrimination. Tiresia explains it clearly: “When I arrived in Berlin, I thought I’d landed in a place where my identity would finally be embraced. Instead, I discovered that inclusivity here is often just a façade: a door that opens only if you fit the standards others have decided for you.”

Berlin’s fashion industry, which prides itself on being inclusive, is the perfect symbol of this contradiction. “I found myself working on projects where I was used as a ‘unicorn,’ a symbolic figure to make the project appear more inclusive. But behind the scenes, it was always the same cis, heterosexual people making all the decisions,” Tiresia recounts. This dynamic reflects the broader problem of the fashion industry: “Inclusion becomes a marketing strategy, not a genuine attempt to change the world.”

Despite everything, Tiresia looks forward with determination. “For me, being trans means transcending gender and beauty stereotypes,” she explains. “But the world constantly tries to put us back into those boxes we’re trying to escape.” The fight for authenticity clashes with a society that prefers to label and exploit rather than embrace. Berlin has the potential to be a truly inclusive city, but it needs to abandon tokenism and stop exploiting marginalised identities as a marketing strategy.