In a world where new beauty and style influencers are breaking the internet with makeup,memes and lifestyle ideas, 23 year old Nikita Dragun is a woman that stands out from the rest.
Nikita grew up in Virginia and has stated that from an early age she knew she was different. In an interview with Forbes Magazine she claimed that “I never wanted to nap. I was always mature for my age. I wanted to put on a dress and look cute. Everyone else can nap, but I’m going to be a princess over here! But one day a teacher came over and asked why I was dressing up like this and then she called my parents.” As she got older Nikita realized that she was different and that people wouldn’t understand or accept her. So she stopped wearing dresses and closed the door of womanhood that she was clearly meant to go through. Yet Once Nikita got to high school she couldn’t hide her femininity any longer. She began wearing tight jeans, lashes and would carry purses. Stating to Forbes that she was “…The most feminine little gay guy out there.” Although Nikita was feeling accepted by her friends and others, it wasn’t until college that she truly accepted her identity as a Transgender woman. Instead of accepting a full scholarship to NYU Nikita went to community college for a year so that she could take some time to come into her own. During this time She began going to clubs in Washington D.C. using a fake ID using the name Nicole. Nikita found that she easily passed as a woman and was able to go out in dresses and skirts undetected. This prompted her to start posting as a transgender woman on Instagram and started a YouTube channel centered around all things girly, Taking her followers along for the journey of becoming Nikita. Nikita then got accepted into FIDM and went out to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming a business brand owner. All the while juggling school, YouTube and the other platforms that she was making waves on. Nevertheless Nikitas YouTube and Instagram didn’t truly take off until she started being more open and honest about her transition,“For about half a year, I wouldn’t tell anyone that I was transgender. Then, I started being honest and documented my journey. It was really out of frustration. I wanted to transition, and I had all these questions, and couldn’t find answers anywhere online.” Nikitas name was thrown into the spotlight at the end of 2018 when the Ed Razek chief marketing officer of L Brands (Victoria Secrets parent company) said “Shouldn’t you have transsexuals in the show? No. No, I don’t think we should,” he said. “Well, why not? Because the show is a fantasy. It’s a 42-minute entertainment special. That’s what it is.” Nikita decided to clap back at his transphobic comments by posting her own Victoria secret-like video to showcase that all women are beautiful, she walks down a staircase wearing Angel wings and beautiful lingerie much like the Victoria secret ads that air on television. But better. “Dear Victoria’s Secret, you said trans women can’t sell the ‘fantasy,’ so here I am as a trans woman selling the fantasy,” She tweeted.
Her video sparked outrage from the LGBT community, Fashion community and other influencers which ended up affecting the views of the Victoria’s Secret fashion show. Dropping views of the show from 5 million to 3.3 million this year as per Business insider. Not only that, but this year Victoria Secret hired their first Trans Model Victoria Sampaio which is not only amazing but also was definitely pushed because of Nikita. Still, Nikita does not want it to be the only thing she is known for.
“I think it’s important to educate. This year I want to show more. I think that’s why the Victoria’s Secret thing was so impactful, because it showed me as a trans woman. But to me, what I’m doing as a businesswoman, or just as a person, is just as important.” she states.
Nikita has shown time and time again that through any struggle she will fight to come out on top. Also owning one of the first makeup Brands created by a trans woman, Dragun Beauty In March. Which sold out in 12 hours, nothing short of extraordinary. The beautiful purple egg containing her beauty products is not only gorgeous but amazing marketing coming from the woman who calls herself a dragon.
Nikita came up fighting to be who she truly was, and along the way has inspired so many. As an influencer she has 5.6 million Instagram followers and 2.59 million YouTube subscribers making her an influencer to watch this year. She is an emblem of a true hard working woman and I’m sure we’re only going to see more great things from The mother of Dragons Nikita Dragun.
