{"id":67738,"date":"2022-06-01T11:30:10","date_gmt":"2022-06-01T15:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/models.com\/newfaces\/?p=67738"},"modified":"2022-06-15T21:49:52","modified_gmt":"2022-06-16T01:49:52","slug":"dextra-mandrake-is-the-model-changing-the-trans-and-neurodivergent-narrative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/models.com\/newfaces\/modeloftheweek\/67738","title":{"rendered":"Dextra Mandrake is the Model Changing the Trans and Neurodivergent Narrative"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 100%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-67738 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/newfaces\/i\/2022\/06\/MOTW_Dextra_2000-7_01.jpg' title=\"\" data-rl_title=\"\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"On left, model&#039;s own corset and deconstructed pants. On right, silk dress by Vetements.\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-1\" data-magnific_type=\"gallery\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/newfaces\/i\/2022\/06\/MOTW_Dextra_2000-7_01-300x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-67742\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-67742'>\n\t\t\t\tOn left, model&#8217;s own corset and deconstructed pants. On right, silk dress by Vetements.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/newfaces\/i\/2022\/06\/MOTW_Dextra2_2000-7_02.jpg' title=\"\" data-rl_title=\"\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"On left, jacket by Ungaro, vintage leather skirt, model&#039;s own boots. On right, full look vintage.\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-1\" data-magnific_type=\"gallery\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/newfaces\/i\/2022\/06\/MOTW_Dextra2_2000-7_02-300x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-67741\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-67741'>\n\t\t\t\tOn left, jacket by Ungaro, vintage leather skirt, model&#8217;s own boots. On right, full look vintage.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/newfaces\/i\/2022\/06\/MOTW_Dextra3_2000-7_03.jpg' title=\"\" data-rl_title=\"\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"Model&#039;s own corset and deconstructed pants.\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-1\" data-magnific_type=\"gallery\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/i.mdel.net\/newfaces\/i\/2022\/06\/MOTW_Dextra3_2000-7_03-300x300.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-67740\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-67740'>\n\t\t\t\tModel&#8217;s own corset and deconstructed pants. \n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"nff_credit\">Dextra was photographed exclusively for MODELS.com by <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/franco-schicke\">Santiago Franco Schicke<\/a>, with hair by Arisa Yamasaki, &amp; makeup by Anna Inglis. Thanks to Lucy, @TUTU_Divine and @VOUTVintage.<\/div>\n<div class=\"writeup\">\n<h2>interview<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Name:<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"\/\/models.com\/models\/dextra-mandrake\">Dextra Mandrake<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Agency:<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"\/\/models.com\/agency\/Supa-Model-Management\">Supa Model Management (London)<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Age:<\/strong><br \/>\n19<\/p>\n<p><strong>Height:<\/strong><br \/>\n6&#8217;0.5&#8243;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Place of Origin:<\/strong><br \/>\nNorth London, England<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ethnic Origin:<\/strong><br \/>\nWelsh Romani (according to 23andMe, lol)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Birthsign:<\/strong><br \/>\nGemini<\/p>\n<p><strong>Instagram:<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dextra_mandrake\">@dextra_mandrake<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>How discovered:<\/strong><br \/>\nI was scouted shortly after the first lockdown ended in 2020 when I had just turned 18. I was still presenting and living as a boy at the time and I tried out a number of agencies, as you do. In August, I signed with Select Model London. It was a dream match and they\u2019ve been so supportive of my transition \u2013 I know I am very fortunate. I&#8217;m now on the women\u2019s board but I\u2019ll also be on Select\u2019s nonbinary board which I\u2019m chuffed about. I\u2019m happy to model men\u2019s\/women\u2019s\/genderless clothes, I don\u2019t really mind as long as people respect my pronouns and womanhood.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Best modeling experience so far?<\/strong><br \/>\nThe second time I walked for Valentino was the most surreal experience for me so far. I had just recently come out and started feminizing hormones. It was such an honour and privilege to model for them as a woman when I had done so for them as a \u2018boy\u2019 previously. I&#8217;m very thankful that Valentino saw the woman in me and had me as a part of the collection even though my body wasn\u2019t in alignment with my gender at the time, since I was still very early in transition. Namely, I am very grateful to <a href=\"\/\/models.com\/people\/joe-mckenna\">Joe McKenna<\/a> as he\u2019s always had my back, even in the times when I was doubting myself and feeling gender dysphoric. It\u2019s both a blessing and a curse to have my entire transition documented through the modeling jobs I\u2019ve gotten along the way &#8211; particularly for my bookers. They\u2019re constantly having to update my book as I\u2019m changing all the time but luckily that\u2019s begun to plateau and will continue to do so the longer I\u2019m on hormones.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Currently you&#8217;re obsessed with\/about:<\/strong><br \/>\nChrist, that\u2019s a hard question! Mainly because I\u2019m manically obsessed with a lot of things at the same time as per my ADHD and autism. Let me try and give you the low down:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; I\u2019m a philosophy student and love political, ethical, and aesthetic philosophy. Some of my favorite living philosophers are Slavoj Zizek, Noam Chomsky, Angela Davis, David Chalmers, Judith Butler, and Peter Singer. I hope someone reading this checks them out, philosophy is as relevant today as it has ever been.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; I use music to distract from the sensory overload of London. I\u2019m quite an avid raver and would consider myself a part of London\u2019s underground queer scene &#8211; I went to my first rave after my first London Trans Pride (2021) and I\u2019ve honestly never looked back; I find such community and bodily release from what could be described as a magical hypermedia ritual.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is something you\u2019ve always wanted to do\/try?<\/strong><br \/>\nI\u2019ve always wanted to direct my own political documentary series\/film. I really enjoy curating perspectives to push a marginalized narrative and think it would be a fitting application of my philosophical background. I also want to start publishing my poetry and start writing for magazines. I want to apply my background and educate people on neurodiversity and transgender experiences, as well as comment on disenfranchised experiences that don\u2019t affect me personally.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How do you want to make an impact in the world?<\/strong><br \/>\nI want to inspire trans and neurodivergent people to live, be themselves, embrace, and accept their queerness despite the rejection and oppression we systematically experience. I want to spread more awareness about neurodiversity. The autistic spectrum and the symptoms of autism are so wide and diverse &#8211; when you\u2019ve met one autistic person you\u2019ve only experienced one instance of autism, not autism as a whole. It often expresses itself differently in those who are not white or cis-gendered males. I encourage people to be more aware of the possibly neurodivergent people they will encounter in their everyday lives. So much positive change could happen if people just took a bit of time to learn about us.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to learn more here are some YouTubers:<br \/>\n&#8211; For trans-related content, I recommend ContraPoints (Natalie Wynn), Kat Blaque, Jammidodger (Jamie Raines), and Luxander.<br \/>\n&#8211; For autism and neurodiversity content I recommend Purple Ella, How to ADHD, Special Books by Special Kids, and Paige Layle.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s the best piece of advice you\u2019ve ever been given?<\/strong><br \/>\nDon\u2019t be scared to disagree with a question if you don\u2019t think it should be asked in the first place; to attend such a question is to predicate that it is empirically and\/or rationally meaningful to investigate in the first place.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dextra was photographed exclusively for MODELS.com by Santiago Franco Schicke, with hair by Arisa Yamasaki, &amp; makeup by Anna Inglis. Thanks to Lucy, @TUTU_Divine and @VOUTVintage. interview Name: Dextra Mandrake Agency: Supa Model Management (London) Age: 19 Height: 6&#8217;0.5&#8243; Place of Origin: North London, England Ethnic Origin: Welsh Romani (according to 23andMe, lol) Birthsign: Gemini [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":67747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[5759,4401,2147],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/newfaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67738"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/newfaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/newfaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/newfaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/newfaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67738"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/newfaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67842,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/newfaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67738\/revisions\/67842"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/newfaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/newfaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/newfaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/models.com\/newfaces\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}