Emira D’Spain is no stranger to firsts. She was the first Black transgender VS angel, and in her first-ever reality TV appearance on Bravo’s Next Gen NYC, D’Spain is the network’s first full-time trans cast member. Being the first can come with a lot of pressure, but for D’Spain, it’s all in a day’s work.
A model and influencer, D’Spain is just living her life, and if making history is part of that, so be it. Between iconic get ready with me videos, red carpet appearances, and teaching us all how to be an it-girl, D’Spain is creating her dream life. Simply by being exactly who she wants to be, D’Spain says she’s opening doors for others in her community.
When Teen Vogue met D’Spain at BravoCon in Las Vegas, she twirled into the press room after a morning of glam and fan interactions. D’Spain calls her fans c*nty Barbies, and they were out in full force at the event. But if the weekend was tiring for D’Spain, we couldn’t tell. She was all smiles and excitement as she chatted about filming season two of the show, cast diversity, and trans representation.
Teen Vogue: We’re at Bravocon, are you having fun?
Emira D’Spain: This is my first Bravocon ever. I’m nervous, but it was really fun. Like, today was a lot of press and fan interaction stuff. It’s crazy seeing the fan stuff come into real life because I’m so used to being an influencer and my audience online. I love my c*nty Barbies. I’ll see them when I run into them on the street, sure. But then, here, everyone’s all together and then they’re [fans of] the show. It’s overwhelming, but it’s also fun. I welcome it with open arms.
TV: This was your first experience on reality TV. How was it for you?
ED: It didn’t even really feel like we were creating a show. Now [filming season two], it feels more real because back then, it was just our group of friends. It just felt like we were just living and then there were cameras. Brooks [Marks], Ava [Dash], Charlie [Zakkour] and I have known each probably the longest, then we just kind of all branched out from there. It’s fun.