Less than a month after model Nathan Westling, formerly Natalie Westling, came out as transgender, the flame-haired fashion darling appears to have nabbed a shoot with Vogue.
The 22-year-old, who has previously posed for several international editions of the fashion bible, still seems to be one of the fashion world’s most in-demand models since his coming out only a few weeks ago.
This weekend, he was seen posing for photographer Peter Lindbergh, with two Vogue heavyweights on hand for the shoot — the magazine’s men’s editor Michael Philouze and creative-director-at-large Grace Coddington.
Preview? Model Nathan Westling (center) appears to have shot an editorial for an upcoming issue of Vogue
Posing: Photos posted on Instagram this weekend show trans model Nathan, formerly Natalie, looking moody in a black-and-white shoot
Chill: The 22-year-old is dressed casually in a Vans T-shirt and backwards cap
Smile! He posed for a few photos alongside photographer Peter Lindbergh (left) and Vogue creative-director-at-large Grace Coddington (right)
Big deal: Westling came out as transgender in an interview in mid-March
Coddington — herself a former model turned top fashion editorial force — was noticeably absent from the wedding of her good friend, designer Marc Jacobs, over the weekend.
DailyMail.com uncovered photos of the group on the top-secret shoot in Lancaster, California, on Instagram, which seem to explain her absence.
The crew: The magazine’s men’s editor Michael Philouze (right) also appears to have been along for the shoot
In one shot, Westling smiles in a Vans T-shirt and backwards cap, posing between Lindbergh and Coddington.
In others that were shared online by Elite Model Management’s Lena Bodet, Westling looks pensive as he stares off into the distance.
Though it might raise eyebrows that Coddington missed Marc Jacobs’ wedding, her involvement in Westling’s shoot comes as no surprise, as she has long been a fan of the model.
Prior to his transition, Westling and Coddington even had similar looks, with both of the fashion favorites known for their long, curly red hair.
Just last year, Coddington styled Westling for an eight-page spread that ran in British Vogue, which was by far the model’s lengthiest editorial to run in the magazine.
Westling has also appeared in the pages of Vogue, Vogue Italia, and Vogue Paris and landed the covers of both Vogue China and Vogue Korea in March 2017.
This season, Westling appears in the Spring campaigns for Louis Vuitton and Hugo, which were both shot before his transition. Other past campaigns include Chanel, Vans, and Tiffany & Co.
That was then: Westling had much success as a catwalk model before transitioning (pictured in October walking for Louis Vuitton)
Just before: He started taking testosterone in October after walking the runway at Fashion Week in New York, Paris, and Milan (pictured left February 2017, right September 2019)
Revealed: Westling came out with a huge interview with CNN Style a few weeks ago
Coddington also gushed about Westling back in 2016 while being profiled in British Vogue, with the industry icon expressing her excitement about ‘a new little redheaded model that I love called Natalie Westling — I have great hopes for her.’
When approached by DailyMail.com, Vogue declined to comment.
Westling shared the news of his transition in an exclusive interview with CNN Style last month.
He explained that after years of seeking help for his depression with no real results, he made the decision to move to Los Angeles last April and transition.
‘I hit a point where I was tired of just existing, because that was kind of my whole life and how I lived’ he said.
‘I always questioned how people just lived life, and just woke up and felt good and could just do things. And I couldn’t.’
That transition was difficult at first, he explained, saying it took two months to adjust once he began taking testosterone.
‘It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows in the beginning,’ he said. ‘My first two months of the transition were tough, and it wasn’t until I started to see physical changes that aligned with … my mental state that I finally woke up and (started) living.
Jewelry: He’d already done several major campaigns, including this one for Tiffany & Co.
‘I’m happy. I can’t even imagine going back to how I was before because it’s just darkness,’ he said of his transition (pictured posting for Chanel)
Experience: Westling has also appeared in the pages of Vogue, Vogue Italia, and Vogue Paris
Flashback: He also landed the covers of both Vogue China and Vogue Korea in March 2017
‘I’m happy. I can’t even imagine going back to how I was before because it’s just darkness.’
He started that step in October after walking in New York, Milan and Paris for each city’s respective Fashion Week and shooting his final two campaigns as a woman.
Westling plans to continue working in the job he has had since the age of 16, and will join a growing group of transgender models that includes Lea T, Dara, and Teddy Quinlivan.
In the CNN interview, Westling said that many of the designers and photographers he had worked with in the past had already expressed their desire to keep working with him down the road.
Westling also said at that time he had managed to land a major fashion magazine cover, but would not say which one at the time. He had, however, said that the shoot had already taken place.
‘We’ll have to see how this story takes to fashion and how everything takes,’ he said. ‘I’m not worried about it. I think it’s going to be a good change and I’m excited for it. I’m really, really excited.’