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A former menswear model has found success as on female fashion catwalks after coming out as transgender.

Aria Veach, 29, from Los Angeles, began a brave transition under Hollywood's spotlight in 2014.

Despite facing transphobia - with even her family struggling to accept her identity - she has gone on to model for including National Geographic, as well as on the catwalk.

Previously known as Alexander, she says she is now happier than ever.

Aria, who also works as a bioengineer, said: "Before I had a beard, was engaged to a woman, I was into Muay Thai kickboxing and with my fashion, people said I was very masculine looking, that's how I presented myself.

"I knew I was curious about my gender for the longest time but could never act on it. I didn't begin cross-dressing until I was out of my home state.

(Image: Caters News Agency) (Image: Caters News Agency)

"I started dressing androgynously on and off, wearing little make-up until my hormones kicked in, my testosterone dropped and physical changes started.

"In my final shoot as a man, I needed to remove my shirt, but by then my upper body had changed and breasts had started to grow.

"Then I knew there wasn't any reason to wear men's clothing anymore, and I was too uncomfortable doing it.

"Now I'm happier as Aria and I think you can get a smile out of me much easier than you ever could have as Alexander.

"I now live a double-life working full-time as a bioengineer and hustling for modelling and acting opportunities in Hollywood."

Aria was curious about her gender from an early age and would occasionally cross-dress in college.

But it wasn't until 2014 that she realised she wanted to transition to present as female.

(Image: Caters News Agency)

She said: "While I was always curious about what it means to be transgender, it was being engaged to a woman that had a significant influence on my transition.

"At first, cross-dressing was highly fetishised, but mutually enjoyable. Everything was so fresh as it is in a sexual relationship when you want to keep things exciting.

"In the beginning, she feminised me - though it required initial energy from her, more and more my transition became my own, it became more of my own journey and less about my partner.

"It got to a point where I was cross-dressing every night in North Carolina - each morning I would worry I hadn't taken all of my nail polish off before work and would be paranoid about my shaved forearms.

"There was a point to choose whether I would transition for my own happiness or put it aside and work on my engagement and family."

Two years ago, she started hormones therapy, shortened her name to Alex and her modelling look became more androgynous.

Then last year, she finally found the courage to live as Aria full-time and started acting and modelling as a woman for catalogues and catwalks.

Despite finally feeling happy in her own skin, her family still refuse to accept her transition.

(Image: Caters News Agency)

She said: "My family refused to support me and still can't accept it. When I let them in they reject me or try to 'reverse me'.

"My mother tells me to be trans is to be 'unlovable' because she's concerned no woman would be interested in me along with the stigma of dating a transgender."

Aria was even attacked by strangers for being transgender, but she has been support by friends and inspired by public trans figures such as Caitlyn Jenner.

She said: "Before when I used to model as a man I followed directions and it was all superficial. Now I feel a lot more connected and invested in the woman that I'm becoming and I think I have more confidence as a woman.

"I could never go back now to being a man, I think back to the hostility inside me. I was angry and never want to feel like that again.

"I simply feel happier expressing myself as a woman, I desire my body to be of the female form and I crave deeper emotional connections and self-awareness that comes with that."

Aria, who has not had gender reassignment surgery, is set to feature in the new reality TV show The Plastics of Hollywood.

The show is set to launch in the USA showcasing plastic surgery addicts living together in a Big Brother-style house.

(Image: Caters News Agency)

Marcela Iglesias, producer of the show, said: "The Plastics of Hollywood is a show I created myself, because I wanted to showcase all the fabulous plastic personalities around the world.

"The idea is to bring these personalities here together in a house to help them become A-List celebrities or famous or superstars for something other than their surgery.

"They will have to go through a lot of training, we have to teach them to become famous without the plastic surgery side and work from the inside out rather than the outside in."

Apart from Aria, each of the housemates have had over 40 surgeries each and will discuss the pros and cons of surgery for her.

She added: "Aria she is a chemical engineer in one of the biggest labs in the USA. She is quite extraordinary and told me she wanted to be a successful actress and model.

"She is doing really, really good, we have to teach her to pose how to hide the masculine parts for the shoots and things like that.

"Bringing her into the show gives her the options to consider the plastic surgery option to complete her transition.

"If you want to look like a woman you may need to change the way you look and consider plastic surgery, but if you like what you see it's not a problem.

"Changing her sex is a huge point, will she or won't she? If you want to become a full woman you can't have a penis, this series is very open and people discuss everything.

"Aria asserts her points of view in a masculine way, but she needs to control that type of delivery to be a full woman, she needs to leave the man on the side and embrace the woman inside."