ES Lifestyle newsletter The latest lifestyle, fashion and travel trends Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive trends and interviews from fashion, lifestyle to travel every week, by email Update newsletter preferences

Transgender model Andreja Pejic says she has finally found love and is enjoying being “a mature woman” and “not a 19-year-old alien any more”.

Pejic, 24, underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2014, three years after modelling both male and female collections for Jean Paul Gaultier in Paris and was the first (openly) transgender model to be profiled by American Vogue.

Pejic said of her transition: “I never imagined I’d be so public about it. Perhaps if I was in a different profession, I wouldn’t have worn ‘trans’ on my forehead. But there’s a difference between not wanting to make a big deal of something and fearing the effect it will have on my life. It’s all out there now.

“If I go on a date, I don’t have to worry about that moment when he finds out.”

She told ES Magazine: “I’m not a 19-year-old alien any more, I’m a mature woman.”

“Instead of trying to be the queen of cool, it feels like more of an achievement to work with mainstream brands and reach as many people as possible. It’s more unexpected for someone like me.”

Pejic had never felt comfortable on the gay scene and is now dating a straight New York real estate agent. She said: “It’s been great. And the best part is that he sees me as just another girl he has a special connection with. It’s nice to have that connection to a world outside activism and fashion.”

Born Andrej Pejic in Bosnia, she moved to Melbourne, Australia, as a refugee with her mother Jadranka and younger brother Igor.

She was scouted as a model while working in McDonald’s aged 16, but says as a teenager she ordered illegal medication over the internet to delay puberty and originally planned to earn enough money for surgery and then give up the fashion industry.

Andreja Pejic through the years 36 show all Andreja Pejic through the years 1/36 September 22, 2010 Walking the catwalk at the KTZ s/s 2011 fashion show at Somerset House during London Fashion Week Samir Hussein/Getty 2/36 January 26, 2011 Walking the runway during the Jean-Paul Gaultier show as part of the Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2011 Pascal Le Segretain/Getty 3/36 March 30, 2011 At the reopening of the Myer Bourke Street Store to celebrate it's 100th birthday Graham Denholm/Getty 4/36 June 23, 2011 Presenting for Jean-Paul Gaultier during the spring-summer 2012 men's fashion show Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty 5/36 January 20, 2012 Walking the runway at the Michalsky Autumn/Winter 2012 fashion show Adam Berry/Getty 6/36 April 5, 2012 At Logo's 'NewNowNext Awards' 2012 Mark Davis/Getty 7/36 April 5, 2012 With Kelly Osbourne at the W Hotels Backstage Lounge at Logo's NewNowNext Awards John Shearer/Getty 8/36 July 4, 2012 Walking the runway during the Jean-Paul Gaultier Haute-Couture show Pascal Le Segretain/Getty 9/36 August 31, 2012 At the Melbourne Spring Fashion Week Opening Gala Scott Barbour/Getty 10/36 October 17, 2012 At the inaugural Digital Fashion Week press conference in Singapore Imran Ahmad/Getty 11/36 January 17, 2013 Walking for Yohji Yamamoto during the men's Fall-Winter 2013 collection show Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty 12/36 February 10, 2013 At the Samsung Galaxy Lounge VIP Reception during New York Fashion Week Donald Bowers/Getty 13/36 April 2, 2013 At the Jeffrey Fashion Cares 10th Anniversary Celebration Andrew H. Walker/Getty 14/36 April 12, 2013 In the gift lounge during Forever 21 Desert Disco Rachel Murray/Getty 15/36 June 18, 2013 At the 2nd Annual Millennial Ball 2.0 To Benefit Gabrielle's Angel Foundation For Cancer Research Jamie McCarthy/Getty 16/36 August 20, 2013 At Moet & Chandon's celebrations for its 270th anniversary Bryan Bedder/Getty 17/36 October 16, 2014 With Jean Paul Gaultier and Alexandra Agoston at he opening night of The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne Luis Ascui/Getty 18/36 February 18, 2015 At The Cut & New York Magazine's Fashion Week Party Craig Barritt/Getty 19/36 February 23, 2015 Walking the runway at the Giles show during London Fashion AW15 Ian Gavan/Getty 20/36 April 2, 2015 At the 2015 Center Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street Jamie McCarthy/Getty 21/36 May 9, 2015 At the VIP Red Carpet Suite at the 26th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York Brad Barket/Getty 22/36 May 16, 2015 At the 4th Annual Olevolos Project Brunch at Gallow Green Grant Lamos IV/Getty 23/36 May 30, 2015 At the Eighth-Annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic at Liberty State Park Jamie McCarthy/Getty 24/36 June 16, 2015 At the 2015 amfAR Inspiration Gala New York Neilson Barnard/Getty 25/36 June 23, 2015 At the 4th Annual Solstice Presented By amfAR's generationCURE at Hudson Hotel Astrid Stawiarz/Getty 26/36 October 19, 2015 At Angel Ball 2015 hosted by Gabrielle's Angel Foundation Bryan Bedder/Getty 27/36 October 24, 2015 At Teen Vogue and Aerie's celebration of Emma Roberts' November cover Jamie McCarthy/Getty 28/36 November 10, 2015 At the 2015 Whitney Art Party Slaven Vlasic/Getty 29/36 November 19, 2015 At the Marie Claire Prix de la Moda 2015 Carlos Alvarez/Getty 30/36 December 15, 2015 At 'A Celebration for Patricia Clarkson' in New York Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty 31/36 February 28, 2016 At the 24th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscar Viewing Party Frederick M. Brown/Getty 32/36 March 2, 2016 Walking the runway during the H&M show at Paris Fashion Week Pascal Le Segretain/Getty 33/36 May 14, 2016 At the 27th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Rob Kim/Getty 34/36 June 7, 2016 At the 2016 Fragrance Foundation Awards presented by Hearst Magazines Nicholas Hunt/Getty 35/36 June 9, 2016 At the 7th Annual amfAR Inspiration Gala Jamie McCarthy/Getty 36/36 June 16, 2016 At the 'Orange Is The New Black' premiere at SVA Theater Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty 1/36 September 22, 2010 Walking the catwalk at the KTZ s/s 2011 fashion show at Somerset House during London Fashion Week Samir Hussein/Getty 2/36 January 26, 2011 Walking the runway during the Jean-Paul Gaultier show as part of the Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2011 Pascal Le Segretain/Getty 3/36 March 30, 2011 At the reopening of the Myer Bourke Street Store to celebrate it's 100th birthday Graham Denholm/Getty 4/36 June 23, 2011 Presenting for Jean-Paul Gaultier during the spring-summer 2012 men's fashion show Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty 5/36 January 20, 2012 Walking the runway at the Michalsky Autumn/Winter 2012 fashion show Adam Berry/Getty 6/36 April 5, 2012 At Logo's 'NewNowNext Awards' 2012 Mark Davis/Getty 7/36 April 5, 2012 With Kelly Osbourne at the W Hotels Backstage Lounge at Logo's NewNowNext Awards John Shearer/Getty 8/36 July 4, 2012 Walking the runway during the Jean-Paul Gaultier Haute-Couture show Pascal Le Segretain/Getty 9/36 August 31, 2012 At the Melbourne Spring Fashion Week Opening Gala Scott Barbour/Getty 10/36 October 17, 2012 At the inaugural Digital Fashion Week press conference in Singapore Imran Ahmad/Getty 11/36 January 17, 2013 Walking for Yohji Yamamoto during the men's Fall-Winter 2013 collection show Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty 12/36 February 10, 2013 At the Samsung Galaxy Lounge VIP Reception during New York Fashion Week Donald Bowers/Getty 13/36 April 2, 2013 At the Jeffrey Fashion Cares 10th Anniversary Celebration Andrew H. Walker/Getty 14/36 April 12, 2013 In the gift lounge during Forever 21 Desert Disco Rachel Murray/Getty 15/36 June 18, 2013 At the 2nd Annual Millennial Ball 2.0 To Benefit Gabrielle's Angel Foundation For Cancer Research Jamie McCarthy/Getty 16/36 August 20, 2013 At Moet & Chandon's celebrations for its 270th anniversary Bryan Bedder/Getty 17/36 October 16, 2014 With Jean Paul Gaultier and Alexandra Agoston at he opening night of The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne Luis Ascui/Getty 18/36 February 18, 2015 At The Cut & New York Magazine's Fashion Week Party Craig Barritt/Getty 19/36 February 23, 2015 Walking the runway at the Giles show during London Fashion AW15 Ian Gavan/Getty 20/36 April 2, 2015 At the 2015 Center Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street Jamie McCarthy/Getty 21/36 May 9, 2015 At the VIP Red Carpet Suite at the 26th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York Brad Barket/Getty 22/36 May 16, 2015 At the 4th Annual Olevolos Project Brunch at Gallow Green Grant Lamos IV/Getty 23/36 May 30, 2015 At the Eighth-Annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic at Liberty State Park Jamie McCarthy/Getty 24/36 June 16, 2015 At the 2015 amfAR Inspiration Gala New York Neilson Barnard/Getty 25/36 June 23, 2015 At the 4th Annual Solstice Presented By amfAR's generationCURE at Hudson Hotel Astrid Stawiarz/Getty 26/36 October 19, 2015 At Angel Ball 2015 hosted by Gabrielle's Angel Foundation Bryan Bedder/Getty 27/36 October 24, 2015 At Teen Vogue and Aerie's celebration of Emma Roberts' November cover Jamie McCarthy/Getty 28/36 November 10, 2015 At the 2015 Whitney Art Party Slaven Vlasic/Getty 29/36 November 19, 2015 At the Marie Claire Prix de la Moda 2015 Carlos Alvarez/Getty 30/36 December 15, 2015 At 'A Celebration for Patricia Clarkson' in New York Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty 31/36 February 28, 2016 At the 24th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscar Viewing Party Frederick M. Brown/Getty 32/36 March 2, 2016 Walking the runway during the H&M show at Paris Fashion Week Pascal Le Segretain/Getty 33/36 May 14, 2016 At the 27th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Rob Kim/Getty 34/36 June 7, 2016 At the 2016 Fragrance Foundation Awards presented by Hearst Magazines Nicholas Hunt/Getty 35/36 June 9, 2016 At the 7th Annual amfAR Inspiration Gala Jamie McCarthy/Getty 36/36 June 16, 2016 At the 'Orange Is The New Black' premiere at SVA Theater Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

The model said transgender issues had become a “trendy topic” with the prominence of people such as herself and Caitlyn Jenner, but doubted youngsters would take such “drastic” action as transitioning “just to be on-trend.”

Asked if she had any regrets, Pejic said: “God, no. I was like: ‘Throw it away.’”

She added: “I’d planned on a pussy shower but actually the time afterwards wasn’t easy as I had to work out what to do with my career.”

Her intention at first was to give up modelling. “But then I thought, ‘You may as well own this.’ I’ve invested a lot in this career. And now amazing things are happening, which are testament to the times we live in.”

Read the full interview in ES Magazine - Free on Thursday and Friday