Alexina Graham has been named Victoria's Secret's newest Angel.
Alexina Graham
The 29-year-old model - who walked in the lingerie giant's prestigious fashion show in New York City last year - has been given her wings as she officially joins recently announced VS model Barbara Palvin and Jasmine Tookes to become their first red-headed recruit.
The flame-haired beauty admitted that she is feeling a "mixture" of emotions because it still feels so "surreal".
Speaking to Glamour UK, she said: "Being a Victoria's Secret's Angel comes with a lot of empowerment. I think for me being a red head VS Angel means I get to put red heads out there more. Being an angel is part of having that media outreach so that I can say to young red head kids, 'you can do anything you want! Nothing is impossible!'
"It's very exciting! It still feels so surreal to be honest, I have been working so hard to get to this moment - it's a real mixture of feeling emotional, nervous and excited!
" I found out when I was having dinner with one of my best friends, just in a restaurant in Soho, New York. My agent sent me a screenshot of an email saying, 'you are joining the VS family in 2019!'"
The British model insisted that despite her long struggle with bullies at school, her red locks have become part of her "identity" because it makes her feel "powerful"
She added: "Like most red heads I did get bullied at school because we just stand out. I was this skinny little, geeky thing with no boobs but now I have embraced it as a woman. Having red hair is now a powerful part of my identity. It took me a long time to get here, I have gone through so much in the last ten years both in terms of my career and my life."
Alexina also explained that the road to becoming a VS Angel was not an easy one because there were many times she wanted to give up.
She said: "Even 5/6 years ago I was talking to my Mum saying, 'I might leave modelling behind.' But she was the one who told me, 'keep going, I know something is going to happen for you,' and now knowing I have this platform and I can be a role model to red haired children is amazing.
"When I first did the Victoria's Secret show in Shanghai and I was the first red haired girl to walk in the show since Karen Elson in 2009, I had so many messages from children and one woman said, 'my child got bullied at school today and I showed her your Instagram to prove that the bullying doesn't mean anything and you can achieve whatever you put your mind to!' That meant so much to me."
Tagged in Karen Elson