“I always wanted to be Britney Manson”

Fräulein: Hi, Britney, how are you?

Britney Manson: I’m great! I released my new track, “American Dream,” my first album is out, and I filmed my first ever music video. So I’m more than excited. 

Wow. Congratulations. Is it your dream come true?

Definitely! There are some references to Britney Spears’ “Blackout,” but, in general, this song is about my do-or-die attitude. I’m always like that when it comes to my dreams and I want to spread this energy. I want people to know: You can really make your wishes come true, if you do everything for it.

I want to talk with you about this journey. Let’s start at the beginning. How did you grow up and who were your idols back then?

I’m grateful for my childhood because I’m not scared of anything after that. I’ve literally been through hell. From an early age on, being hated by others was a normal thing to me. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, nobody talked about being trans and there were hardly any role models. I was beaten almost daily at school and none of the teachers helped me. After I survived that, I don’t care about haters anymore. I laugh in their faces.

Looking back, such experiences often have a greater impact on shaping us than the positive ones.

I’m even grateful for all the haters. Because, if not for them, I wouldn’t be here at this point right now. Despite all the aggression, I never questioned myself like: Can I do this? I was always like: Of course I can do it! They definitely ruined a part of me, but I was able to build up Britney Manson on the ashes. I told myself: Whatever you’re going through right now, it’s just material to talk about in interviews in the future. And, see what happened? Today, I’m here and I can proudly say: I love myself and my life.

What gave you the strength all these years? 

The only thing that I wanted my whole life is to be who I am right now. I wanted to be successful, I wanted to be famous. We all have different goals: Some people want to have a car, some people want to find love. But I just always wanted to be Britney Manson.

Did you get support from someone in your surroundings, or were you completely on your own on this mission?

Shout out to the most precious person in the whole world: Bill Kaulitz. He literally helped me to survive. Some people think I’m a crazy, obsessed fan, but I’m just grateful. Back then, when I was at school, I felt this kind of dysphoria within me and I knew something was going on, but I had no idea what was happening to me. I didn’t realize I could be trans. Then, I saw Bill on TV with his unique, androgynous look. He is not trans, but somehow I could identify with him and I loved his confidence. When I looked at him and the other boys from the band, I realized: They really don’t care. Neither should I.

This also helped me in everyday life. Whenever I wore makeup and women’s clothes and people asked me: “Why are you doing this? Are you a boy or a girl? Are you gay?” I used to answer: “Shut up, I’m a Tokio Hotel fan.” It gave me the time to figure everything out. And that’s exactly why representation and having someone to look up to matters. I don’t know what would have happened otherwise.

Even today, you still seem totally excited when you talk about this.

When I finally met Bill in 2021, it was a full circle moment for me. People say you shouldn’t meet your idols, you will be disappointed. But the contrary happened. I’m so happy to had have him as a role model and now I try to be this to others, especially to my young fans. Everyone just needs some confidence booster. 

Speaking of that: Did you always have the confidence to want to be in the spotlight?

Modeling always felt like my destiny. Back in the days people called me ugly, I had skin problems and I had to deal with being trans. But I wanted to be part of this industry so badly. So I tried, tried, tried. I taught myself to walk like a supermodel, in my school hallway and in the streets of my hometown. I even got my first runway booking when I was 12. But nothing really big happened.

Who was your favorite supermodel back then?

So, you couldn’t start a traditional modeling career at first, but found your path to the spotlight through TikTok. What was your intention when you uploaded your first video titled “Walking till I get noticed by a model agency,” that later became a recurring series on your account?

It wasn’t planned. My life was crashing and burning in front of my eyes back then. It came to a point when I was almost homeless and realized: Something has to happen. I texted one of my favorite TikTokers: “Hi, do you want to shoot with me?” I only had 1k followers at that time. But he was down for it. So we did the usual dancing and lip syncing in front of Brandenburg Gate. But when the sun set, I had an idea and I asked him: “Could you please just record me crossing the road with my model walk?”

We recorded my catwalk and I was like: “Oh my God, I look like a supermodel.” I posted the video and it got 1 million views in one hour. Then 5 million. And then 11 million. It ended up with 44 million views. This video changed my life. So, I continued and it became my mission to bring high fashion energy to the streets. I walked all around the city in my super high stilettos, which is quite impressive because I’m almost two meters tall. People loved it. Though I was getting death threats on the internet, in real life, nothing aggressive ever happened.

On the contrary – you’re always surrounded by a crowd of fans when you’re recording videos.

Yes, and that inspired me to always create new ideas and formats. I did tutorials, throwbacks, comparisons between the signature walks of famous supermodels and catwalks in the subway. I’m sure people that saw me started to imagine themselves as a runway model. Anyone who denies it is lying.

Fashion is often downplayed, yet it influences people in so many ways.

Yes, it’s just unfair: We talk about dance as an art form, but nobody talks about catwalk. With the way you move, you can sell clothes. But you also introduce yourself to the world. People see you walk and know exactly who you are. That’s why people even recognize me with sunglasses and a hoodie. There’s no way to fake it. Every single supermodel has her signature walk. It definitely is a form of art.

The power of fashion and the power of catwalk energy makes people dream, even if their daily life is not at all fashionable or glamorous.

Exactly. If you have a bad day, just dress up, do your makeup, and you always feel better. Fashion is pure magic. It’s a fantasy.

Your videos are always journeys through fashion history and quite educational. Do you do a lot of research for them?

I do not even have to do that. I grew up with watching all these videos of fashion shows. They were part of my childhood. I skipped homework and just watched Fashion TV. I strongly believed fashion would save me. For a lot of people, this industry means freedom.

Now that you’re a part of this world as you had dreamed: Does reality meet your expectations?

It’s even better! Of course it’s exhausting sometimes. But I live for it. After all, I’ve prepared myself for this moment my whole life. This February, I celebrated my 10th flight ever at the airport. I was like: Omg, that’s what I’ve wanted since forever. I’m still mesmerized by the industry. And I’m so happy to meet the persons that I saw on pictures when I was younger. I’m half Estonian. When I finally met Carmen Kass, the Estonian supermodel, I started to cry.

Now you’re walking the runway for Vetements or sitting front row at Valentino’s haute couture show. How did that come about?

The Valentino team messaged me and it was a perfect match from the beginning on. I love the brand’s aesthetics, the rock studs, the strong colors. If I could inject “Born in Roma” into my skin to always smell like it, I would definitely do it. Valentino was the first major brand that supported me and I will forever be thankful for that.

It’s often said that there is still not enough diversity in fashion, but even major brands seem to have become more open in many respects.

I’m so proud of the industry because things are really changing. Only ten years ago, it was different. I remember Lea T, the Brazilian supermodel, who was one of the first openly trans models that I knew. She often got embarrassing questions on TV shows and in interviews that would nowadays be unimaginable. We’ve come a long way.

That applies to you as well. Where are you heading next?

You will see. It’s not a secret. But why talk, when you can show? Imagine I would have explained my catwalk tutorials before. Would they still have been the same? But I’m also a fucking control freak. My moon is in Virgo.