Emira D’Spain has built a remarkable career across beauty, fashion, social media and television. Known for her engaging beauty videos and glamorous personal style, she first gained widespread attention as a TikTok creator before establishing herself as a model and media personality. Her career reached an important milestone when she became the first Black transgender woman to model for Victoria’s Secret. In 2025, she expanded her television profile by joining Bravo’s Next Gen NYC.
Who Is Emira D’Spain?
Emira D’Spain is an American model, beauty content creator, influencer and television personality whose career has developed across several areas of the entertainment and fashion industries. She became particularly well known through TikTok, where her beauty tutorials and “Get Ready With Me” videos attracted a large international audience.
Her social-media career is closely connected to her passion for beauty. Rather than simply posting finished looks, D’Spain has made the process of applying makeup, preparing for events and experimenting with products part of her content. Her personality and conversational style helped her stand out in an increasingly crowded creator economy.
According to recent coverage, D’Spain has more than 1.5 million TikTok followers, demonstrating how significantly her audience has grown since she first began producing beauty content.
Her professional background is also unusual for an influencer. Before becoming a full-time creator and model, she worked at Paper magazine, eventually becoming its beauty director. That editorial experience helped shape the informative and polished approach she later brought to social media.
Emira D’Spain’s Early Life and Background
Emira D’Spain was born in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates and later moved to the United States with her family. She spent parts of her childhood in Kansas City and Tampa before her family settled in Dallas, Texas. During her younger years, she was involved in competitive dance, an experience that helped develop her confidence and interest in performance and fashion.
Her multicultural family background has also been part of her story. Her mother is Eritrean and her father is Polish, giving D’Spain a diverse cultural background that has influenced how she views identity and representation.
Education played an important role in her early professional development. She attended New York University and studied areas connected to marketing and communications. Her academic background eventually proved useful when she entered the media industry and began developing a career that combined editorial work, branding, beauty and social media.
Moving from student life into New York’s competitive creative environment gave D’Spain an opportunity to explore several professional directions before she became widely recognized online.
Her Career at Paper Magazine
Before becoming a full-time influencer, D’Spain developed valuable experience at Paper magazine. She initially worked in marketing before moving toward editorial and beauty content. Her interest in cosmetics and her ability to communicate about beauty eventually helped her become the publication’s beauty director.
Her journey at Paper was significant because it demonstrated that her career was not created overnight by social media. She had already developed professional experience in marketing, writing, editorial work and beauty before her TikTok audience exploded.
D’Spain has described the progression as moving from an internship to becoming a cover star. She later appeared on the cover of Paper‘s 40th anniversary issue, creating a full-circle moment after previously working behind the scenes at the magazine.
Her experience as a beauty director also gave her a strong understanding of the industry. She knew how beauty products were marketed, how editorial stories were developed and how visual storytelling could influence audiences. Those skills became valuable when she began creating content independently.
How Emira D’Spain Became a TikTok Star
D’Spain’s biggest breakthrough came through TikTok. She began creating beauty videos during the COVID-19 period, when many people were spending more time online. Her “Get Ready With Me” videos quickly attracted attention because they combined makeup, storytelling and personality.
Instead of presenting beauty as something distant or highly polished, she often made her videos feel like conversations with friends. Viewers could watch her apply makeup while listening to her discuss beauty, fashion and everyday experiences.
That relatable approach helped her develop a loyal community. Her content also reflected her editorial background because she often explained products and techniques rather than simply displaying them.
By 2023, reports described her as one of TikTok’s major beauty personalities, with more than one million followers. Her audience has continued to expand since then.
Her online identity is closely associated with the handle @xoxoemira, under which she has become recognizable to beauty and fashion audiences.
Emira D’Spain and Victoria’s Secret
One of the most important milestones in Emira D’Spain’s career came through her relationship with Victoria’s Secret. In 2022, she became the first Black transgender woman to model for the brand, a milestone that received significant attention across fashion and entertainment media.
The opportunity began through beauty and social-media work. Her first partnership with Victoria’s Secret involved a TikTok campaign connected to Valentine’s Day. The collaboration eventually developed into a much more significant part of her modeling career.
For D’Spain, the milestone carried personal significance because she had grown up seeing major fashion and beauty campaigns and had dreamed of becoming part of that world. In later interviews, she explained that the experience was particularly meaningful because representation mattered to her personally.
At the same time, D’Spain has emphasized that she does not want her career to be defined only by being a “first.” She has spoken about wanting brands and audiences to recognize her for her personality, creativity and talent rather than treating her identity as a marketing label.
Emira D’Spain’s Modeling and Beauty Career
Victoria’s Secret was only one part of D’Spain’s modeling journey. She has worked with several major beauty and fashion-related brands, including Fenty Beauty, UGG, NARS Cosmetics and Anastasia Beverly Hills. She has also appeared in major fashion publications and developed a reputation for combining beauty expertise with a strong personal aesthetic.
Her modeling career developed naturally alongside her social-media success. As more people discovered her beauty content, brands began recognizing the value of her audience and her ability to communicate authentically about products.
D’Spain has also participated in New York Fashion Week and other fashion events, further expanding her presence beyond TikTok.
Her long-term ambitions include major modeling opportunities that would represent another stage in her career. In a recent Byrdie interview, she discussed her desire to eventually walk the Victoria’s Secret runway and appear in Sports Illustrated.
Emira D’Spain’s Beauty Philosophy and Content Style
Beauty remains at the center of D’Spain’s public identity. Her videos often focus on makeup application, skincare, haircare and getting ready for different occasions.
One reason her content has remained popular is her willingness to discuss both glamour and imperfections. She has spoken openly about experiences with acne and the importance of feeling comfortable with one’s appearance.
Her skincare content has also received attention from publications such as Glamour. She has shared routines focused on hydration and achieving a healthy, glowing appearance.
D’Spain has also been candid about cosmetic treatments. In an interview with Byrdie, she discussed procedures and treatments she has experienced, emphasizing that cosmetic decisions should be personal rather than driven by outside pressure.
This openness has become an important part of her connection with followers. Rather than pretending that beauty is effortless, she talks about the work, experimentation and personal decisions behind her appearance.
Emira D’Spain on Next Gen NYC
D’Spain entered another phase of her career when she joined Bravo’s reality series Next Gen NYC in 2025. The show introduced her to viewers who may not have discovered her through TikTok or fashion media.
Her appearance on the series represented a natural extension of her growing public profile. She was already comfortable creating entertainment for an online audience, but reality television allowed viewers to see more of her personality and relationships.
Bravo describes D’Spain as an ambitious New York content creator whose career has developed from her NYU education and work at Paper into modeling and social-media success.
Her television appearance also became significant for representation. Reports described her as Bravo’s first full-time transgender cast member, giving her participation additional cultural importance beyond entertainment.
At the same time, Next Gen NYC allowed audiences to see another side of her life: friendships, ambitions, personal relationships and the challenges that come with building a career in New York.
Emira D’Spain’s Personal Life and Relationships
D’Spain has generally maintained boundaries around her private life, although Next Gen NYC has offered viewers some insight into her romantic world.
Reports surrounding the series have discussed her relationship with a man named Kevin, whom she met through Hinge. He works in finance and was described as calm and grounded, providing a contrast to D’Spain’s highly public career.
However, the status of their relationship has not always been clear publicly. As with many reality-television relationships, viewers should distinguish between what is shown on television and what may be happening privately.
D’Spain has increasingly used her public platform to focus on career development, beauty and self-confidence rather than allowing her romantic life to become the central focus of her identity.
Emira D’Spain’s Influence and Future Career
Emira D’Spain’s influence extends beyond makeup tutorials and modeling. Her career illustrates how social media can create opportunities that were once available primarily through traditional entertainment and fashion institutions.
Her transition from Paper magazine employee to beauty director, TikTok creator, model and television personality demonstrates her ability to adapt. Each stage of her career has contributed something different. Her editorial background gave her storytelling skills, social media gave her a direct audience, modeling introduced her to fashion campaigns, and television expanded her mainstream visibility.
In a 2026 interview with Byrdie, D’Spain discussed her desire to slow down, enjoy life and continue producing beauty content while working on a new beauty project.
Her ambitions also remain connected to representation. She has repeatedly discussed the importance of allowing people to see themselves reflected in beauty and fashion spaces.
Rather than limiting herself to one industry, D’Spain appears to be building a broader personal brand that can include beauty, fashion, entertainment, television and entrepreneurship.
Conclusion
Emira D’Spain has transformed her passion for beauty into a multifaceted career spanning editorial media, TikTok, modeling and television. Her journey from Paper magazine to becoming a major beauty creator and the first Black transgender woman to model for Victoria’s Secret has made her a notable figure in contemporary fashion and digital culture.
Her success has been driven not only by her appearance but also by her communication skills, personality and willingness to share authentic experiences with her audience. Her participation in Next Gen NYC has introduced her to an even wider audience, while her continuing beauty content keeps her connected to the community that helped launch her career.
As she moves forward, D’Spain’s ambitions appear to extend beyond social media. With modeling goals, television opportunities and a potential beauty project ahead, her career continues to evolve. Her story ultimately demonstrates how creativity, authenticity and the ability to adapt can turn a passion for beauty into a powerful and lasting career.
