Do you remember Project Runway’s season eight fan favorite and finalist Andy South? He was always calm, polite and drama-free as an out and proud gay man. Well, now almost two years later, Andy South is an out and proud transgender woman, named Nong Ariyaphon Southiphong. Yesterday, Southiphong changed her Facebook gender from “male” to “female,” making her transition publicly official.
The 25-year-old designer largely went about her change quietly but has been uploading many gorgeous photos onto Facebook since March, according to the Daily Mail. She’s sporting long dark hair, and her amazing cheekbones are now accentuated by make-up.
In a very genuine and sweet message, Southiphong said, according to Radar Online, “thank you to my fans and friends who have supported me all the way. To my family for seeing me for me, and for all the love I am surrounded with.” That statement came on June 10, several weeks before her recent Facebook update, and was part of Southiphong’s journey into her new public identity.
In February she did an interview with Hawaiian magazine eXpression! as Andy South. But, South explained that his alter ego and muse ‘Nong Phon’ helped him channel “what nature looks like through the eyes of a woman.” Nong Phon has gradually grown into the stunning and strong woman we now know as Nong Ariyaphon Southiphong. The designer is really getting to her roots, as ‘Phon,’ the name of her muse, is her mother’s nickname, and her new surname, Southiphong, is her family’s original last name.
Thankful for the support and acceptance she’s received, Southiphong says, “I am blessed to be so accepted and welcomed just the way I am. May that love flow through me and onto many others. Live in love for the world needs it.”
Image Source eonline.com, eXpressions! Magazine and Facebook
