Rain Dove: Meet the firefighter turned model who’s defying gender norms in the fashion industry

Rain Dove is no ordinary model.

At 6ft 2in, with muscular arms, broad shoulders and 32DD breasts, the self-proclaimed gender capitalist doesn’t conform to either men’s or women’s body standards, but that hasn't stopped her from storming the industry.

Now, the 27-year-old is appearing in international magazine spreads, walking major catwalks and using her platform to change how we see gender through the medium of clothes.

Growing up in a small community in Vermont, Dove wasn’t aware that she looked different to the other girls and it wasn’t until she became a firefighter that she realised people were mistaking her for a man.

“The male firefighters asked me to rate the women with them. I realised very quickly that I didn’t want to be the ugly woman in a room full of men so I went along with being a man for the next 11 months” the model told Yahoo Style.

Pursuing a degree in genetic engineering, Dove fell into the world of modelling by mistake. After losing a bet with a friend she ended up having to go to a casting call for Calvin Klein which turned out to be for men’s underwear.

Three months later, she assigned her first ever modelling job and has since walked at New York fashion week on both men’s and women’s runways.

With a body that defies society’s expectations of gender, Dove’s appearance allows her to beautifully straddle the line between men’s and womenswear and she has quickly become a vibrant spokesperson for LGBTQ issues.

As such, the groundbreaking model dedicates her Instagram to raising awareness of gender neutrality by posting images of herself dressed in men’s and women’s versions of the same outfit.

“My strength does not come from my clothing,” Dove writes.

“No matter what I wear whether my choice or not- I guarantee I will still be me. Because I'll be damned if I let something as simple as Cloth be my shackles.

“We are stronger than fabric.”