“In 2011, Andrej Pejic was the breakout star in the fashion world, turning heads as a male model who walked the womenswear runway shows for powerhouse designers such as Marc Jacobs and Jean Paul Gaultier.

But on a recent July afternoon in New York City, a gold nameplate necklace in script letter falls at just the right spot on the model’s chest so that any onlooker could clearly read “Andreja” and subtly understand the message Pejic is now revealing to the world: The renowned androgynous model underwent sex reassignment surgery earlier this year.

“I want to share my story with the world because I think I have a social responsibility,” Pejic, 22, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I hope that by being open about this, it becomes less of an issue.”

Pejic’s plans were put on hold when she was discovered at age 17 by a modeling agent. “It was an opportunity to see the world and gain some financial stability,” she explains.

While her name was listed among the male models at top agencies around the world, she found herself in the enviable position of modeling both men’s and women’s fashions. She cites one 2011 runway moment as her finest modeling memory. “Being a bride for Gaultier was a very special moment for me,” says Pejic of walking the designer’s spring haute couture show.

But “about a year and a half ago, I reevaluated things,” says Pejic. “I was proud of my gender nonconforming career. But my biggest dream was to be comfortable in my own body. I have to be true to myself and the career is just going to have to fit around that.”

Pejic began meeting with doctors in the U.S. to continue her transition with sex reassignment surgery.”

Source: People Magazine