Unexpectedly, I found myself in the fashion industry. It wasn’t what everyone expected. This new feeling and inspiration that drove me to this career was not something I had anticipated. My adventures started when I dropped the scalpel, and went from strict no makeup-policies and blue scrubs to high heels and designer clothes.
My journey began when, at age 13, I was scouted in Hamburg, my hometown, where I was raised and born. The summer before, I had grown by 4 inches. At almost 6 feet, I was the perfect school giraffe. I was a gangly teenage girl who had not yet grown into her height but had outgrown her clothes. As I was not interested in fashion and had no knowledge of it, I dismissed the idea of becoming a model pretty quickly. After finishing school, I went to the University. It is fair to say that I was comfortable in my own skin, and I don’t think I would have wanted to leave it anytime soon. But this year, I had a few people ask me if I am signed with a modeling agency. It planted a seed that I couldn’t shake. It was not something I wanted to do. I felt like I needed to take a break and try something new.
I took a few different interviews, and in the end I was signed by an agency. I graduated in September and was able start working full-time for the German modelling agency “Modelwerk”. I spent the past two weeks in Milan, to gain some experience and gather impressions.
As soon as I started this job, it was clear that there would be many challenges and that I had to learn a lot of new things as well as improve in other areas. It may take some time to get used to the camera, especially if you have no previous experience in the field and like me, you don’t have your pictures taken on a regular basis. The feeling of being in front becomes more natural with each time. In addition to the fact that you need to develop your portfolio as a new face I took every opportunity possible to get as many photo opportunities as I could.
You can sometimes tell right away, when you’re on set, meeting the crew, and talking with the photographer, that this connection is special. It only happens every so often. When everyone involved has the same vision and passion, you can feel the flow. You don’t need to say anything because everyone knows what the next steps should be. These moments can occur anywhere, be it a tiny apartment or a beautiful beachside location. When you ask me why I am interested in modelling, my answer will probably be because of such precious moments. The moments and experiences that I have had are unique because they involve more than fashion, art and people. These moments and experiences are pure passion. It is a special moment when this happens. We can point the camera at these moments and capture them. It was always an amazing experience for me to listen or watch art and to feel the emotions and expressions that were expressed. This is why I cherish any opportunity to be part of the beautiful process.
Not all modeling stories are like this. You will face many difficult situations, especially when you are first starting out. These can be funny or create a bond with other models .
I recall one of my very first castings that took place in Athens, during the final weeks of summer. At the time, I was staying in a downtown apartment that I rented through Airbnb. It was still hot, but the stone buildings and their shadows cast on the narrow streets usually kept the heat at bay. This was not the case on that day. As usual, I looked for the perfect balance between choosing clothes I liked that weren’t too hot and also ensuring that they were comfortable to wear on the train. Any other model will confirm that a lot castings in Athens are located on the outskirts or out in the middle. It’s a long ride by bus to get to where you want to go, and that was the case on this particular day. As soon as I left the house, I regretted my decision to wear long black pants with a crop-top. The warmth I had experienced before was replaced by a humid heat. I felt like I’d accidentally stumbled into the steam room of the spa next door, while fully dressed. As there wasn’t enough time to change and return, I made the trip to the casting. Google Maps confirmed that the location was the Sahara Desert. It certainly felt like it! In the past, I have never been one to sweat easily. But in this humid weather, with a bus that was more crowded than an New Years Eve bar, I had soaked myself from head to foot by the time I reached my destination. When I looked around, all I saw was a gym with a warehouse right next to it. The casting had to be at the other building because I knew it was not going to take place in the gym. It looked like it would not be a great relief from the heat. While I was cooling down my body temperature, I saw another model who I met a few days earlier and liked very much. Even though she was wearing a more appropriate outfit, she immediately said that she was melting when she saw me. We decided it wouldn’t get any better so we entered the building. The building was more like a glorified warehouse, and there was no air conditioning. It was actually even more humid in there. As I stood there, dreaming of a cool shower, the client brought out the outfit he wanted to wear. It was at this point that I thought someone was making a joke. The outfit consisted of black tight items made from latex and other materials. We had to work hard to get into the clothing, as every spot on our skin stuck to it. We were both so soaked in sweat that the clothes felt superglued to our skin. We both laughed because it took us a long time to peel ourselves out of the second skin.
There were many other moments that I wouldn’t want to miss. It could be a beautiful job in a small Greek Island, a test-shoot in rainy Milan or a trip to Cyprus with other models, where we all felt like family. There have been so many moments in my life that have inspired me. I am excited to start my first season at Fashion Week, and work with different people.
It is true that not everything in the industry is perfect. And it wouldn’t be difficult to paint a less than flattering picture of this sector. In this industry, I believe it’s important to stay mindful. Probably even more so than in everyday life. I try to be true to myself. I also think that it’s important to set boundaries and stick to them. It is especially important to be careful when you’re young because the pressures can be high and it’s easy to let the wrong people influence you. It is sometimes good to step back and think about the situation and whether it feels right for you now and in the future.
Sports and music help me relax wherever I am. I would recommend always carrying a yoga mat around with you after spending the past two months in rooms that were larger than average.
As I’ve only recently started modeling, I don’t have a lot of experience. But when it comes to meetings and interviews, with agencies or clients, it is best to try to work together. Both sides will know if it’s a good fit. If not, you may want to consider a different agency. I only do things that make my eyes sparkle. It’s not that I don’t have days when I doubt everything I do, but at the very least, I should smile inside whenever I think about my actions. This is awesome, this is tricky, this sucks, I suck, this might be okay… this is awesome. Even when things go wrong, if it all goes according to the plan, I’m sure it will be okay.
Now, I’m looking forward to fashion week and can’t wait to see what happens afterwards. New York seems to be the ideal place to start new projects. When I combine the arts, music, and medicine, I don’t know what I will end up with. I have no idea how it will turn out. But I am confident that my curiosity and imagination will generate some interesting ideas. It is certain that I will not settle for anything I don’t love.
