So much beauty in this interview. I’m sure there is no girl on earth that has never imagined herself as a model. Ania has converted this thought into reality and described me her life as a top model with all the nice and bad things it may include.
Ania, is really the life of a model bitter-sweet?
Hello, thanks for giving me the opportunity to express myself and talk about my work. Many people actually believe that this work is easy, and we just stay in front of the camera and make money. The majority of models begin to do this work since 14 years old and most of the times at the age of 25 the modeling career is over, although I know some models 30 years old, but the at castings say they are younger. At the age of 14 or maybe 16 we begin traveling around the world we arrive at a town where we know nobody, not even the language, and for this reason models speak English. We might just go to China or Japan or NY or Paris or London or Milan, Sydney. Every time we arrive at a new place we take pictures of the new market that indulge in the country. If we do not know the city we have to learn how to operate with the metro and buses and trains, because for this work we have to run around town doing castings. All models dream of being a supermodel, but it is very difficult and I have seen so many beautiful girls that after so many efforts have surrendered to. The secret in this work is not to listen to the criticisms that are bad for all models but believing in yourself and fight, always with a smile.
Ania, castings are part of your everyday life. What happens in a casting?
When the client arrives some greetings jokes or maybe we talk a little. You give your book (it's a Guest Book with your own photos of your work) and leave your composit (it's a spreadsheet with your data, height, bust, waist, hips, shoe, hair, eyes. There ahead of the your best picture and behind other 4 pics). Then the client makes you some photos, or makes you try a few clothes. But sometimes the customers look at your photos with a face of disgust ... or they look bad. {...} Very often I have seen girls running away from a casting crying. In my opinion, if a photographer or designer does not like a girl he does not have to point this out because the girls there are very bad, and often begin not to believe in themselves.
I would like to know the atmosphere in the back stage of a fashion show. Is it so crazy? Do you have any story to tell us? Maybe an accident , or a stressful moment on the run way?
During the fashion week we are all stressed and crazy, the models shift every week from NY to London or Paris Milan, and all are already stressed. After the parade you have to run to another show with the risk of being late. {…} In the fashion week in one day you may have to do 15 castings or it also happened to me 18 or 20 castings a day. During the parade you have to change quickly and as soon as you change you must already run on the catwalk. During that run hairdressers, make-up artists and stylists stop you to mend your clothes. The shoes are often uncomfortable and there is a risk of slipping in every step. All screaming “fast fast fast”!
Models’ world is full of glamour and fame. At the same time it is supposed to be a “dark” world with drugs and sexual harassment. Which is your opinion according to your experience?
At work rarely happens that a few customers, do some harassment. {…} The dark world exists at night. Many girls go into making the models with a hope of becoming somebody. But there's a job I do not really like and it is linked with the models. The PR guys are doing this work, you know, sometimes waiting for the models to get out of the casting and bring them to parties at night. Or get to know them through friends and acquaintances.
They earn money by bringing the models to the club. They believe the girls pretend to fall in love to take advantage of it or pretend to be their friends. The models are girls who move to a city and they have chances to eat for free and party for free or make new friends.
Do you earn a lot of money from this job or is this a myth that models are so well paid?
Girls who have been models 10 years ago are rich and have earned a lot of money, but now there are too many modeling agencies and too many models. Customers have remained as before and this makes it more difficult to get a job. We arrive in a casting where there are 100 or 200 models and perhaps they choose only 2 or 4 of these. I have noticed however that in castings I always meet new girls while at work, I always meet with the girls I've known in past works. I work more and thus earn enough money. But usually when the girls arrive in a country they must pay for the trip, the place to live (the agency gives you that but then you have to pay) the composites, the book. If you take the pocket money charge even those. Then, there are the fees that have to be paid to the country and the percentage that the agency takes. But there are places where people earn a lot of money: Japan because you have a contract and you already know how much you will be paid. I had been suggested to go to Japan, with the agency 'Donna' I wanted to go there a lot but in the end I had to go somewhere else, despite the fact that a visit to Japan is one of my DREAMS since I was a child. Then in China, Germany and I love Berlin! I’ve been there only two weeks I’ve gained a lot and the city is beautiful. Even in London it works well, but the fact is that it's an expensive city.
You are from Russia but you live and work in Italy and of course you are travelling when necessary. Did your family agree with your decision to become a model?
I'm not entirely Russian I’m also half Italian. Then I have distant relatives of Ukrainians, Poles and my grandfather is Tartar that’s why my eyes are slightly slanted. Actually I had never thought about modeling, my DREAM is to become an actress I have also studied acting. Since I was a little girl my aunt told me that I should become a model, my mother was not enthusiastic about this, but my aunt insisted and she eventually convinced my mother. But I had no idea how to find an agency, because I lived in Sicily and agencies are in Milan.
One day on facebook I filled out a card but I thought it was a scam. The next day they called my mother and after 3 days I went to Milan. My agency has believed in me from the first day and the director told mehe believed in me, too. So, I decided to become a model and all the photographers were always happy with my shots so they call me to work again and again. Then the modeling job started fascinating me I took it seriously.
What would you choose: A great and well paid career that would give you fame and a financially comfortable life for ever OR a career like thousands models have but a happy family with children and personal happiness?
It is a complicated question, but I think you can have both things. In my work at any time x is another person. Very often, you must reject friendship, because when free time is short you have to choose between friends and boyfriend.{…} I would choose both, I think everything is possible.
Ania, good luck with your career, I'm sure we' ll see amazing things from you. Thank you for the great interview!
The peacful Hippie style
My 10 most desired heels
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Sexy summer 2012The peacful Hippie style
My 10 most desired heels
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