British model and founder of Wilder Botanics Rachel Boss. Image by Aaron Hurley

LUX contributing editor and model at Models 1, Charlie Newman continues her online exclusive series, interviewing her peers about their creative pursuits, passions and politics

Charlie Newman

THIS MONTH: British model Rachel Boss has had a longer career than most, shooting with industry legends including the late Peter Lindbergh as well as appearing in all the Vogues, the Pirelli calendar and numerous fashion brand campaigns. Alongside her husband, she recently founded her own brand Wilder Botanics, which specialises in holistic products created from organic, wild ingredients. Here, Rachel opens up about the tough side of modelling, becoming an entrepreneur and her aspirations for the future.

Charlie Newman: Let’s start at the beginning. What was your childhood like?
Rachel Boss: I grew up just outside of Manchester. I had the perfect mix of countryside and being on this great music city’s doorstep back in the late eighties early nineties, so I was constantly going to gigs when I could. We lived in this beautiful old farm, not that we used it, but my mum only ever cooked using home grown vegetables. I went to a convent which wasn’t great! I went there from 3 to 18 years old as a day pupil. Looking back it had a huge effect on me with the guilt that comes from Catholicism. It was awful, it was heaven and hell, it was retribution. My mum stuck up for us by not letting us do confession: what 7 year old has anything to confess? That’s why I had my confirmation much later because you can’t get confirmed without having confessed. I haven’t been to church in a long time now but it’s still in there. I remember going to school and seeing these propaganda posters and being so appalled by these extreme elitist views, but in reaction to this quite a few of us were rebellious. The young nuns were slightly more liberal singing Kumbaya with us, whilst the elder ones were just dreadful. The only two male teachers were science teachers which meant that we really weren’t pushed to do science – things have changed hugely since then. Safe to say, I would never send my children to a convent, in fact I went the complete opposite and sent them to a school where they call the teachers by their first name!

Follow LUX on Instagram: luxthemagazine

Charlie Newman: How did fashion come into your life?
Rachel Boss: I can remember always being taller than my peers and everyone telling me I could be a model but I never even considered it because modelling wasn’t a career back then. I saw fashion as my escape, it was my ticket out of Manchester. Interestingly, people from Manchester generally always stay there, they don’t often move. I don’t know whether that’s typical of most towns but I couldn’t wait to get away. University was never on the cards for me, it wasn’t even something I wanted to do and I don’t know why because later on I went to study off my own back. Even though I didn’t go to university straight after school, I still want my children to because I hate the idea of them being out in the world without a purpose. When I left school that’s exactly how I felt, so when I got asked to be a model I took the chance. I was staying at a friends house in Dublin and then somebody asked me to do a show for John Rocha. From that show an agent picked me up, it’s not a very glamorous story! In that first season I worked for John Rocha, Katharine Hamnett and a few other Irish designers. After that, I came back to Manchester and then moved to London at 19 years old so I was a late starter for a model.

Charlie Newman: What were your early experiences of modelling like?
Rachel Boss: Once I signed with an agency I was whisked straight away off to Tokyo, and I didn’t really like it. Whenever I see friends who were also models at the time we look back now and realise that actually we really weren’t treated right as teenagers. Thank goodness for the way my mum brought me up else I would have ended up in some compromising positions. People were always saying to me, ‘Why don’t you relax? Why don’t you go to that club? Why don’t you go out for dinner with them?’ But I wasn’t having any of it which meant that I was spending a lot of time on my own. My first trip was to Tokyo for 4 weeks which was a real eye opener, it was like a cattle market. We weren’t marketed as human beings, never having time to eat or break. Then at night we had to go to club openings which was just not my thing. I left Tokyo with not very fond memories and from there went onto Paris after a brief stint at home in between.

Read more: Artistic visions of Louis Roederer’s Brut Nature 2012

Charlie Newman: Paris is the centre of old school fashion houses, and with it often comes an old school mentality. Did you come across this and how did you deal with it?
Rachel Boss:  I really struggled in Paris because the French bookers were always the toughest. We’d be staying in a model apartment 25 years ago for 600 euros a month and it would be a mattress on the floor, with no light bulbs, nothing in the kitchen and with 6 other girls in the flat, it was completely wrong. Even though I was a tiny bit older than my peers, I felt a lot younger because most of my friends within the industry were from cities so were a lot more streetwise than me. They were in the right crowds immediately, whereas I was very far from it. I must have been really hard to manage because I was forever saying, ‘Sorry but I’m going home now!’ I realise now that I was suffering with anxiety without even realising it because anxiety disorders weren’t discussed then. I remember berating myself thinking, ‘What’s the problem? All you have to do is get on that plane, go to the hotel, get up and go to the job.’ I remember forever talking myself through it and every time on the plane home I’d congratulate myself. So it wasn’t an enjoyable period for me but then again I did have a couple of years which were just incredible. That was when everything changed.

Image by Aaron Hurley

Charlie Newman: What changed exactly?
Rachel Boss: I moved to New York in 1991 where I stayed for a year, and then I moved back there at the age of 25 which was just fantastic because there was a real resurgence of health in fashion. The heroin chic look was out and the more healthy, robust girl was in. People were waking up to the benefits of nutrition and that really opened my eyes to what I wanted to do. I went to an amazing Ashram in upstate near Woodstock, where I learnt the teachings and philosophies of yoga and meditation. I had the time to really read and expand my knowledge whilst I was in New York purely because all of my work was based there and I didn’t have to catch a flight all the time. But by the age of 26 I was moved to the ‘Classic’ table and was told I was past it. That had a real effect on me mentally because I suddenly woke up to the idea that I was a woman and I needed to have a family. I was being portrayed as a 46 year old woman at 26 which I wish I hadn’t agreed to. Afterwards, I just tucked myself away and studied and studied at the Holistic Health college. I was studying to be a Naturopath alongside Nutrition, Homeopathy and Iridology which is recognising genetic traits through Iris formations. I love it because it’s one of those subjects where you’re forever learning.

Charlie Newman: You published Super Herbs: The best adaptogens to reduce stress and improve health, beauty and wellness in 2017. How did that come about?
Rachel Boss: I was approached by The Little Brown publishing house after having just given birth. I remember being so incredibly exhausted at the time and without thinking I went along to the meeting. I remember thinking in the meeting at this really smart office, ‘What the hell am I doing here? I am so tired, and here I am saying that I can write a book!’ I think it must have been the endorphins that come with breast feeding! I wrote it like a job, or studying, so I was really strict with deadlines. I so enjoyed writing it. The book focuses on the history of the herb. It’s a really easy read and helps direct you on how to slot herbs into your life and make you feel better. When you have a chronic illness quite often you get used to it (unless it’s acute) and you end up ignoring it, like chronic digestive issues for example, but in my book I explain how herbs can help you. I also highly recommend reading Rosemary Gladstone and Christopher Hedley’s books. Christopher was my tutor and is simply amazing.

Read more: Designer Philipp Plein on mixing business with pleasure

Charlie Newman: You’ve had such a long and diverse career in an industry that is notoriously short. How has your career developed as you get older?
Rachel Boss: I was more editorial at the beginning, but then I really pushed for it to become a money earner. When I came back to London I was doing the likes of John Lewis, Marks & Spencer and Next, which was great money! There was a time when I was doing everything in London and it was just fantastic, I could drive to work, I absolutely loved it. But then of course they move on as they always do and have to. I’m also very aware that I’m extremely tall to be doing commercial work. I’m just over 6 foot so I’m extremely grateful to them for being so kind to me, most of the other models were 5’9. However, the other day I did my first editorial shoot for a while with the wonderful Renaissance magazine. I met this amazing guy who was Turkish but brought up in Sweden, the hair and make up was from Tokyo and the stylist from America – we all just couldn’t stop talking! I’ve always loved that part of fashion, every shoot has a real mix of people from all over the world. Perhaps it’s because I’m older and more confident, but I feel as though I’m no longer seen as an object that has to be moulded to other peoples desires. I am my own person whilst modelling now.

Charlie Newman: Looking back at your career now, what do you wish you had done differently?
Rachel Boss: My career has forever been in flux between forcing myself to do the job and then retreating. Even when it was French Vogue or shooting with Peter Lindbergh, it was terrible because in my head I just wanted to run for the hills. I look back now and wish I just got on with it for four years and then left. But instead I dragged it out over decades! Often when I left a city I would leave an agency too because then I felt like I could always start again and have a fresh start. The agencies were always very damning of my opinion when really it should have been a joint decision, but luckily I had one wonderful agent who understood that when I said no, I meant no. I became very good at saying no because for years I’d forever been a yes man. As a result, I had a reputation for being difficult. It’s been an interesting journey. Talking and reading about the past now amongst friends and colleagues makes you realise how intense it is as a job.

Charlie Newman: What advice would you give to young models now starting out?
Rachel Boss: Please enjoy it and don’t take it too seriously. I was forever being told that I was ungrateful because I didn’t want to do the jobs, but really there’s alway someone else who will do the job. If it’s not your route or desired path don’t do it.

Charlie Newman: What has been a career highlight for you?
Rachel Boss: I think it’s got to be living in all the cities. I loved working in New York and Morocco and even though living in Paris was hell, I’m so pleased I did it. Now I know all the areas and I met Yves Saint Laurent and so many other incredible people. I was lucky enough to have a good wage so wherever I was, I did whatever I wanted. If there was some restaurant I wanted to go to, I’d try it, if there was anywhere I wanted to go to, off I went. I was very, very happy with my own company, which was hugely beneficial for me because I’d got into such a huge state of panic before where I felt as though I always needed to be with someone, so that was a huge turn around for me. It’s so important to have times in your life, especially when you’re young, to go off and do your own thing because you’ll probably never have that time again. Even if you do get the opportunity to do it when you’re older, your mind is constantly elsewhere and wanting to be with your children. So for me to have had that time was something I really relished. It’s so important as a human being to sit by yourself and be happy.

Rachel and her husband Charlie co-run Wilder Organics, doing everything from the making of products to the selling.

Charlie Newman: What made you decide to start your own company?
Rachel Boss: The company was talked about for years. I was so aware that herbs were still seen as something a bit odd or witchy or something that only people wearing linen and blankets could prescribe to and I didn’t like that! It was the same with when I went to my lectures too. It was all too intense and I wanted to prove that you could be interested in Naturopathy, whilst also enjoying a glass of wine with a steak. The whole idea for Wilder Organics was about bringing herbs into the contemporary lifestyle and fitting it into the everyday. Before it was only really Neal’s Yard, but within the past 5 years I’ve seen a huge surge in interest.

Read more: Island paradise at the Ritz-Carlton Abama resort in Tenerife

The Wilder Botanics boutique, Broadway Market

Charlie Newman: How did you make Wilder Organics a reality?
Rachel Boss: It started with me creating a herb infused body oil and two teas. I asked my friend Lerryn Korda, who is a beautiful illustrator of children’s books, to design the beautiful labels for me. Each type of herb has a different illustration because I really wanted to draw people back to nature and get them to recognise what they’re actually drinking, and maybe even encourage them to go and pick the leaves themselves. This was back in October 2017. I had a little stand at this wonderful sale that supports creatives called The Hand Sale in Kensington and everything sold! I didn’t know what the whole worth was of my product so that’s when my husband swooped in, and he’s totally immersed in it now. It’s just us two and one other person who comes in every so often. We do everything, from the making to the selling to the wholesaling. Everything is biodegradable and recyclable nationwide, it can even be put into your compost. All of our products are recyclable grade 7 which means all councils recycling systems will accept it, which sadly isn’t the case for a lot of other products out there.

Charlie Newman: Where would you like to see Wilder Organics in the future?
Rachel Boss: We would really love to see our beauty products in Liberty because we’re obsessed with everything in there! We have endless ideas for the future, but I’m particularly excited about delving more into women’s health. Alongside our 10 stockists, we’d also like to be stocked worldwide, but without ever losing the core values of our company.

Charlie Newman: And finally, who is your role model of the month?
Rachel Boss: It’s got to be women for me, I love women in every form. If I had to pick one individual it would probably be Julianne Moore, I think she’s just heavenly. My friend works with her who’s a make up artist and said she’s the real deal, she’s true to her persona, so kind and brilliant. I was listening to Zadie Smith on Radio 4 yesterday and I thought she was just amazing, partly because she doesn’t appear to be a people pleaser. I grew up in a generation where everything was about being liked, fitting in and not being a burden. I really rock boats with that even now. I hope my children are like that, I tell my children all the time, just because someone’s an adult it doesn’t mean they are right.

Discover Wilder Botanics’ range of products: wilderbotanics.com

Models and musicians Sonya and Anna Kupriienko. Instagram: @bloomtwins

LUX contributing editor and model at Models 1, Charlie Newman continues her online exclusive series, interviewing her peers about their creative pursuits, passions and politics

Charlie Newman

THIS MONTH: Ukrainian twins Sonya and Anna Kupriienko have shot for the likes of Vogue, Numéro, Wonderland, Stylist, iD and Tatler, whilst storming the music industry under the guise of The Bloom Twins. Here, the twins talk to Charlie about touring with the likes of Nile Rodgers, their love of Billie Eilish and staying true to yourself.

Charlie Newman: Have you always been interested in music?
Sonya Kupriienko: It might sound crazy, but music has had a place in our lives since the very beginning, and by that we mean from our Mum’s tummy! Apparently, we were taught to appreciate music from the inside, our parents would place headphones right at Mums tummy to make us curious about music even then. It was, therefore, inevitable that we started singing or copying sounds before we could talk, so even though we feel sorry for our parents hearing our music 24/7 with double power from us, it was completely their fault! We went to music school aged five where we both learnt to play piano and how to harmonise together.

Follow LUX on Instagram: luxthemagazine

Anna Kupriienko: Even though the classical music we learnt at school was very brain awakening, there was very little emotion which was probably because we were so young. Since then we have found ourselves striving to do the opposite of what was asked of us at school. The beginning of our music career ironically started from fashion. One model scout had stopped our sister Vera on the street and asked her to come for a proper meeting to his agency. Vera brought us with her and we couldn’t believe ourselves when he said he wanted to do a photo shoot with the two of us, but sadly not with Vera. The rest is history, he posted a photo of us on Facebook, and our current managers Lenka and Juzzee commented saying these twins are so cute, to which he replied saying they also love to sing. This is how the meeting was set up, and how fashion and social media has changed our lives dramatically. We are also forever grateful to our parents, who not only encouraged our love for music, but also put it to good use.

Charlie Newman: What music did you listen to growing up?
Anna Kupriienko: We were deeply influenced by our parents’ choice of music, which consisted of mainly English bands or artists such as The Beatles, David Bowie, Duran Duran so that’s why it felt like a dream come true to move to London, and later on to also share the stage with Duran Duran themselves around the globe.

Instagram: @bloomtwins

Charlie Newman: You’ve toured alongside some huge industry names including Nile Rodgers, Chic and Seal. What did you learn from this experience?
Sonya Kupriienko: We have learned to dream and not to be afraid of obstacles such as language barriers, being too young or too pretty to sing. That all goes away once you are fully committed and blinded by the passion that it becomes impossible to look the other way.

Anna Kupriienko: The obstacles seemed so small when Duran Duran treated us like equals and supported us when we needed it the most-right before going up on stage in front of tens of thousands of people. This meant, and still does mean the world to us, we will always be look up to them.

Read more: Spanish artist Secundino Hernández on flesh & creative chaos

Charlie Newman: What’s been your favourite gig so far?
Sonya Kupriienko: Honestly, every gig feels incredible because they’re always so different. I can never pick the best gig. You live in the moment and that moment will be different tomorrow. The whole magic of playing live lies in the changes, whether that be the wrong note, a slightly different solo, or improvisation. In fact, the whole performance is improvisation, you follow the feeling that leads you nowhere, because it’s not a contest, but a beautiful journey that wants to keep continuing.

Anna Kupriienko: I have a tendency to always like the next gig because there are always so many things to improve, the sound or the performance. The form of Dark Pop can never stay the same, it changes every time, so we just need to water it to bloom.

Instagram: @bloomtwins

Charlie Newman: What are you working on at the moment?
Sonya Kupriienko: We have a single coming out on October 11th. It’s called FF that isn’t only an abbreviation of the title ‘Free Fall’, but also stands for F**ck Fame. It might be because we are tired of proving to ourselves that we are good the way we are, or maybe because throughout our journey we’ve witnessed complete despair for success, when in our opinion we should care more about the art. In the music industry it is definitely challenging to stay true to ourselves, especially having bills to cover, but we just don’t see ourselves happy being somebody else and taking somebody else’s opportunity.

Charlie Newman: What is your creative process like?
Sonya Kupriienko: We don’t always write with just the two of us, we also like to collaborate with other artists or writers. It’s an incredible feeling to have a few people in a room working as one. When people say there’s a magic in the room, that’s what they’re talking about, the collaborative process, everybody’s creative needs are being fulfilled. It’s a collective euphoria.

Read more: Ferrari designer Flavio Manzoni on collaborating with Hublot

Anna Kupriienko: Personally, I love to work by myself and with my sister creatively, but it’s refreshing to work with other people too. Weirdly, you learn more about yourself and your capabilities whilst working with strangers. I guess to learn how to swim you should be thrown into the ocean.

Charlie Newman: If you could collaborate with anyone in the future, who would it be?
Both: Billie Eilish!

Anna Kupriienko: It’s a rare occasion where the two of us agree on the same artist. Billie is insane, she’s so her. You know what? I’ve never heard anybody sing those kind of songs and looking that way, she’s so real.

Sonya likes RnB, whilst I like electronic and underground music. Billie has the perfect mix of all the genres we like.

Instagram: @bloomtwins

Charlie Newman: What advice would you give to any young aspiring musicians or models?
Sonya Kupriienko: Be you. I know it sounds so cheesy, and you are probably thinking I should have come up with a better answer, but honestly, just be you. Let’s start with the visual aspect that most of us occasionally struggle with. Being a model isn’t easy at all, as you are being classified by the parameters/features you were born with. Even though we know self esteem might not always be supportive of being comfortable in your skin, that’s exactly what you need to do. Walking into a casting, or a job interview with confidence makes a big difference. Not only will you feel like ‘Dang, that felt great’, but also people around you will feel your confidence. Same with music, walking into a room of writers, you have to be able to relate to your song, or to stand your point, because even though it’s a collaboration, everybody should believe in it. If you are a singer and you can’t relate to it, how will the audience?

Anna Kupriienko: As David Bowie said, “Don’t try to fulfil other people’s expectations because that’s when you produce your worst work.” You have to stay true to yourself. Everyone’s life is full of ups and downs, but if you don’t love what you do you diminish the chances of the ups and elongate the downs. If you give up on who you are, you give up on everything!

Charlie Newman: Apart from Billie Eilish, who are you listening to right now?
Sonya Kupriienko: Dua Lipa has got a great vocal, she is technically equipped, and I respect that.
Anna Kupriienko: I love James Blake and Bon Iver and loads of underground artists that many people haven’t heard of. I just like to experiment with the sound, hence I like underground and that’s why I have thousands of songs in my playlist!

Charlie Newman: Lastly, who is your role model of the month?
Anna Kupriienko: For me, it’s got to be John Lennon. His music has such great value, not only because of how perfect it sounds, but also for the message it delivers, and this has helped a lot of people through their darkest times. In my opinion, the lyric has got almost childish quirkiness, but such deepness that it is hard to not feel anything. The reason why people make music is solely personal. For some it’s a way to find themselves whilst others create music to bring people closer together by drawing attention to global matters, whether that be the planet, politics or love and peace. I feel like that’s the best way to do what you love, by helping others you are simultaneously helping yourself.

Sonya Kupriienko: My role model is Greta Thunberg. She was only 15 when she first took time off school to protest outside the Swedish parliament, calling for better climate action. It must have felt so annoying considered too young to know better when it’s hard to see grown ups taking our future away from us youngsters. She has now connected with at least 4 million people (her Instagram followers) only a year later and has driven other people of all ages to do the same: save the planet.

Follow the Bloom Twins on Instagram: @bloomtwins

Model and founder of Metizo chocolate, Avril Guerrero. Instagram: @_avril_guerrero

LUX contributing editor and model at Models 1, Charlie Newman continues her online exclusive series, interviewing her peers about their creative pursuits, passions and politics

Charlie Newman

THIS MONTH: Having already modelled for twelve years, Avril Guerrero has enjoyed a longer career than most. She has appeared in campaigns for the likes of Victoria’s Secret, Moët, Uniqlo, Avon and Garnier, and has recently launched her own organic chocolate company Metizo. Here, she chats to Charlie about the lessons she’s learned from the fashion industry, running a start-up and tackling issues of sustainability.

Charlie Newman: Firstly, please can you tell us about your childhood and your journey into modelling?
Avril Guerrero: I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic until I left to work in New York aged 16. I went to New York literally the day after my high school graduation never to live in the Dominican Republic  again. I got into modelling through my cousin who was an actor at the time at home. He put me in contact with my first mother agent in the Dominican Republic, who then put me in contact with US agencies who I later signed with. I was with MC squared for 10 years, they were like the family to me. They were the perfect agency to start my career with and now I’ve moved to Fusion, who I signed with about two years ago.

Follow LUX on Instagram: the.official.lux.magazine

Charlie Newman: How did you find moving to New York?
Avril Guerrero: The contrast was huge. Honestly, I think there’s something about being so young, you don’t think about things so much. It wasn’t as big a cultural shock as you would expect. If I had to do that again now, it would probably be a much bigger shock, but at the time it just felt right, it was so much fun! The funny thing was that I didn’t even speak English! But it was great because I was so bubbly, thinking back I was just smiling all the time. It was impossible to book me a job where I wasn’t smiling, I wouldn’t have known what to do! I don’t really remember being particularly anxious or nervous.

Charlie Newman: Were you always interested in fashion?
Avril Guerrero: My family aren’t into fashion at all, they’re far more focussed on sports. In fact, all of my aunts on my dad’s side are basketball players, two of which are in the hall of fame in the Dominican Republic for basketball! Fashion wasn’t necessarily something I was seeking, it just happened.

Instagram: @_avril_guerrero

Charlie Newman: What have been your career highlights so far?
Avril Guerrero: I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t really know. I feel like I’ve had an extremely steady career. I’ve never had that career where you’re suddenly thrust into the spotlight with one big job. I’ve had a very progressive career always in more commercial realms. In Paris I do mostly beauty and luxury jobs, but in New York more consistent commercial work. Never a big boom which is good because it’s been progressive and never gone down, well not yet!

Charlie Newman: What advice would you give to any young aspiring models?
Avril Guerrero: Models need to be smart in the sense that it is important to know that this job isn’t going to last forever. The one thing I’ve seen in common with a lot of younger girls is that they don’t understand that this is such an unreliable career and whilst it may go on for as long as mine has, I have to be honest that I don’t see the same girls now as to when I first started working. Also you have to know your purpose: why are you doing this job? For me modelling is a mean to get financial security and is an opportunity for me to travel the world, but that doesn’t have to be the same for everyone, we all have different ambitions. I think it important to be clear about what you want from this job.

Charlie Newman: What has modelling taught you about yourself?
Avril Guerrero: I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. To do something for 12 years, has made me think: wait, what have I actually done in all that time? The one thing that modelling has taught me so much is my own strength. It’s shined a light on the capacity of my strength to be self sufficient because I have to travel so much and be alone in all sorts of places, and [it takes strength] to be thrust into so many new places at such a young age. It really takes everything you’ve got, not to just get through them, but also to learn. Modelling has definitely made me a stronger person, purely by being so exposed.

Read more: OMM’s Creative Director Idil Tabanca on creating an art institution

Guerrero’s chocolate brand Metizo

Charlie Newman: How did your organic chocolate company Metizo come about?
Avril Guerrero: My father is an agriculturalist in Dominican Republic and my grandfather had a big farm, which grew cacao and coffee. When my grandfather died around 12 years ago, my family didn’t want to have to deal with the farm anymore because it was a lot of work so thought about selling it, but I really didn’t want them to. Somehow I managed to convince my boyfriend and myself to buy this big farm in the Dominican Republic even though we’re based in Paris and in New York!

We both love cacao and chocolate, and he already works in the wine industry so we decided to use our tools and experience by launching a chocolate company – it’s brilliant! We’ve had the farm for three years now, where we employ three people full time and then during harvest season between 15 to 20 people depending on the yield that year. Then in Paris it’s just my boyfriend and me! We have a library of 15 flavours that we have mastered, but at the moment we are only producing four of them. It’s mostly dark chocolate and for now, we only do direct sales through pop-up shops, online and private events. We also offer classes called ‘bean to bar’ where we teach everyone about the whole process and give them the opportunity to make their own bar.

Charlie Newman: What has it been like setting up your own company?
Avril Guerrero: Extremely challenging, especially because we’re trying to manage people who live in a different country and in a different culture. I might have grown up in the Dominican Republic, but I grew older in New York and in Europe. As a result, I think my mindset is no longer in tune with the in the Dominican Republic, when it comes to business at least. So it’s a lot about learning how to convey your message and maybe even learn how to bend the rules a little, and I don’t mean that in a bad way at all. There’s a really interesting power dynamic between how to give and how to retain power in order to make things work. So it’s been a big challenge, but to be honest it’s been amazing because I’ve learnt so much about communicational skills as well as about the entire production.

We have complete control over our supply chain which means we can intervene at any moment. I’ve learnt everything about the whole supply chain: how to work the soil, what colour the cacao needs to be, the chemistry behind the fermentation process and how to transport my Dominican Republic bean all the way to France. We harvest and do some post-harvest processes in the Dominican Republic like the fermentation and the drying process of the beans and then the chocolate part of it is based in Paris.

Read more: London to Cornwall in a luxury Mercedes-Benz camper van

Charlie Newman: Is it a sustainable product and business?
Avril Guerrero: That was a big part of the business project. Whilst studying business [at London’s Open University], my favourite class was always sustainability. The whole issue was how in a globalised economy how can we keep the convenience of globalisation and it’s positive effect whilst also minimising the problems it creates. The supply chain is such a big problem because there are so many intermediaries. Transparency is extremely opaque, in cacao it’s really difficult to measure because a lot of the beans come from the Ivory Coast and there is not enough regulation there, so there are many ethical issues. By being able to handle the bad side of the industry ourselves is a huge blessing because we know exactly what is in each chocolate bar, we know how the beans were not only planted, but also harvested. We know our guidelines and we know where we stand and what value we want to incorporate in our company, because at the end of the day this is an opportunity for me to practise what I preach.

I want a more equal society so I’m thinking about how I can do that. I don’t have any public power or governmental power over policies, but now I have the power of a company which is a big lesson for me. Having gone to business school and having my own business portrays the power of the private sector and the fact that change will come from that in capitalist economies. The Dominican Republic may not be the biggest export in cacao, but we are the biggest in exporting organic cacao. It’s still an industry that is growing and becoming more regulated. A lot of the cacao in the Dominican Republic is organic already because of the natural good quality of the soil. We don’t need to treat our soil with chemicals because we don’t have as many diseases as other producers, which has therefore put us in an interesting position within the market.

Instagram: @_avril_guerrero

Charlie Newman: What does Metizo mean and what is the story behind it?
Avril Guerrero: Metizo is a combination of Mestizo in Spanish and Métis in French which translates to bi-racial. Again, I want to use my enterprise and platform to deliver my message and in this case it’s about tolerance. At the time when we started to think about the concept of the brand there was a big issue with immigrants coming into Europe and there was a lot of fear surrounding that. It really made me think a lot, especially as in the countries I consider home – the Dominican Republic and the United States – we are all immigrants, no one is from there. To have that fear about new people coming in is understandable, but at the same time it’s extremely hypocritical because we ourselves are immigrants. Everywhere I’ve lived for the past 12 years, I’ve always been an immigrant. The designer for the packaging, Amandine Delaunay, transformed our ethos into physical design. Each bar has different eyes and mouths on it, so the idea is you can combine a different face with each chocolate bar.

This divide and fear we are all experiencing in some shape or form is a phenomenon that is happening simultaneously everywhere, from Europe to the U.S to my own country. I think it’s really important to understand that no one wants to leave their home for the sake of it, no one wants to embark on a mission and endure the hardship of travelling on a boat not knowing if you’re going to get to your destination. This is not a pleasure trip, you’re moving because you have no choice, you need to leave. We need to cover basic needs, people are dying so we need to be nicer.

Charlie Newman: Are there any stores you would like to see Metizo in?
Avril Guerrero: Our product is more on the luxury side of things, we’re not necessarily trying to sell you another chocolate. We’re offering you something different and sharing an interesting story, it’s never about just delivering another product. Our story is encouraging people to be more tolerant and to look inwards in order to see what we all have in ourselves wherever we are from, whatever our situation. I don’t have a a mission to be in all the biggest stores, rather to be in a few hand-selected stores with a similar objective.

Charlie Newman: Finally, who is your role model of the month?
Avril Guerrero: It’s got to be my family because I think a role model has to be someone you trust. I would never choose someone famous because I have no connection with them, I don’t know the real them. Growing up, I believe it’s more necessary to have role models because you have to start making decisions before having experienced them.

Discover Metizo’s products: metizoparis.com

Follow Avril Guerrero on Instagram: @_avril_guerrero

Daphne Selfe is the world’s oldest professional model. Instagram @daphneselfe

LUX contributing editor and model at Models 1, Charlie Newman continues her online exclusive series, interviewing her peers about their creative pursuits, passions and politics

Charlie Newman

THIS MONTH: It comes as no surprise that the world’s oldest professional model, Daphne Selfe, who turns 91 next month, ‘doesn’t do retiring’. The British model has clocked up over 70 years of experience, working for the likes of Olay, Eyeko, and Dolce and Gabbana, as well as posing for artists, making TV appearances and writing a memoir. This year, she was included in the Queen’s New Year Honours list and was awarded a British Empire Medal for her contribution to fashion, and whilst she no longer wears high heels, she can still do the splits. Here, she tells Charlie how she got into fashion, and why the Queen is her style icon.

Charlie Newman: Firstly, let’s talk about your upbringing – what was it like and how do you think it informed your choice of career?
Daphne Selfe: I spent most of my childhood in Berkshire until my parents moved to Hertfordshire. I always had an eye on fashion because my mother was very beautiful, smart and always made my clothes, but my true love was horses, I was mad on horses. I learnt to sew but I didn’t really get into fashion until I started working at Helles (what John Lewis was) in the coat department. At the store, there was a competition for the cover of a local magazine. All the girls, including myself, went to meet the photographer, and I won! It turned out the photographer was a royal photographer called Gilbert Adams and funnily enough he knew my parents from an amateur Opera society! The last time he saw me I was 2 years old, so when I turned up all 5ft 10 and a half of me aged 19, he really took me under his wing and taught me how to behave in front of a camera. I did lots of little odd jobs for him, assisting him for a while whilst working part time at Helles. The store then had a fashion show and the agency who were supplying the models was one short, so I was propelled onto the catwalk and thought, ‘Oh my god, what am I doing?’ After that they all said I should join the agency. In those days you had 3 weeks of training to be a model. Mummy thought this was a lot better than breaking a collarbone and being kicked in the head by horses so off I went!

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After 3 weeks training, I belonged to the agency. I met my husband, Jim, through Gilbert Adams, because he was the lighting technician of the ballet show we were working on. We didn’t get married straight away because he was busy travelling and I was busy with my dance school. I did my ballet training far too late, at 19 years old, but I assiduously learnt because ballet is the basis of all dance. I learnt from a very interesting choreographer called Buddy Bradley, who was well known in the twenties for having put on an amazing musical called Evergreen with Jessie Matthews. I joined his company because I could sew and help with the costumes and because I loved dancing! Of course nobody went abroad in those days, so when his little company went to Belgium, Rome and Madrid, I was delighted to go with them!

Then I decided Jim was the one, so I got married and in those days you didn’t work once you got married, so I retired and had three children but always kept up with my dance classes. Jim worked in television and one of his friends asked me if I would be an extra in The Arthur Haynes Show. Jim happened to be the stage manager that day, and he said ‘What on earth are you doing here?’ and I said ‘I’m working!’ He thought that was terribly funny, then from that I did more and more extra work, as well as fashion shows and commercials.

Instagram @daphneselfe

Charlie Newman: How did your modelling career continue into later life?
Daphne Selfe: I was doing my extra work and in 1999 when I was 70 my agency asked whether I would do a fashion show at London Fashion Week for Red or Dead. I love prancing about in nice clothes so of course I did it! The stylist on the show, Jo Phillips, called me up three months later and said Vogue are doing an article on ageing and suggested I get involved. At the shoot was the scout from Models 1 and I’ve been with them ever since, some 20 years later! I didn’t give up the extra work once I was signed with Models 1 because I know how the industry can like you one minute and not the next. But then I was getting more and more modelling work so I had to drop the extra work in the end.


Charlie Newman: What has been a career highlight for you?
Daphne Selfe: I think going abroad for the jobs is the best thing, because I would never have been able to afford that otherwise. I mean I’ve been to Australia, China, Japan, Africa. Whatever next!

Instagram @daphneselfe

Charlie Newman: Having worked throughout many fashionable decades, what do you think style means today?
Daphne Selfe: It doesn’t matter what time you live in, you must wear what suits you because then people will always admire you in it, it’s very important not to be driven by the trends of the moment.

Charlie Newman: In a dream world, who would you want to dress you and why?
Daphne Selfe: Currently, I love Roksanda Ilinic’s designs. I love going to Roksanda’s shows now and wearing her clothes at events, they always feel very fun and boost my confidence.

Charlie Newman: What advice would you give to young models starting out their careers?
Daphne Selfe: Taking care of your health is the most important thing because modelling is hard work if you do it properly. It’s long hours, lots of hanging about, lots of physical activity and also you need a good work ethic. In other words, that means be on time, don’t mess about once you’re there, and stay off your phone.

I was working with a Dutch photographer the other day and I was doing all my normal things; inventing poses, jumping around, all the usual. At the end he said to me ‘I’ve never worked with such an energetic model’ which did make me laugh! Just throw yourself into the shoot and give it everything.

Modelling can be horrendous too. I lost a big job the other day, but so what? It wasn’t my fault, it’s about what they want. It’s no good worrying about it, but I know a lot of people find that difficult. Being a model is very difficult if you don’t have much confidence because you have to put yourself in a room of people you don’t know and work with them effortlessly.

Instagram @daphneselfe

Charlie Newman: What keeps you happy and healthy?
Daphne Selfe: Well, I do a series of exercises most days, something along the lines of yoga, ballet, a little bit of weights but also static bicycle. Of course, I can’t do everything every day, but I do always do some stretching.

I suppose because I grew up in the war we never ate masses. We grew all our own fruit and vegetables so we had a very strict diet and that’s a mentality which never leaves you.

Charlie Newman: Who was your fashion icon when you were younger?
Daphne Selfe: I suppose in a way we always looked up to royalty, the young Queen, of course, was gorgeous. They all lived such glamorous lives, or so we thought. Whereas now, people don’t want to dress up anymore which I think is such a pity because I love dressing up!

Charlie Newman: Lastly, who is your role model of the month?
Daphne Selfe: It’s got to be the Queen, she’s absolutely fantastic! She always wears bright colours but is also discreet. I know of course she has money, but it really doesn’t cost a lot to look good. I’ve always made my own things and looked as good as anybody else.

Follow Daphne Selfe on Instagram:@daphneselfe

Swedish model and CEO of wellness brand Bodyism, Nathalie Schyllert. Instagram: @nathalieschyllert

LUX contributing editor and model at Models 1, Charlie Newman continues her online exclusive series, interviewing her peers about their creative pursuits, passions and politics

Charlie Newman

THIS MONTH: Swedish model Nathalie Schyllert has been modelling for twenty years. She joined international wellness brand Bodyism over a decade ago and is now the brand’s CEO. Here she talks to Charlie about training to be a ballerina, myths of the wellness industry and being a successful woman in business.

Charlie Newman: You’ve established yourself successfully within both the fashion and wellness industries. Were you passionate about clothes and food growing up?
Nathalie Schyllert: I grew up in Sweden as an only child with a single mum. Even if we didn’t have a lot of money the most important thing for my mum was to provide us with really good, healthy food. I think in Sweden it’s very easy to have a healthy diet as our traditional dishes always have fish and vegetables in them. I did a lot of exercise from a young age as I was a ballerina in the Swedish Royal Ballet, so it was very important for me to have balanced meals else I would have really physically struggled, especially when you are growing. To do 4 hours of punishing rehearsals a day as well as school you really need nutritious food to sustain you. I was very fortunate to be practising ballet in Sweden because compared to other traditional ballet schools across the world, Swedish schools have a much more positive approach to food, encouraging us to eat fat in our diets. It was a very good life lesson to be instilled in me from such a young age. My mum always wanted the best for me so we moved around so I could go to a better school, a much easier task in Sweden than here in London! Private schools in Sweden are extremely rare, so as long as you live in a good area you are guaranteed a good school too.

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Fashion only really came into my life when I was 15. In the summer holidays I went to either London or Milan for a month or two. At the beginning my mother would come with me or my Swedish booker to help me get settled. I’ve been with Models 1 in London since I was 17, so it’s 20 years now that I’ve been with the same agency! Modelling was such a good opportunity and career path obviously because I started travelling more. I think my discipline from ballet taught me to see modelling as a career, not just as a good time which so many girls fall into the trap of doing. From the start I tried to be very professional.

At around 15 I had an injury in my foot which I could have probably got surgery on but I think at
that age I’d sort of had enough. To be a prima ballerina and really go for it, you have to have the
exact body and I didn’t have the right arch. I realised that I wasn’t made for it. Looking back now, I can see it was the perfect timing because at that age if I continued with the dancing I wouldn’t have had as much time to study. So instead at 15 I focused more on studying science and maths and got a really good education from it which I still appreciate and utilise to this day. It was meant to be.

Charlie Newman: When were you first scouted?
Nathalie Schyllert: I was first scouted in Gothenburg when I was 14. My mum was very strict at the beginning with my agency, making sure they never said anything about body image. If you go with a really good agency they will look after you and guide you to have a healthy, balanced body – a good agency would never tell you to crash diet. When I was a child I didn’t think of modelling at all, but even as a child I always loved performing so modelling didn’t feel too out of my comfort zone when I got round to actually doing it.

Instagram: @nathalieschyllert

Charlie Newman: What’s been a career highlight for you so far?
Nathalie Schyllert: I did the first Stella McCartney Adidas campaign which was a really big deal at the time because no other designers had collaborated with sports designers like that. It felt so special because Stella was there and her sister Mary shot it. From that job I got so many more activewear jobs and it opened the industry’s eyes to see that you can do really cool campaigns with activewear. It seems so obvious now but sportswear was viewed very differently back then.

Charlie Newman:  What’s the best and worst part about modelling for you?
Nathalie Schyllert: The best part is definitely the travelling because unlike other people who just go to holiday destinations, you actually get to live there and meet the locals, really get a feel for the place. It’s extremely rare to live in various cities in one year, if you’re lucky enough to travel with work, in most careers you’d stay in one city for a year, whereas I got to move around all the time!

But simultaneously the travel is also the hardest part about modelling. I appreciate now having my family and friends around me all the time and to actually have a base. It first dawned on me to maybe step away from modelling was when I was in Miami for two months having just broken up with my boyfriend and losing my mum. I felt so lonely and knew then that I needed a more stable job. I called my booker at Models 1 and asked for advice and they suggested personal training as they knew how I was always training not just myself but some of my friends. I came back to London and had a meeting with James Duigan at Bodyism 12 years ago, which back then was based in a tiny mews studio in South Kensington. I’d read a few online articles about him because he was Elle Macpherson’s trainer at the time, so I was really excited to get on board! I started the next day as an intern and doing my courses at the same time. I was busy form day one, pretty much working for free for the first 4 years, doing everything from membership to PR and so much more. After three months I’d already built up enough interest and had my own clients. You really have to put your all into it when it’s a start up. It was the perfect timing for everything.

Read more: Curator Zoe Whitley on the art of collaboration

Charlie Newman:  What drew you to Bodyism?
Nathalie Schyllert: It was a very unique thing at the time. We talked, and still do, about nutrition and sleep, not just training. We look at the whole 360 approach to lifestyle which was something I had always believed in and lived by. That was why it worked so well for me personally because I didn’t have to change who I was at all, my diet and training routine stayed the same, it was a natural fit for me. I was also the first woman on board so I got to have a voice on what women want out of the wellness industry too.

Charlie Newman:  What’s the biggest difference between working for someone and yourself?
Nathalie Schyllert: The only difference is that I’m now doing more PR and interviews, becoming the face of the brand, but apart form that my role hasn’t changed much. It’s funny to compare what James used to get asked and now what I do. Sometimes I get asked, being a female CEO, what my beauty regime is and being a working mum. As long as it benefits the brand, that’s all that matters to me.

Charlie Newman:  How has the wellness industry changed since you first started working in it?
Nathalie Schyllert: The whole wellness industry has changed drastically. Even supplements from when we first started – we created the first vegan supplement without bad sweeteners, and now everyones doing it! With activewear too, we were the first to make printed, colourful activewear, and now everyone else is doing that too! So in that way the industry has changed a lot.

There are so many different studios now for different types of exercise but what is still so genuine and unique about Bodyism is that we have everything. You can come to one place and do all the treatments, boxing, yoga, PT, breakfast, lunch, eat our supplements and wear our clothes. People always ask us who our competitor is but we genuinely don’t have one, we’re doing our own thing, people can see that we’re not copying anyone. Of course we have to look at new fitness and nutrition trends, like oat milk for example, but at the core of it we stick to what we believe in and what works. If we were entirely devoted to following the trends our food menu and exercise schedule would change every day! And then in a few months time we’d find out it’s not good for you at all!

At Bodyism, we do what works for ourselves and our members. Our clients are the best people to get feedback from because they are always here with their trainers, we’re not a massive company where you have to speak to so many people at different levels to get your voice heard. Our relationship with our members is so important because we learn so much about our products and their results.

Instagram: @nathalieschyllert

Charlie Newman: If you could bust one wellness myth, what would it be?
Nathalie Schyllert: I think everyone has now finally realised that the zero carb diet doesn’t work, because then you couldn’t even eat a carrot because it has carbs in it! For me, it’s so important to have a colourful plate and if it has carbs in their that’s fine. Low fat diets too are terrible because the fat just gets replaced with loads of sugar. These were trends from the 80s and 90s and people have more of an education now on what a healthy diet and lifestyle actually is.

Charlie Newman: Did you ever come across any negativity as a female trainer in quite a masculine world when you first started?
Nathalie Schyllert: At the beginning I mainly trained men but I found it to be an advantage because they’d want to maybe show off more and train harder! Our clients aren’t here to bulk up, so it doesn’t matter who is training who because it’s a very similar workout whether you’re a man or a woman.

Charlie Newman: What advice would you give to any aspiring business women?
Nathalie Schyllert: Apart from working hard, also always continue to learn. I never assume that just because I’m at this position I know everything. I’m learning every single day, not only from people within the company but from mentors outside. Having people you can discuss finance matters and new business ideas with is so important, it gives you perspective and keeps you humble.

Charlie Newman: What exciting projects have you got coming up?
Nathalie Schyllert: We’ve collaborated with Heidi Klein for their first activewear range which is really exciting. We now also offer a lot more perks for our members, for example priority reservations at Zuma, room upgrades in hotels etc. The platinum members especially get amazing perks, free holidays in Turkey for example. So a lot more trips and events are coming up. We have just started doing catering too with brands. We’re very lucky that we don’t have to push ourselves to create corporate wellness contracts, rather it travels by word of mouth from our clients to other brands. It’s been an organic journey.

Charlie Newman: Lastly, who is your role model of the month?
Nathalie Schyllert: It has got to be my mother. She worked so hard as a single mum, sometimes with two jobs, and that has always been an inspiration for me from day one.

Follow Nathalie Scyhllert on Instagram: @nathalieschyllert

Model and entrepreneur Grace Cheng. Instagram: @gracepcheng

LUX contributing editor and model at Models 1, Charlie Newman continues her online exclusive series, interviewing her peers about their creative pursuits, passions and politics

Charlie Newman

THIS MONTH: 24-year-old Taiwanese/Chinese model Grace Cheng was born and raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles. She has appeared in numerous fashion campaigns and walked for the likes of Bottega Venetta, Moschino and Marc Jacobs. A year ago, she launched oatmeal company Mylk Labs by reinvesting her modelling earnings. She chats to Charlie about healthy eating, handling success and future ambitions.

Charlie Newman: Were you passionate about fashion and food as a child?
Grace Cheng: Not at all! I was a tomboy and never wanted to be a model, even though I stuck out as a lanky, tall girl. The most fashion I experienced was shopping every weekend at the mall! Never did I cook either – this was something I grew into when I was around 19.

Charlie Newman: So how and when did you get into modelling?
Grace Cheng: I was scouted at 17 and started modelling at 18. I never wanted to pursue it despite the many relatives and friends who told me I should, being the lanky, tall girl that I was and am! I had no idea what to expect and it kind of just fell into my lap but I’m glad it did because I’ve grown so much as a person since then.

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Charlie Newman: And then your career rocketed very quickly! Tell us about your experience of rising to success.
Grace Cheng: There’s no question I find it hard: all of the travelling, long e-commerce days and tons of castings that never come into fruition. Travelling is something I struggle with especially since I’m someone who loves being organised and prefer a set routine. My mindset has always been “nothing in life is easy” so I knew I had to put in the work. I have friends who send me screenshots of ads or campaigns that I’m featured in, it’s always so fun to be spotted and that makes it all worthwhile.

Charlie Newman: Whilst modelling full-time you were also studying at USC – how did you balance those two commitments?
Grace Cheng: Yes! I studied business and graduated in 2016. It was really hard to balance if I’m being honest. If a young girl were to tell me they want to skip college for modelling, I’d advise against it even though it’s tough. I was commuting from home and hour and thirty minutes drive one way, and took classes twice a week. They were 10 hour days so I could bang out all my classes in one go and model for the other three days of the week. I’d be studying and doing homework during my lunch and snack breaks during my jobs too! The hardest week I had looked like this: 10 hours of school on Tuesday and 3 midterms, then go to LAX airport to get on a red eye fly out to Philadelphia, arrive 6am on Wednesday to shoot 10 hours, then head back to the airport to fly home, land at 1am, wake up at 5 am for another 10 hour day of school!

Instagram: @gracepcheng

Charlie Newman: You launched your company Mylk labs just over a year ago now. How was the idea born?
Grace Cheng: I was traveling so much for modelling and I just wanted my homemade, daily oatmeal. With my background in business, I knew I always wanted to start my own company but I just never knew what it was going to be. After my first fashion month in NY, London and Paris, I came back and knew oatmeal is what I wanted to create because it was all I could think about the entire time I was gone!

Instagram: @gracepcheng

Charlie Newman: As a woman, how have you found the experience of setting up your own business and what advice would you give to others wanting to do the same?
Grace Cheng: It’s been so exciting, but a lot of work. It took one full year of planning, sourcing and putting everything together before execution. My advice is: make sure you’re passionate about what you do, keep pushing and don’t be afraid to explore outside the box.

Read more: Designer Piet Boon on avoiding trends

Charlie Newman: Have you found the fashion world to be supportive of your newfound project?
Grace Cheng: Yes, my bookers and everyone is very understanding and supportive of my company. I’ve still yet to bridge the two together, but rest assured, it’s currently in the works. I want to be able to serve wholesome, convenient food to those in the fashion industry. This includes educating young models on eating well and being good to their own bodies.

Charlie Newman: With so much conflicting advice surrounding healthy living, it’s very easy as a
consumer to get lost within it all. What advice would you give to anyone trying to change their eating habits?
Grace Cheng: Eat based on ingredients versus calories. I always read the label to see what’s in my
food before buying and eating it, unless it’s at a restaurant of course. Always focus on wholesome
and real food as that will always be best in the long run, rather than restricting yourself on calories or low fat foods and diets.

Charlie Newman: Your products are non GMO, wholegrain, vegan and free from gluten, artificial additives and refined sugar. Why do you think it has taken the fast food industry so long to catch up with health conscious eating?
Grace Cheng: Well, to be honest, there are so many good options now so I can’t say that the fast food industry hasn’t caught up exactly, but it might have taken even longer because our world moves on “trends”. It’s weird to say it like that but people will only start to acknowledge and try something once everyone else is doing it.

Charlie Newman: Is there a health food brand you particularly admire?
Grace Cheng: Sweetgreen here in the US! They are a chain of quick service salad shops and it tastes amazing, they’re always my go to when travelling. Sweetgreen inspires me because their ability to make healthy food accessible, affordable and most importantly, delicious!

Charlie Newman: Where would you like to see your business in 5 years time?
Grace Cheng: I would absolutely love to create new product lines! I hope to become more than an “oatmeal company”. My goal is to create a company that people can recognise and trust in their daily lives, to create a culture and community of people who show themselves love through mindful living and eating. Being mindful is similar to being aware and considerate. Whether that be overall in life or day to day habits like eating a meal or staying active for example.

Charlie Newman: Lastly, who’s your role model of the month?
Grace Cheng: Coco Rocha. She’s a model turned business woman. She has her own book of poses and started a modelling camp to teach aspiring models how to move comfortably in their own skin.

Follow Grace Cheng on Instagram: @gracepcheng

Discover Mylk Labs: mylklabs.com

Swedish model and life coach Anna K. for matchesfashion.com. Instagram: @annaklevhag

LUX contributing editor and model at Models 1, Charlie Newman continues her online exclusive series, interviewing her peers about their creative pursuits, passions and politics

Charlie Newman

THIS MONTH: Anna Klevhag, or Anna K. as she is known professionally, was a regular on the catwalks of the late 1990s alongside the likes of Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista. After taking a break from fashion to focus on self-love and train as life coach, she has recently returned to the industry. Here she recalls her early career, struggling with self-belief and explains how coaching can help bring you back to your essential core.

Charlie Newman: Firstly can you tell us a bit about your upbringing and how modelling first came into your life?
Anna K: My upbringing was lovely in a small university town in Sweden as well as long warm summers on an island in the country. My father was a Chemistry professor at the university and was really keen on education, so I did engineering up to IB. I gained a place to study Architecture at university. But in those summer holidays, I won a competition to go to Paris and work as a model. A friend of mine and I were searching for jobs and we saw this job advertising that if you “were over 175cm” you should apply to this agency. My friend jumped straight on that and applied for me. Off I went and they took me on. I originally thought it was to be a booker, at 17 you are a bit dizzy! For the competition we had to parade around in swimsuits in some local hotel and all I remember is hearing my name being called and everyone congratulating me saying that I had won. After that I went to Paris for a week and then never really came back home again. First, I did catalogues and advertising, I was not athletic in body type, which was the thing of the 80s. It was when the ‘Grunge’ trend came that I did well. The look was more about personality and being flat chested and slender, that I could relate to. That’s what got things started.

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Charlie Newman: Was it difficult for you to take the leap and pursue modelling over studying?
Anna K: To be honest, I didn’t really think about it but now, having two young girls of my own who are around that age, I guess I wouldn’t have wanted them doing what I did. Education is beautiful, in any shape or form. To learn and know things enriches life like nothing else, it makes life more interesting and broad. I can’t stress how important it is to develop and grow, to learn, to have a purpose. I had such a strong interest in drawing and maths, I would have enjoyed being an architect but I rebelled. Still, it is never to late to start, I know that now, and being a life coach, I’m learning every day.

Charlie Newman: What was the reaction from family and friends when you started modelling?
Anna K: I don’t know how but my friends sort of always knew, much more than I did, that I wouldn’t really come back. My father didn’t say much, there was no outrage or anything deeply positive either, I was sort of left to get on with it from his perspective. I think everyone would have preferred it I went to university though.

Anna K. as a young model in British Vogue. Instagram: @annaklevhag

Charlie Newman: Your career catapulted so quickly, but do you remember one moment that changed your life?
Anna K: There was a moment. I did a make up trial with Linda Cantello for Jil Sander in Paris. They ended up picking me for the showroom in Milano. At the end of that, I remember the Art Director Mark Ascoli musing aloud as to whether they should put me in the big show and Linda said “Of course!” I remember the feeling, walking down that catwalk. It was with Linda, Naomi, Claudia, Kate, Amber, Shalome, the old supers and the new generation. It was like I was floating in air. That was my moment. I was in the right place at the right time. It all took off from there. After that, I worked with all those amazing photographers in the 90s and went to New York – it was such a magical time!

Charlie Newman: Having established your career in Europe, how did you feel moving to New York and setting up a life there?
Anna K: Well it never really felt like I moved there, it was just an organic part of life. I had a permanent suite at the Gramercy Park hotel back when it was this enchanting place, oozing of New York. Funny old ladies, with big hair, drinking Cosmopolitans, smoking and eating Gold fish snacks around tables in the bar. It hadn’t been done up yet and I could be anonymous there, it felt personal and real, my friend Kirsten Owen lived there too. We did it our way, it was a special time for sure. Work wise, it was a more pressured environment than Paris. More about business, agencies trying to have you change to theirs, career talk etc etc. But I loved working for Calvin Klein and Donna Karen, J Crew and all those lovely department stores regularly, for days and weeks. It felt more like a proper job and gosh did we have fun!

Instagram: @annaklevhag

Charlie Newman: Tell us more about your journey into becoming a Life Coach.
Anna K: I got divorced at 40 and never really saw it coming. I’d been madly in love with my husband for 20 years – we met when I was 22 in Milan. We really grew up together, he was my soulmate. We had two children together and lived in Notting Hill. Life was pretty perfect except for inside of me. I went on this huge journey to discover my blocks, my strengths, my joy, to get to know me. I dealt with a lot of childhood stuff I didn’t even know I had, patterns and beliefs that hindered me as well as daring myself to tap into my inner strength and power. I wish I had followed my instincts and gone to see someone at 25, when I wanted to, but I’m so grateful I have got to where I am now. To have what I have now, inside.

I really had it all but still struggled with self-belief. It was others that had to believe in me. I had the most wonderful booker, Sam Archer, who was full of joy and lust for life. She got me feeling right when I wasn’t feeling right at all. It would take a huge effort for me to go out into what I now call the ‘arena of life’, to be vulnerable and dare to be as big as I could be. With coaching it was easy to unpick all of that, to understand myself and change what didn’t serve me. I could work out where I wanted to be and how to cope. Now, it is me driving my life for myself. The inner strength I gained, got me that step closer to my full potential, it is so powerful. Coaching clarifies, unblocks potential and puts you back in control of your life. You become your own C.E.O! And there is a lot of joy in that force.

I have become aware through my friends in powerful positions that they see Life Coaching as an imperative tool in order to navigate their jobs and lives more efficiently. I now also study Executive Coaching. If you feel good, you do well, if you think good thoughts and have a focused mind set, you become dynamic. Essentially, we are all born perfectly imperfect. We are who we are meant to be. Life’s experiences often scramble that powerful core. Coaching helps you find your way back to your core.

Read more: Exploring Earth’s last true wilderness with Geoffrey Kent

Charlie Newman: How do you apply your skills within the fashion world?
Anna K: I see my girls (models) once a week if they’re in the country, if not we Skype or rearrange, we’re flexible, you have to be in fashion! Each girl needs different things. So we work on vulnerability, self-esteem, habits, strengths, patterns, blocks whatever is lacking. It doesn’t take long to work things out. Coaching is like stepping on to a escalator. You take away what hinders you and step into your strengths. I also mentor professionally. I have spent most of my life in this business (over 30 years) and have worked on all levels. Having worked with most of the legends within fashion I know it like the back of my hand so I can help the models as I truly understand it. The industry has not changed that much fundamentally, only grown enormously.

Charlie Newman: Do you go and see a life coach for a specific reason?
Anna K: Whatever age you are and whatever stage you’re at within your life or career, we all hit patches of ‘confusion’. You simply don’t feel in charge, happy, joyful, strong, clear. Coaching clarifies everything quickly. I learned to be a coach so that I could coach myself – I am no longer confused. It doesn’t matter how wealthy or how successful you are, true joy and fulfilment cannot be without knowing, accepting and embracing yourself. Then follows growth, contribution, productivity – it is just logic really.

Charlie Newman: Do you work with a client for a particular time period?
Anna K: It can be anything from 4-6 sessions to months. Sessions are between 1 and 1.5 hours long. We set up strategies for change. Change happens in a moment. The time it takes to get to those moments of break through is personal but we usually get there quite quickly. You then condition that change finding newfound neurological paths that need reinforcing. Often girls come with a problem and it turns out that wasn’t the problem at all.

Instagram: @annaklevhag

Charlie Newman: What’s the difference between a life coach and a counsellor?
Anna K: Coaching is a result based practice. Whether its a small change or a bigger one. Coaching is much more instant and of the moment – there is an action plan. We do go into the past like you do with counselling but in coaching you use it as more as a ‘spring board’ to fuel your future. I went to quite a few therapists when I got divorced and I found myself just going over and over the same things but there was no change or no strategy in how to deal with things. I had it all but couldn’t use it, I was frustrated and I was confused. I needed to work out why but also change my ways and that’s where coaching stepped in.

Charlie Newman: Your fashion career has spanned so many years and you’ve seen it from so many different perspectives. What do you think has changed the most from when you started?
Anna K: There was no social media when I first started at the end of the 80s. There were no cell phones, I didn’t even had a credit card! You were perhaps more lonely in one way but then again Instagram or Facebook relationships can never substitute the real thing. There are benefits to social media, you can share your passion projects for example. Practically, things are much easier too. We used to spend hours in labs enlarging tear sheets to show to clients. Sometimes though, I wonder if all those time saving things actually prevent us from communicating organically, like we used to. I do wonder, if they actually do save time? It often doesn’t feel that way to me. It’s a balance I guess, I’m always finding the balance.

Charlie Newman: What kept you grounded when your career was going crazy?
Anna K: Without question it was my boyfriend at the time, who was my first husband. We shared absolutely everything, it was him and I against the world. He kept me sane.

Read more: Italian brand Damiani’s Kazakh-inspired jewellery collection

Charlie Newman: What advice do you give to younger models?
Anna K: Self-love is everything. Find out who you are, if you haven’t. Embrace it. Fulfil all your inner needs, as a whole human being, not just for work. Find out where you’re lacking and work on that. Try to focus on the good not the bad. Observe your thoughts. You are what you think. I tell my girls not to get upset if they don’t get the job because it’s actually nothing to do with them personally, it’s just a constructive business decision. Your turn will come. Just be ready for it when it does.

Charlie Newman: What made you go back into modelling?
Anna K: My dear agent Mika at Mika’s Stockholm, called to ask if I wanted to do some pictures and an interview on Sweden’s supermodels over time. I said yes and from that it snowballed. I got a MAC Cosmetics campaign, did Matches Fashion, magazines and advertising – it’s been great fun! Models 1 feels like family, they just get things, I am so lucky.

Charlie Newman: How have you found coming back into the industry after all these years?
Anna K: It has honestly felt like putting on an old pair of slippers! I have just loved it! It’s been wonderful to reconnect. I feel comfortable on set, I know that world, it is a part of who I am.

Charlie Newman: Lastly who is your role model of the month?
Anna K: It’s got to be my daughters because they’re so free, I’ve learnt so much from them. They are so healthy, they blow my mind.

Follow Anna K. on Instagram: instagram.com/annaklevhag

Model and actress Adrianna Gradziel. Instagram: @adriannagradziel

LUX contributing editor and model at Models 1, Charlie Newman continues her online exclusive series, interviewing her peers about their creative pursuits, passions and politics

Charlie Newman

THIS MONTH: At the age of 30, Adrianna Gradziel’s career resembles someone twice her age. With campaigns for La Roche Posay, Clarins, Vichy, Pandora, a Mercedes TV advert and a Van Cleef and Arpels perfume advert under her belt, Adrianna branched off into the world of acting, landing roles in two French TV series as well as the French Rom-Com I kissed a girl. Born in Vienna, she speaks and has performed in three “and a half” languages: English, Polish, French and a little bit of Italian. Charlie speaks to Adrianna about the development of her career, female solidarity, and dealing with rejection

Charlie Newman: What was the reaction from family and friends when you started modelling? Were they supportive?
Adrianna Gradziel: I don’t know if my parents were all that supportive with the idea of me becoming a model because
they thought I would be better off studying and staying at home. I started, like a lot of models, really young at 15 so I moved out of home at 17, inevitably they were a bit worried. But then after some time they realised everything was going well, that I didn’t party wildly and that they could have confidence in me. At the beginning they thought the job was dangerous, with strange people and maybe a bit superficial, but then they saw that I was making something out of my life, and how happy I was working.

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Charlie Newman: Was modelling something that was always on your radar or was it a total shock when you were approached?
Adrianna Gradziel: Actually, modelling wasn’t something I was thinking about at all. But then I was approached on the street by a mutual friend of my parents who was a model agent in Vienna and he was the first to sign me. I felt really flattered at that age because all of us in our teens are really uncomfortable in our bodies. So for someone to tell me I could model and go and work in Paris made me feel great about myself.

Charlie Newman: What has been a career highlight for you so far?
Adrianna Gradziel: One of my career highlights so far has definitely been working with Jean Paul Goude with whom I shot a Galerie Lafayette campaign. He’s such an incredible artist – he was the guy who basically created Grace Jones and the artist she became. I was so impressed by the way he works because he is super friendly and knows exactly what he wants, he gives good direction and he doesn’t have to be rude to get people to listen. I really love working with people like that.

In October, I had a job in Spain where I worked with a Spanish director called Victor Clement for a TV commercial. He was exactly the same type of person who is very creative, loves his job and comes up with great ideas quickly. It was amazing to see someone so creative within the constrains of such a commercial job, I loved working with him. For me, it’s about working with great people.

Charlie Newman: If you could work with any photographer who would it be and why?
Adrianna Gradziel: There are a lot of people whose work I really admire but are impossible to work with as they have died. Helmut Newton for example, whose imagery of strong and sensual women I love because it’s so powerful. I also love the softness of Paolo Roversi’s imagery, it’s very feminine too but in a different kind of way, it’s more vulnerable and sensitive.

Instagram: @adriannagradziel

Charlie Newman: What would you say are the best and most challenging parts of modelling are?
Adrianna Gradziel: The best parts of modelling are definitely travelling and meeting fun, creative, crazy people. I wouldn’t have got to where I am today without all the bonds I’ve created with them and you’re paid really well. What is definitely more challenging, and for me personally, is that I had a little too much weight for the job. It was really hard for me to live up to the expectations of the job; to always be in shape, always happy, always smiling. Sometimes you have to be a little bit of machine. I’m a very sensitive person, I’m not the same person everyday so sometimes I wouldn’t feel so great, but that immediately comes through in your work. This is very tough because you’re expected to be this joyful, sparky person all the time and if you’re not then people aren’t afraid to tell you you’re not on top which is super hard.

Another part is that you can be really lonely a lot of the time when you’re working. When you move out of home so young you don’t have friends everywhere, you’re constantly travelling and often alone. One negative which I have now found to be a positive is the fact that you don’t know when or where your next job is going to be. At first it’s hard to adjust to this carefree lifestyle, but now I enjoy the fact that not every day is the same. Also when you’re young it’s really hard to stand your ground when people are being rude or expecting too much of you. Now that I’m 30, I’m not afraid to speak up.

Charlie Newman: What was the process between you transitioning from modelling to acting? Has it always been on the cards or was it something you just fell into?
Adrianna Gradziel: Acting was something that has been on my mind since I was younger but I never really had the courage to say it out loud, it always seemed like some weird dream you can never actually do. Then when started modelling I kind of forgot about it, but my agent and ex-boyfriend in the same week mentioned that I should try acting because they thought I might like it. I then enrolled at the Cours Florent and I quickly realised how much I enjoyed doing it. The transition from modelling to acting is tough though because you don’t feel legitimate at the beginning. So many models try acting, yet not so many are good at it and also because you’re pretty, people often think that opportunities come more easily. I always had the feeling that I needed to be better and do more so I could prove them wrong because models are seemed as superficial etc. I even cut my hair to make me look more interesting or maybe more arty, but in the end I think it all comes from inside.

You just have to train really hard to be a good actor, you can’t just rely on natural talent. I didn’t feel good enough to be an actress at the beginning. It wasn’t until only recently that I started to believe in myself. You might think acting and modelling are two similar jobs because it’s about an image on a screen, but it’s not at all the same. Acting is about emotions, whilst modelling can be but it’s mostly about selling something ,which are two completely different things. A director’s camera and a photographer’s camera expect two different things from you.

Read more: How Hublot’s attracting a new generation of customers

Charlie Newman: What has been your favourite character to play so far and why?
Adrianna Gradziel: I think my favourite character so far was Natalia from a French comedy TV show. It was a great role. She was a Polish lady who moved to France with her husband and was really unhappy with him so she was very grumpy all the time! I loved playing this character because she was a foreigner in the country she lives in and felt lonely, which of course I could relate to. Mainly, it was fun to play the role because it was a comedy and a cliché of how we see Eastern people. I really enjoyed playing out this cliché, for example, Polish people only eat potatoes and all those kind of jokes. The preparation for it was interesting too because I had to have a Polish accent in English! It helped train me in accents and apply it to future projects.

Instagram: @adriannagradziel

Charlie Newman: If you could work with any director who and why?
Adrianna Gradziel: Wow there are so many! Firstly, I love Wes Anderson movies because of all the juxtapositions. They’re childish yet elegant, deep but shallow, entertaining but violent all at the same time, which is a most amazing combination. I love Pawel Pawlikowski’s work, it’s extremely beautiful whether it’s the frames, the light or the writing. His films are very moving, I feel like he is a director who really has something to say and that it’s really crucial for him to tell the story, it’s in his flesh.

Charlie Newman: What was your favourite film growing up as a child and what’s your favourite movie now?
Adrianna Gradziel: My favourite movie when I was growing up was all the James Bond movies because we watched them with my family and it was always such a pleasant family moment. Growing older, tastes change. It’s difficult to pick one movie but I think The Double life of Véronique has moved me the most, it has a special place in my heart.

Charlie Newman: With acting and modelling comes relentless rejection which can be extremely tough -how do you overcome this? Do you have any advice for other aspiring models/actors on how to combat
it?
Adrianna Gradziel: This is a great question because there aren’t many jobs out there where you experience daily rejection. At the beginning it was so tough because I permanently felt that it was for a personal reason, therefore I took it personally. I was constantly trying to adapt to something I could’t control. Then one day when it wasn’t bearable anymore I thought maybe I should actually start doing some spiritual evolution inside of myself, see the bigger picture and not take myself too seriously. Now, I know if I don’t get a job it’s only because it’s not meant to be, and to have more faith in myself. Also I think if you chose this line of work, you have to accept that rejection becomes part of your daily life and you shouldn’t see it as something damaging, but instead as something constructive. Rejection makes you learn about yourself, so I think it should be seen as more of a blessing than an injury.

Charlie Newman: You are working within two industries that are heavily involved within the MeToo movement. From your experience, is there anything you would like to see change personally? How do you think both industries can better themselves?
Adrianna Gradziel:  The MeToo movement is highlighting a huge global problem, affecting every industry. What I would like to see improve more is female solidarity. We can’t break out of the patriarchal society without coming together. We have to overcome the intimidation we feel by a woman who might be older than you, or prettier than you or whatever. If we are all looking out for each other then we can help one another to stand up for ourselves in testing times. Once that happens on ground level, then hopefully it will filter up to a political and economic level too.

Charlie Newman: Who’s your role model of the month?
Adrianna Gradziel: I have a a few! My mum, because I’m always so impressed by the fact that despite her age, she still sees life through a child’s eyes, she has so much energy and is very emotional and generous. My friend Valeria for being such a tough warrior and my acting teacher Tom because I look forward to his classes so much. They’re all very powerful people who give me light, inspire me and go further.

Follow Adrianna on Instagram: @adriannagradziel

London based model, actress, filmmaker and Mental Health Foundation ambassador, Florence Kosky

Charlie Newman

LUX’s model of the month series is back with new contributing editor Charlie Newman. Charlie is a model with Models 1 and has starred in numerous international fashion campaigns. She also works as a journalist and in the relaunch of this exclusive online series, she interviews her peers about their creative pursuits and passions

THIS MONTH: British model Florence Kosky is no ordinary 22 year-old. Since being scouted by Models 1 at the tender age of 16, Florence (known as Flo by her friends) has walked the catwalk for the likes of Dior and Dolce & Gabbana, starred in the Burberry AW 2015 campaign shot by Mario Testino, and studied at The New York Film Academy and the Met Film School. She is also an ambassador for the Mental Health Foundation, and earlier this year she released All the World’s a Stage, a film dealing with youth depression.

Charlie Newman: How easy was the transition from model to director/filmmaker? Did you feel as though you had to prove yourself that bit more or were you welcomed into the film industry with open arms?
Florence Kosky: Generally I think people have been very welcoming – I’m luckily working in a time where there is not only a momentous shift in the film industry for female voices to be heard, but also whilst there is a movement happening within fashion for models to be more than just a face for a brand. You know, people like Adwoa Aboah and Teddy Quinlivan are using their platforms to speak loudly about stuff that’s important to them, and people are listening! So it’s kind of great for people like me because it’s already tried and tested that we are more than just pretty faces.

Obviously though, there’s been a bit of pushback – I have actually been on my own sets and people have come up to me and been like ‘oh yeah so you must be art department’ or ‘oh so you’re one of the actresses’ when I’m directing and it’s a bit frustrating to have those snap judgements made because of my age and gender and what I look like, but I think the best thing to do to fight those assumptions is just be as polite and professional as possible, whilst making really great art.

Follow LUX on Instagram: the.official.lux.magazine

Charlie Newman: If you could cast anyone who and why?
Florence Kosky: That’s such a hard question! There’s so many incredible actors I would love to work with. I think predominantly for me it’s people like Jessica Lange and Mark Rylance, the older generation of ferocious actors who are just captivating to watch and so fully embody their characters that you forget you are watching them. Although, there’s a young British actress called Florence Pugh who I think is incredible – I saw Lady Macbeth with her in and she just has this strength and stillness that I think is really wonderful. I’d love to work with her.

Watch Florence Kosky’s short film All the World’s a Stage below:

Charlie Newman: If you could pick anyone to design your costumes who and why?
Florence Kosky: So actually one of my oldest friends from Dorset, Pandora Ellis, has also recently started in the film industry as a costume designer! And she’s fucking brilliant! She did all the costumes for All The World’s A Stage and The Otherworld and just smashed it. I couldn’t really think of ever using anyone else – we’re both massive fantasy and sci-fi nerds and it’s so lovely to work with someone who just understands how your brain works. The only way I could see myself deviating from this is if there was a specific character who only dressed in a certain designer or something – kind of like Tilda Swinton‘s character wearing only Dior by Raf Simons for A Bigger Splash.

Read more: Ollie Dabbous’ new fine dining restaurant in Piccadilly

Charlie Newman: How would you describe the aesthetic of your films? Do you have any particular inspirations within the industry?
Florence Kosky: I would say my aesthetic is very stylised. I like things to be hyper-real and full of colour. I use a lot of dancing and silhouetted figures and I like to have natural elements in my work, like the stars or water or flowers (or sometimes a combination). I guess you could say it’s quite girly, I grew up on fairytales and then got lost in Tumblr and Pinterest as a teenager and then have worked in fashion for nearly five years so there’s definitely a soft prettiness that I’m drawn to and have always been… it’s hard to sum up really but I guess if I had to I would say it’s dreamlike. From the film industry, I’d say visually I draw the most from Wes Anderson, Guillermo Del Toro, Nicolas Winding Refn and David Lynch and then from fashion I’ve always loved Tim Walker‘s aesthetic and more recently Petra Collins and Charlotte Wales.

Florence Kosky for All Saints. Instagram: @floskyyx

Charlie Newman: In light of the #MeToo movement, you work in the midst of two industries that are being lambasted in the media. Is there anything you would personally like to see change in the film and fashion industry?
Florence Kosky: I’d like more protection for models. The girls who are working a lot of the time are still practically children and I think it’s dark that more often than not they don’t even have somewhere private to get changed and if they complain they’re branded as ‘difficult’. I’d like agencies to stop sending girls out on go-sees to photographers who they KNOW have reputations for being creepy or persistent just because they take nice photographs. There’s a lot of people out there who take nice photographs and to be honest, I don’t think having a pretty picture in your book is worth being harassed via instagram DM by a photographer or stylist or whatever for months or years to come!

With regards to the film industry, it would be great if twenty-something-year-old dudes writing their first script could avoid chucking in sex or shower scenes just because they want to make it racy. It’s gratuitous and boring to watch. If it serves the narrative then, fine absolutely, I get it, but otherwise it just pisses me off because there’s no point and it just adds to the objectification of women, and for a lot of young actresses that is their first experience of a set and it’s just shitty, especially if the director isn’t experienced, it’s putting people in a vulnerable situation without the correct tools to make sure they’re okay just to give a ‘gritty’ feel to your film.

Read more: Painter John Virtue’s monochromatic world at Fortnum & Mason

Charlie Newman: Huge congratulations on your film All the Worlds a Stage that shone a light on the perils and understanding of depression. As an Ambassador of the Mental Health Foundation, how do you think we can implement awareness and help day to day, especially in schools?
Florence Kosky: Thank you! I think there’s a responsibility that parents and schools have to educate their children about mental health and suicide. PSHE lessons provide a really good platform to educate young people about mental health and suicide and I do think that there is actually traction there – the government announced a Green Paper on mental health last year so hopefully we’re going to see a bigger push in education about these issues.

I think it’s crucial that conversations are opened up at a young age as school aged children are at risk – 200 kids a year die by suicide in the UK and so we really have to do something about it to save those young lives. The first step to prevention is awareness and the creation of safe spaces where these children know that it’s okay to speak about mental health and feel comfortable asking for help when they need it. Aside from education though, I think on a personal level it’s important that we remember to just be kind to one another. If you think your friend is struggling, text them and tell them you love them! Go round their house and watch a movie and bring them snacks! Send someone a song that reminded you of them! The littlest things can mean the most to someone whose feeling alone.

Florence Kosky for Harvey Nichols. Instagram: @floskyyx

Charlie Newman: What’s next for you?
Florence Kosky: I’m actually working on my first feature which is terrifying but very, very exciting. I’m still working on the script at the minute with another writer, the wonderful Josh Willdigg. It’s a fantasy film that deals with mental health, sexuality, feminism and summoning demons! It’s quite a bit darker than my previous work but I’m very excited to get into development.

Charlie Newman: Lastly, who’s your role model of the month?
Florence Kosky: My role model of the month is my good friend Amber Anderson. She’s a beautiful model, a talented actress and one of many women who accused Harvey Weinstein. She has been a bit of a SHERO for me the past 6 months by giving up her time and working on All The World’s A Stage and helping me share its message when it was released. She’s also helped me personally by giving me someone to speak to about my own experiences with sexual assault, whilst maintaining a good sense of humour and a talent for cooking vegan shepherd’s pie. Soppy, but I am grateful to have her in both my professional and personal life!

Find Florence Kosky on Instagram: @floskyyx

Model and photographer, Darwin Gray. Image by Robert Binda

Sydney Lima

LUX contributing editor and Storm model, Sydney Lima continues her online exclusive series, interviewing her peers about modelling life and business.

THIS MONTH: Soon after 20-year-old Darwin Gray signed to London’s Storm Models he was spotlighted as the one to watch in the fashion world, walking catwalks for the likes of  Burberry, Tom Ford, Louis Vuitton and Vivienne Westwood, shooting campaigns for Jack Wills and editorials for Harpers Bazaar and eventually singing to agencies globally from Tokyo to New York. Now Darwin is developing his skills as a photographer, working on a portrait series whilst he is based in Korea.

Sydney Lima: How did you first get into modelling?
Darwin Gray: I was scouted at my cousins wedding by his best man, it was all a weird situation, he came up to me and said I should think about modelling, I just thought he’d been at the bar a bit too long! Then I met Storm a few weeks later and the rest is history.

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SL: What has been your favourite team to work with to date?
DG:My favourite team to date would probably be the Jack Wills team. I was part of two of their campaign shoots, both of which were just as fun as the other. Not at one point did it feel like work, the team were all really nice and good fun- I also met my girlfriend while shooting it so that’s a plus!

Image by Robert Binda

SL: What inspired you to first start taking photos?
DG: I had been modelling a few years before it became something I concentrated on. I was always taking lots of photos and I’ve loved looking back at them because each photo has a little memory it takes you back to.

SL: What’s your favourite subject to take photos off?
DG: My favourite subject would be my girlfriend Lottie, every day I’ll take photos of her either on my phone or camera. I probably have over 10,000 photos of her…

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”25″ gal_title=”Darwin Gray”]

Above: A selection of Darwin’s photographs. Courtesy of Darwin Gray

SL: When did you get your first camera?
DG: I got my first camera about 3 years ago. I bought it in Tokyo as the prices were better. It was a Canon EOS Kiss X7.

Read next: Mayfair’s legendary member’s club, Annabel’s reopening

Sydney Lima: Do you find you learn a lot through working with other photographers?
Darwin Gray: I’m always watching what other photographers do, I find it interesting how people all work so differently. I’m always asking questions. I feel lucky to have the opportunity to learn from within the industry.

SL: Who’s your favourite photographer?
DG: Tom Mitchell is one of my favourite photographers because his work is so clean and he portrays natural beauty in a subtle way.

SL: Do you have any projects planned for the year?
DG: I’m working on a few things, but right now I’m concentrating on a documentary photo series whilst I’m in Korea.

instagram.com/darwingray

British model and founder of the All Women Project, Charli Howard

LUX contributing editor and Storm model, Sydney Lima continues her online exclusive series, interviewing her peers about modelling life and business.

Sydney Lima

THIS MONTH: 26 year old British model, Charli Howard is certainly not just a pretty face. A woman at the forefront of the battle against Size Zero, she signed to New York’s Muse models in 2015 after publically criticising her London agency for their impossible standards. After gaining a huge following and overnight features in Vogue and i-D, she created the All Woman Project with model Clémentine Desseaux to carry the message that beauty is not in your measurements. She has since worked for huge international publications from Harpers Bazaar to Tank, as well as fronting unretouched campaigns for Nike and Mango.

Sydney Lima: How did you first get in to modelling?
Charli Howard: I’d been scouted a few times in places like Oxford Street and Camden growing up, but I was always told the same thing: that they wouldn’t sign me unless my measurements were down to a certain size. I got let down so many times by the best agencies who told me I had to have a 34″ hip, otherwise it was never going to happen. Then at 21 my friend Fletcher sent my Facebook photos off to agencies, and I got signed at a 35″ inch hip.

SL: What has been your proudest working moment?
CH: There have been a lot. Shooting with Inez and Vinoodh was great. Creating the All Woman Project has been so therapeutic for me personally. And recently I’ve worked with brands like Mango and Desigual who aren’t Photoshopping me thinner, which feels like a blessing!

Image by Claire Rothstein

SL: Why did you start the All Woman Project?
CH: I wanted to show that you don’t have to be a size 0 to be beautiful. We shot models who are all undeniably beautiful – far more beautiful than I will ever be – in a variety of sizes. But rather than Photoshopping their cellulite or stretch marks out, we left them in. Women responded so well to it.

Read next: Super chef, Massimo Bottura’s ‘Food for Soul’ project

Sydney Lima: Why do you think its so crucial to change our types of role models?
Charli Howard: I know that a lot of women of my generation – women who grew up in the early noughties – were affected by size 0 and excessive retouching. So the last thing we need is another generation of women feeling the same way, and insecure.

SL: Do you think the industry is changing?
CH: Yes I do: slowly, but surely. I think the changes are happening quicker in New York, but I think London is following suit. I think it’s now more about the personality of the girl, rather than her measurements. As women, we will always aspire to and be inspired by beautiful women. That doesn’t mean they have to be overly thin to be inspirational.

SL: What plans do you have for 2017?
CH: I want to continue being happy and to teach girls their value doesn’t lie in sizes. Life is too short to be miserable!

instagram.com/charlihoward

Dutch model and yoga teacher, Rianne Ten Haken

LUX contributing editor and Storm model, Sydney Lima continues her online exclusive series, interviewing her peers about modelling life and business.

Sydney Lima

THIS MONTH: Dutch model, Rianne ten Haken was discovered at the tender of age of 14 by Elite models, making her debut on the runway alongside Gisele Bündchen for Marc Jacobs spring 2004. In between, shooting campaigns for the likes Chanel, Versace and Givenchy and starring in Lenny Kravitz‘s music video for “The Chamber”, ten Haken teaches yoga on retreats across the globe.

Sydney Lima: How did you get in to modelling?
Rianne ten Haken: I got discovered on the street in Amsterdam by Jeroen van der Mast, who was then at Elite Amsterdam. He asked me if I wanted to compete in the Elite Model Look (contest) that year and I did. I won the international final and have been working non-stop pretty much since then.

SL: What has been your favourite shoot to work on?
RTH: My favorite shoot was the Jean Paul Gaultier ‘le classique’ fragrance. I have been working for Cartier for many years and they have become like family to me. So shooting this beautiful project with them was truly an honor and a very memorable experience that I will treasure for life.

SL: What has been your proudest working moment?
RTH: Having two Italian Vogue covers in a row has definitely been my proudest moment!

SL: How did you get in to yoga and why did you decide to train as a teacher?
RTH: I got into yoga when I was really stressed out with work, life and traveling. I took some time off and I emersed myself in yoga. I discovered what it did for me and how good it made me feel. It became a mild obsession and a big passion for me. When I did the teacher training, my goal wasn’t to become a teacher I just wanted to learn more about it but during the training I discovered that I really loved teaching and sharing what I had learned.

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SL: How did you find the time to train as a yoga teacher alongside modelling?
RTH: Where there is a will there is a way, my grandmother used to say. It’s about prioritizing what’s important to you and what makes you happy.

Sydney Lima: Where has been your favourite place to teach?
Rianne ten Haken: The retreat I did in Nicaragua with Surf Yoga Beer was definitely one of my favorite spots to teach, the location the people, the sunset, everything was on point!

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SL: Did modelling have any influence over your decision to become a yoga teacher?
RTH: Modelling and the fashion industry can be very creative and inspiring. I met so many talented, interesting people that I realized I had and wanted to be more than just a pretty face. I understood that to have longevity in your career you need to grow as a person and develop your skill set. And seeing all these people around me being daring and exploring their potential really motivated me to do the same.

SL: What plans do you have for 2017?
RTH: So many plans, so little time! I’m doing some research now to find new places to do my next retreat. On my way to Africa at this moment to find a great location. I want to teach a lot, want to share my light with many people that cross my path! In my wildest dreams I want to find a location for my first yoga studio!