Anaru

Who:
Anaru Wilson (@anaruwilson4real) — 188 cm / 6’2″ — New Zealander from Wellington, New Zealand — born February 10th — he/him.

Where:
JAM Models (New Zealand – mother agency), Independent Model Management (Milan)

— What’s a story your family/friends like to tell about you?
In primary school, I led our kapa haka group in front of 1,500 people.

— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
I’ve had chickenpox 3 times in my childhood; the second time, I only had spots on the left side of my body.

— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. In Year 8, I won an award for being the best camera dodger.
2. I’m currently completing my joinery apprenticeship.
3. I spent my whole first paycheck on one pair of shoes.

Dapo

Who:
Dapo Adesina (@_dapoadesina) — 187 cm / 6’1.5″ — Nigerian from Oyo State, Nigeria — born April 15th — he/him.

Where:
Early 20s Model Management (Lagos – mother agency), New Madison (Paris), Two Management (Barcelona), Two Management (Berlin), Two Management (Copenhagen)

— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
Mental health. This is probably for a number of reasons, and the traditional “strong male” stereotype is still prevalent in our society; the idea of expressing emotion is a sign of weakness.

— How did you become a model?
I had just returned from school for my graduation week, so I went to get something from a grocery store at night. There was a guy behind me, staring continuously at me. Eventually, he approached me and asked if I was a model. I told him no, then he asked if I was interested in modeling. I said yes, and we exchanged contacts. That’s how I got scouted.

— What weird or useless talent do you have?
I can crack my fingers. I can move my hands like waves. I can do a wheel pose.

Leonidas

Who:
Leonidas Małolepszy (@kinoko_fb) — 185 cm / 6’1″ — Polish from Kazimierz Dolny, Poland — born January 10th — he/him.

Where:
Pinokio Models (Warsaw – mother agency), Rock Men (Paris)

— The most interesting thing about your family:
I think the most interesting and cool thing about my family is that we all walk barefoot, and we love it! My parents are quite like hippies, and they walk barefoot everywhere. They try to stay connected with the earth, and we all decided it’s just an amazing thing to do. So if you come and visit us at our family restaurant, you will see us all without our shoes. Don’t worry; you don’t have to take yours off if you don’t want to!

— What weird or useless talent do you have?
The first thing that comes to my mind is fingerboarding. Fingerboarding is like skateboarding but with my fingers. I can do a lot of crazy tricks with the mini skateboard. I love it a lot, and it never gets boring.

— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I think the most interesting thing about me is that there is more than one thing I am good at.
2. If I want to learn something, it comes to me easily because I just don’t give up. I taught myself fingerboarding, skateboarding, and hip-hop dancing. I can even play didgeridoo, and it’s not that easy!
3. I also love traveling, and my next trip is going to be amazing because I plan to go to Southeast Asia on a backpacking trip since my sister and brother have already done it.

Leonie

Who:
Leonie Steffen (@leoniesteffen_) — 178 cm / 5’10” — German from Hamburg, Germany — born March 1st — she/her.

Where:
Le Management (Hamburg – mother agency), Supreme Management (New York), Supreme Management (Paris), Fabbrica Milano Management, PRESENT MODEL MANAGEMENT (London)

— What’s the last thing you Googled? 
Madeleine. I just love these delicious little French cakes and wanted to know how to make the dough myself. 

— What’s a story your family/friends like to tell about you?
My mum always likes to tell the story of the first two sentences that were said to me after the birth. My mum said: “Oh, she’s cute!” and the nurse said: “She’s got such long legs!”

— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you: 
I have been doing synchronized swimming for around 8 years. It’s not exactly the best-known or most popular sport in Germany. That’s why only one club in Hamburg offers it, and there are only two competitions a year where we perform our routines. What fascinates me most about the sport is the feeling of lightness in the water and moving to music. Even if it is sometimes very challenging ;) (It was funny that the first time I met someone who also does synchronized swimming was at a casting in London!) 

Thay

Who:
Thay Vasconcelos (@thay.wane) — 180 cm / 5’11” — Brazilian from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — born January 10th — she/her.

Where:
Mix Models Agency (Rio de Janeiro – mother agency)

— Who is your favorite entertainer?
Bruna Marquezine is my favorite entertainer in the world. Besides being successful in many Brazilian soap operas, she was the first Brazilian to star in a DC film, and her relationship with the fashion world is something that inspires me a lot.

— Tell us about your hometown.
I was born in the wonderful city of Rio de Janeiro. What I love most about my city are the beaches and how I can meet people from all kinds of cultures in one place.

— One thing you never want to do again:
I sure don’t want to have to do the process to get a driver’s license ever again; it was a traumatizing, tiring, and very expensive experience.


Weishan

Who:
Weishan Li (@wshann.l) — 176 cm / 5’9″ — Chinese from Pizhou, China — born March 30th — she/her.

Where:
Lacoco Model Management (Shanghai – mother agency)

— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
I really enjoy listening to traditional Chinese opera.

— If you could talk to your younger self, what advice would you give?
Because I am only 21 years old and still young. So there’s nothing I want to say to my younger self. I just want to say to my current self, be brave and try more. The road ahead is still long, and I have a bit of ambition. Keep going!

— Who is someone you admire and why?
Yuzuru Hanyu. I think he has his own unique pursuit of art and competition. He is a person who strives without a whip, always urging and urging to become stronger. I admire his execution and focus, as well as his pursuit of the career he loves. I aspire to become someone like him.