Alva Claire

As summer heat washed away into the Fall show season, Alva Claire squeezed in this session with Models.com in between castings for her New York runway return since the COVID-19 pandemic paused international travel. It was a busy one for Claire, with the two-year gap bringing on runway walks this season at Laquan Smith, Area, Miaou and a closing slot at Collina Strada; the first year she’s walked a full season in every city, a feat hard-won a few years ago. Her London leg was more exceptional walking for KNWLS, Halpern, and Harris Reed’s fanciful presentation – fitting as she describes her hometown as one of the most inspiring unique creative communities in the world. “I do feel that this fashion month was a special one,” Claire retells. “Everyone was so excited to get back out there. I think many of us, more than ever, was eager to connect with one another.” After walking Ester Manas in Paris, one of the few designers pushing for grander size inclusivity measures on the region’s runways, Claire’s tone balances optimism while delivering a steadfast critique. “I feel like the fact that I walked 13 shows is very exciting because the industry is moving forward, but as we know, there is still so much to achieve,” Claire points. “I love working with designers that are inspired by me because of who I am and what I bring to the collection, rather than it being about just ticking a box.”

Born Alva Claire McKenzie, she grew up in Herne Hill district in South East London to American and Jamaican parents. She was scouted a few times in her teens but didn’t feel like the industry had space for her. A chance glance at an article on plus-size modeling clued her in that diversity in casting was expanding, and at 18, she submitted an application to an agency. “Modeling was always in the back of my mind – from when I was little, I always knew I wanted to work in fashion, but I never imagined it would be as a model,” Alva tells. “I was drawn to it because it scared me a little. I was excited about diving into the unknown.” She enrolled in a foundation course at the London College of Fashion while she tried to break into the scene, but a lack of top-level work led her to take a leap to move to New York. It was then a serendipitous moment when Claire went from backstage stylist assistant at the 2019 Savage x Fenty Show to actually walking the show. “I will never forget that experience. I felt so many things at once and it was a beautiful, overload of emotions,” Alva recalls her debut. “Before I went out, my heart was beating so fast.”

Whether it’s a MAC beauty campaign shot by Nadia Lee Cohen or a Sirencore, summer sea editorial printed in Vogue Italia, Claire has amassed an expansive, creative community that has provided her with the new, exciting projects that challenge her as a model. A decade after she got signed, she’s a mainstay on the pages of i-D Magazine and British Vogue and a go-to for community-driven brands who constantly support her, like Collina Strada and Savage x Fenty. Fresh off her 4th appearance with the latter, that creative community has proven a vital life force behind the many projects that Claire works on. The connective kinship was displayed at the Selasi runway show in London a few weeks ago that Claire closed, a community effort led by creative director and photographer Ronan Mckenzie. “Ronan and I have been friends for a long time. I am always in awe of her as a friend and as an artist. To see my friends’ performances and all of the elements from the collection, scent, music, cast, and venue…everything was connected to Ronan in a deep way, and we were all creating together.” When it comes to the advice she would give other models wanting to follow in her footsteps, Claire believes looking inwards is essential. “Modeling has a reputation for just being about the face, the look, but nowadays it’s much more than that,” Alva explains. “How you treat people, what matters to you, and what will you stand up for? Know what makes you ‘you,’ what makes you tick, and amplify that. Let it inform your work.”