Katy
Who:
Katy Branton (@katybranton); 180 cm / 5’11”; Canadian from Toronto, Ontario, Canada; born February 13th.
Where:
Peggi Lepage, Model Scout (Toronto – mother agency), Folio Montreal
— Who is your favorite entertainer?
One of my favorite entertainers is definitely Lauryn Hill. I love her music and style and the influence she’s had on hip hop.
— What is something you wish you knew more about?
I wish I knew how to speak more languages. I love to travel and I want to visit as many countries as I can to learn about different languages and cultures.
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I’m an emerging artist. I love to work with several mediums – acrylic and watercolor paint, charcoal, pastel, collage, and graphite. I’m also interested in the creative aspects of modeling such as fashion, design and photography.
2. I love nature and spending time outside. Some of my favorite outdoor activities are hiking, swimming, kayaking, canoeing and rock climbing.
3. I love to cook and I’m currently exploring foods from many different cultures. Learning about and making new dishes is so much fun!
Arjen
Who:
Arjen Talsma (@arjen_talsma); 189 cm / 6’2.5″; Dutch from Friesland, The Netherlands; born February 24th.
Where:
Matt Models (Netherlands – mother agency), CREW Model Management (Milan), Core Artist Management (Hamburg)
— How and when did you become a model?
The very talented photographer Rogier Alexander scouted me. He approached me for a test shoot. In this test shoot, he saw potential in me. I decided to listen and go for it. I was and still am curious to see what the fashion industry can bring me.
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. Together with my friend and fellow student Frank, I started a business called Lightmark. We support and advise companies in digital marketing.
2. The sport I am passionate about is korfball. One of the few sports worldwide where women and men play together in one team.
3. By traveling specifically for modeling, you come into contact with different cultures and people. That I find very unique, meaningful, and heartwarming.
— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
A place where people look out for each other. Not only for themselves. Oh and: always looking on the bright side of life.
Marina
Who:
Marina Takenawa (@marinatakenawa); 178 cm / 5’10”; Brazilian from Minas Gerais, Brazil; born July 25th.
Where:
Mix Models Agency (Rio de Janeiro – mother agency)
— What’s your most prized possession and why?
Definitely my dog, Jade. She arrived in my life at a difficult time and brought happiness to the whole family. She shows me different forms of love and care every single day.
— How did you become a model?
When I was 14 years old, I felt so bad about myself due to the evil comments I always heard, cause I’m so tall and skinny. One day my father noticed all this and promised he would prove to me that I was beautiful, and how many girls looked like me or wanted to. So he and my mom started looking for model agencies for me. I got older and before I realized I was already with my mother agency and going to another state to start a model’s life. Dad was right and I’ll always be grateful for it!
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I am a nature lover. It’s amazing to notice how things work in perfect harmony there, it gives me peace;
2. My family is of Japanese descent. I really appreciate their culture and want to learn their language;
3. I read a lot. When I was little I could easily read one book per day.
Donovan
Who:
Donovan Cook (@ddonovancookk); 183 cm / 6’0″; American from Jackson, Michigan, USA; born September 23rd.
Where:
Ophelia Model Management (mother agency), 10 MGMT (Chicago)
— Who is your favorite entertainer?
If I had to pick it would have to be Ariana Grande, I would say she’s my favorite entertainer because she has a wonderful voice and proudly supports the LGBTQ+ community
— One thing you never want to do again:
If I had to choose one thing I would NEVER wanna do again I would say bungee jumping.
— What are three interesting facts about you?
One interesting fact is I actually have scoliosis and had spinal fusion surgery in April of 2021. The second interesting fact is I love thrifting and buying shoes. The last interesting fact would be I love running and actually went to the state championships for cross country.
Zoë
Who:
Zoë Bakx (@zoe.bkx); 176 cm / 5’9″; Dutch from Amsterdam, the Netherlands; born February 21st.
Where:
The Pure Mgmt (Netherlands – mother agency), Wilhelmina New York
— Among your friends or family, what are you famous for?
I always have food with me. If I don’t eat enough I will get annoyed by everything, so I always bring food. And I always bring extra food because I share my food with my friends. (I bake a lot so I give it to them).
— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
That I do embroidery. I have this pair of jeans that I fill with embroidery. I let other people decide what I put on them so they enjoy my jeans too.
— Who is someone you admire and why?
My best friend, Robin. She is very calm when something happens. Normally I freak out and she knows me so she calms me down. I have known her for almost six years now, and we have never had a fight because we can be completely honest with each other. She makes me want to be a better person. I know that that’s a very cheesy thing to say (even though she hates cheese) but it’s really true.
Martin
Who:
Martin Antech (@martin.antech); 186 cm / 6’1″; French from Paris, France; born November 16th.
Where:
Current Project (mother agency), IMG Paris, d’management group (Milan)
— An issue or cause you are passionate about?
This year with my rugby team we took on the challenge of meeting children in hospitals to provide them with toys and other means of entertainment. Unfortunately, due to the Covid, the visits could not take place, but we were still able to interact with the children via the Internet and offer them the toys. I am very attached to this cause because by talking with them I realized how lucky I am to have a happy and peaceful childhood, so I deeply support the « blouses roses » and all the medical staff concerned by this association.
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I play rugby so I’m used to working as a team and giving my best to push my teammates to the top. Sport helps me to never let go in any situation, I’m a big adrenaline fan!
2. Having been a Boy Scout for eight years, I share the values and principles of life that I particularly like. Listening and devotion are principles to which I am deeply attached.
3. I am also a big fan of music, I played guitar for 10 years, which allowed me to accentuate my creativity and my curiosity.
— What’s your most prized possession and why?
My most precious possession without a doubt is sport and more particularly rugby. I have been practicing this sport for over 12 years. I am currently in sports studies and I am lucky to be able to do it every day! Sport clears my head and allows me to stay on earth by constantly keeping the same goals: to win!