interview

Name:
Everyone calls me just by my nickname: Alyosi :) (@_alyosi)

Pronouns:
she/her

Agency:
Number Management (Barcelona – mother agency), Elite New York City, Storm Management (London)

Age:
19

Height:
5’11”

Place of Origin:
Moscow, Russia

Ethnic Origin:
I’m half Russian, one quarter goes to Georgia and another one to Uzbekistan, but when I was tracing my family tree, I also got to know that I have some roots from Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Birthsign:
Aries

Did you always want to be a model? Tell us about how you were discovered.
To be straightforward, I was never thinking about choosing this career. My family would always tell me that I’m beautiful, but I didn’t take it seriously because, from my perspective, that was just my parents being parents, if that makes sense. My mother agency reached out to me on Instagram; my mom and I got to know the team, and then I took two months to decide if I wanted to give it a try, and here I am!

Most memorable modeling experience so far?
Definitely my debut for Prada! Walking for them made me realize that I’m involved in something bigger than just a show.

One song you have on repeat, and why?
Currently, it’s «Babylon» by the Russian rock group Akvarium. It’s one of my favorite bands, and this song particularly makes me feel not lonely wherever I am.

What other passions do you have aside from modeling?
Once I started modeling and living on my own, I began to explore different food cultures, and it inspired me to start trying out new recipes myself. I’m blessed to travel a lot, so I always seek to capture different periods of my life, places I visit, and people I get to know, and film photography is the best thing for it.

What is something you’ve always wanted to do/try?
I have always wanted to try surfing, and the only thing that stops me is my inability to swim.

What’s one thing people may be surprised to find out about you?
I didn’t have my name registered till the age of 3! My parents are all to blame for pulling the rubber and calling me by a nickname (which was transformed into my current name)

What change would you like to see in the world?
If I had to choose only one change, I would probably want to see more empathy in people; empathy to those around them, to the planet we live in, and to the world itself; it’s so much more than it seems to be.