Who:
Arina Kovaleva — @arina_kova_ — Russian from Yekaterinburg, Russia — born August 14th — 178 cm / 5’10” — she/her.

Where:
MAG-Model Agent Group (Kufstein – mother agency), Women 360 Paris, Next Milan

— What are 3 interesting facts about you?
1. As a child, I tried many different hobbies, which is why I can do a little bit of everything.
2. I’m an easy-going person, and I’m always up for an adventure.
3. I like to walk around the city aimlessly with my headphones on.

— What’s an essential part of your daily routine?
Usually, as soon as I wake up in the morning, I go out onto the balcony to get some fresh air. After that, I do a ten-minute workout to wake myself up.

— How did you become a model?
I wanted to become a model since I was a child. Later, I was scouted by my agency :)

Who:
Jarrod Lees — @jarrodlees — American from New Jersey, USA — born July 7th — 190 cm / 6’3″ — he/him.

Where:
Marilyn Agency (New York – mother agency), Ford Models Paris, Why Not Model Management (Milan)

— How did you become a model?
I was actually scouted on Instagram, which is how I started modeling. My mom always thought I should model when I was younger, so when it finally happened, it felt kind of full circle.

— What’s a favorite book/movie/TV show, and why do you love it?
My favorite movie is any Harry Potter movie. I love them because they are very comforting, and I can rewatch them a million times.

— What’s an essential part of your daily routine?
Spending time with family and friends and going for walks with my dogs.

Who:
JD (Jacob) DeGroot — @jd.degroot03 — American from Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA — born July 13th — 190 cm / 6’3″ — he/him.

Where:
Endless Management (Grand Rapids – mother agency)

— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
Everyone thinks I have contacts, but my eyes are just naturally bright blue and even get dark blue sometimes.

— What are 3 interesting facts about you?
1. I like reading.
2. I was adopted at age 3.
3. I like walks on the beach.

— Share a bit about your background and upbringing.
I was adopted at age 3 after being found abandoned in a hallway. The woman who is now my mother found me and adopted me. I’ve always been a big basketball player since the age of 5, but I’ve always had a soft spot for fashion and modeling, and that’s what has brought me to where I am right now.

Who:
Laysa Cruz — @laysastefan — Brazilian from Lisbon, Portugal — born August 6th — 176 cm / 5’9.5″ — she/her.

Where:
Central Models (Lisbon – mother agency), The Hive Management (London), Fifth Models (Barcelona), Flash model (Istanbul)

— What are 3 interesting facts about you?
1. I can learn any language in less than one month.
2. I learned how to read when I was 2 years old.
3. I love mechanical stuff. I’d spend all day building up something

— The most interesting thing about your family:
We come from Indigenous/Dutch ascendancy because I was born in the northeast part of Brazil, which was colonised by Dutch people. So my family is 50% blonde, blue-eyed, and tall people, and 50% dark hair and features, olive skin, and short people. Like, I look indigenous, but my brother is blonde.

— Can you tell us about your happiest childhood memory?
In 2014, World Cup in Brazil, the match was against Croatia. I was in the car with my friends and family, and it was raining. Everyone was screaming and cheering for Brazil, and we created a song, “ACELERA BRAZIL, ACELERA 2000 MIL, ACERELA BRAZIL.” Everyone was singing along. Well, we lost that game, hahaha, but everyone was happy and together. I will always remember that.

Who:
Naethan Tom — @naethan_tom — Indian from Kerala, India — born January 24th — 187 cm / 6’1.5″ — he/him.

Where:
Inega (Mumbai – mother agency)

— How did you become a model?
My friend dared me to respond to an open casting call. Out of youthful exuberance, I showed up at the scouting venue without expecting anything more than meeting a few new people. Getting shortlisted made me realise the potential to use this opportunity and pursue modelling more seriously.

— Can you tell us about your happiest childhood memory?
Routine weekend elephant rides in Assam.

— What are 3 interesting facts about you?
1. I am the proud father of two big, fat turtles.
2. As an avid biker, I started my biking trails by doing a 1800km solo trip a month after I got my license.
3. I have changed over 9-10 cities throughout my schooling years.

Who:
Xinyu Liu — @megan101489 — Chinese from Hangzhou, China — born January 29th — 178 cm / 5’10” — she/her.

Where:
Lacoco Model Management (Shanghai – mother agency)

— What is your biggest irrational fear?
I’m extremely afraid of ghosts. Even though they are imaginary, I just can’t help feeling scared of them.

— Tell us about your hometown.
My hometown is Louyang in China, Henan Province. I think it is a city with connotation and a lot of delicious food. The bad thing is that its development is a little backward.

— What’s one non-physical thing you’d like to change about yourself?
I think I’m too introverted, which is not good for my work and not very good for my daily life.