Alessandra
Who:
Alessandra Vo (@alessandraa.vo); 177 cm / 5’9.5″; Polish from Gniezno, Poland; born January 8th.
Where:
Specto Models (Warsaw – mother agency), Mademoiselle Agency (Paris), Monster Management (Milan), PARS Management (Munich), Two Management (Barcelona), Ace Models (Athens),
— Among your friends or family, what are you famous for?
I’d say that everybody knows I’m quite talkative and outgoing. I really try to be kind to every person I meet. Sometimes I hear that I spread some positive energy only by smiling.
— The best and worst aspects of your personality:
I’m an ambitious and hard-working person. No matter what I do, I always try to do my best. It’s rather a good thing but sometimes it drives me crazy because if I don’t achieve my goals, I immediately get upset and blame myself for not being the best all the time. I’m also quite stubborn!
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I learnt Swedish and I’m completely in love with this language.
2. I enjoy reading detective stories, especially those written by Scandinavians. My favourite writer is Camilla Läckberg.
3. I used to play handball in primary school.
Alexandre
Who:
Alexandre Zago (@xande_zago); 189 cm / 6’2.5″; Italian/Brazilian from Goiania, Brazil; born May 9th.
Where:
PWR MODELS (Milan – mother agency)
— An issue or a cause you’re passionate about?
I love problem-solving, I really want to be of aid, and get involved with designing systems and platforms in regards to consumerism and sustainability within the fashion industry. There’s a lot of injustice right now in regards to working conditions, as well as the rate we’re consuming products. I’d love to work to find a fair solution for both parties. As well as create a product capable of fitting the criteria.
— How did you become a model?
I actually never intended to be one, I owe it to one of my best friends Mimi Simpson. She’s a very talented individual that’s just graduated from fashion at Kingston. In her first year, she used me as her go-to model/muse for her projects. Eventually, I got to know the rest of the fashion course [students] and I was asked to do toiles and fittings for them. Before you knew it I was walking in graduate runway shows with a lot of press. So big shout out to everyone at the Kingston School of Art fashion course, you guys are sick!
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I’m a designer, I love creating new things for myself, whether it’s a pair of trousers or a t-shirt, and challenging myself in many mediums. My main ones are graphic design, photography and creative direction. Some day I’d love to direct a movie, compose my own music and even design my own living space.
2. I speak 3 languages: English, Portuguese and Italian. I really want to learn more though, specifically French and Mandarin.
3. I love peach iced tea, like seriously (it’s like crack!)
Bu
Who:
Bu Shan; 180 cm / 5’11”; Chinese from Changchun, China; born December 27th.
Where:
Mgroup (Beijing – mother agency)
— One thing you never want to do again:
Definitely roller coasters. I felt quite dizzy after my first time riding a roller coaster. Horrible!
— Who is someone you admire and why?
My Grandma, she is a brave and wise lady. She insists that education helps people understand the world better. It affects your whole life, both inside your heart and your outer appearance. We should catch every chance to receive education if we want to succeed in the future.
— How did you become a model?
My mother agency found me at a model school last year. Actually, I thought it would never happen for me since I’m not the typical “beautiful” girl here in China.
Sanjay
Who:
Sanjay Gimbel (@asiansanjay); 183 cm / 6’0″; Singaporean/American from Singapore, Singapore; born October 18th.
Where:
Mondays Management (New York – mother agency)
— What’s a story that your friends and family like to tell about you?
Living near the equator in Singapore, I had never seen snow until I was about 8 years old. As I was reaching for some oddly colored snow my uncle told me about the yellow snow and that I shouldn’t touch or eat it.
— The most interesting thing about your family:
I have a very diverse family. My biological parents are Singaporean Indians with both Northern and Southern India roots and Sikh and Hindu backgrounds. My Dad is a Jewish American and my Mom is Singaporean Malay with Javanese roots. We celebrate Hindu, Jewish and Muslim holidays.
— What’s your most prized possession?
I love my two Singapore street cats, Mocha and Twinkie. They are both about 14 years old and made the long trip to the US. I don’t know where I would be without them.
Savanna
Who:
Savanna Blade (@savanna_blade); 179 cm / 5’10.5″; Canadian from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; born May 14th.
Where:
Images International Model Management (Edmonton – mother agency), ABC Model Management (Milan), Next Canada (Toronto), Bravo Models (Tokyo), JS AGENCY.KR (Seoul)
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I’m majoring in Robotics in the Engineering Science program at the University of Toronto (hopefully with a minor in Artificial Intelligence). I just finished my third year (one left!)
2. I’ve built three robots in the last two years (and programmed a simulated one). I’ve also created AI algorithms that detect hate speech and characterize political bias in Tweets.
3. Writing is one of my favorite creative outlets; in high school, I wrote a 50000-word novel in 30 days as part of the National November Writing Month challenge.
— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
I have this absolutely crippling fear of earthworms. It’s the most irrational kind of phobia that has no justification whatsoever (worms can’t even do anything to me), but if I see one on the sidewalk, I will make audible noises of distress.
— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
I am deeply passionate about changing the culture of STEM fields to be more inclusive towards individuals of all identities. It’s absolutely crucial for diverse voices and perspectives to be involved in deciding how future technologies will shape the world; I believe we’re still at a point where tech can be a tool for liberation, but it won’t be until there is drastically better representation of marginalized communities across academia and industry. I’m also a big advocate for more critical and reflective attitudes within tech development. I’m currently co-leading a group within Engineers Without Borders at U of T that focuses on bringing in students from across academic disciplines to learn about issues and work on projects at the intersection of tech and social impact (like data privacy, algorithmic bias, Internet access, and online censorship).
Tengde
Who:
Tengde Wang (@fems987); 186 cm / 6’1″; Chinese from Weifang, Shandong Province, China; born March 18th.
Where:
Mostar Models (Shanghai – mother agency)
— Something you are self-conscious about:
I have a bad memory. Sometimes, I don’t think I have a brain.
— Who is your favorite entertainer?
Bill Evans. He was an excellent pianist and performer. A real musician.
— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
I don’t talk that much, but I’m creative and always have many ideas.