Bella
Who:
Bella Burghardt (@bella.burghardt) — 177 cm / 5’9.5″ — German from Berlin, Germany — born August 24th — she/her.
Where:
Tigers Management (Munich – mother agency)
— What’s your most prized possession and why?
I love to take pictures. I always have my camera with me. It’s perfect for traveling because I can save a lot of memories in pictures. I also love taking photos of friends and family. I’m currently learning to take photos with analog cameras. I spend a lot of money on cameras and, especially with analog cameras, you have to buy the films and have them developed.
— What are you super interested in?
Creative hobbies. Like sewing, knitting and painting. I love to sew. Especially sewing my own clothes, because I can do exactly what I want. Sometimes I go thrift shopping and re-sew old things that they fit. Sometimes I’m also creating jewelry with pearls and beats. Seeing my friends wearing my pearl chains makes me kind of proud :)
— How did you become a model?
My agent scouted me on the street while I was eating ice cream with my friends on a really nice and warm summer evening. I’m glad how things turned out.
Elia
Who:
Elia Lee (@_elialee_) — 189 cm / 6’2.5″ — Brazilian from São Paulo, Brazil — born April 13th — he/him.
Where:
Land+Hugo (mother agency); Prime Management (Brazil)
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I had surgery when I was only a few days old. I was born with a harelip and the doctors decided to perform a cheiloplasty when I was still a newborn.
2. I can play the acoustic guitar and the drums.
3. I used to be the choir leader at my church.
— The most interesting thing about your family:
My parents are both from Korea and migrated to Brazil in their 30s, but they met in Brazil.
— What’s a story your family/friends like to tell about you?
My parents like to tell me the story of the day I was born. My mother went into labor earlier than expected. My parents were at home and didn’t have a telephone at the time, so when my mother started having contractions in the bedroom, my father left the house to use a public phone to tell the family about my birth. When he got back into the house, I was already born. As my parents were alone, my father used ordinary scissors to cut my umbilical cord.
Kessy
Who:
Kessy Iriza (@___kessy.za__) — 178 cm / 5’10” — Rwandan from Rwanda now based in Poland — born March 14th — she/her.
Where:
Specto Models (Warsaw – mother agency)
— How did you become a model?
It was a pretty cool experience, actually. I was going to a friend’s birthday and it was next to some cool places and clubs in Warsaw where I met Pawel and his friends. At that time I was kinda lost so when they approached me I was relieved and I was about to ask for directions. So, Pawel and his friends started telling me that I should join their agency and they really thought that I would be a great model. I went to their agency and got signed on the spot and now here I am! Great things ahead.
— Who is someone you admire and why?
I really have two people that I admire. One is my mom; she is the best thing that has ever happened to me. One of the strongest women that I know, she keeps pushing me to my very end and she’s always on my side no matter what, even when I’m down. All in all, she’s my best friend. Then there is Iman Abdulmajid, one of the most successful African models, She really motivates me a lot since she went through some obstacles as she was starting her modeling career and she still managed to be one of the top models back then. She didn’t let society stop her from doing what she knows best. She’s so beautiful, smart and stunning!
— What’s your most prized possession and why?
I treasure my friends and family a lot. I like making memories and having fun. It really warms my heart and makes me happy getting to spend time with them.
Noé
Who:
Noé Berloquin (@noeberloquin) — 186 cm / 6’1″ — French from Paris, France — born January 12th — he/him.
Where:
Matris Opus Management (New York – mother agency), Bananas Models (Paris), Independent Model Management (Milan)
— Who is your favorite entertainer?
Serge Gainsbourg (French author/compositor/interpreter 70’s): Transgressive, precursor, independent, dark, seductive.
Pierre Niney (French comedian in recent days): polyvalent, outstanding performer, youngness, funny.
— What’s your most prized possession and why?
My rattan set: desk/chair/lamp/shelf. So chic. It has been my first proper buy for my apartment, with my money, from my salary. Emotion-filled and aesthetically great. Very proud.
— Who is someone you admire and why?
Connor McGregor (world champion UFC fighter): he got on top of his sport by striking the hardest, being the smartest and giving his audience the best show each time he shows up. It seems so easy for him. What a career, what a life he’s living now.
Rafa
Who:
Rafa Noah (@rafanoah_) — 189 cm / 6’2.5″ — Spanish from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain — born December 5th — he/him.
Where:
Pop House (Las Palmas de G.C. – mother agency), Elite Milan, Sight Management Studio (Barcelona), Modelwerk (Hamburg)
— What are you super interested in that most people have never heard of?
One thing I like and people don’t know about me is that I’m really interested in astronomy and cosmology. In high school, I took some lessons about it. I started investigating by watching videos on YouTube, especially ones about black holes, white holes, and wormholes.
— Who is someone you admire and why?
I admire Stephen Curry because I’ve played basketball since I was 7 years old and I was slow to grow taller. I saw him play with all those bigger players and I felt like I identified with him.
— How did you become a model?
I was shopping with my dad in Tenerife after school and my (now) booker saw me. He told me about his agency Pop House, which had opened a new office in Tenerife. He told me that I had a good profile for modeling and asked if I wanted to go to the office to sign up and take some pictures. I went to the office wearing my school uniform and we took my first polaroids!
Romy
Who:
Romy Grootenboer (@romygrootenboer) — 180 cm / 5’11” — Dutch from Dordrecht, The Netherlands — born July 24th — she/her.
Where:
The Pure Mgmt (Assen – mother agency)
— Who is your favorite entertainer?
My girlfriend is my biggest entertainer. She’s so funny, always in for adventures and very impulsive which leads to a lot of funny/lovely moments.
— What are three interesting facts about you?
Three interesting facts about me, let’s go:
1. I’m very creative, I’ve always been. I like to draw, paint, photograph and illustrate. That’s also why I graduated from a graphic design program at school last year.
2. I hate potatoes.
3. I use my body as a canvas, I’m obsessed with tattoos.
— Your most embarrassing moment:
I wanted to try out the gym in a hotel I stayed in but put the treadmill on so hard that I was shot off like a rocket to the other side of the gym.