@modelsdot We have new rookies for this week’s special #NYFW edition of #MDCSelects Models.com/newfaces for more on their interviews 👏 #newfaces #mdc #scouting #freshfaces ♬ I'm Good (Blue) – David Guetta & Bebe Rexha

Adonis

Who:
Adonis Gibson (@adonisjgibson) — 183 cm / 6’0″ — American from Tampa, Florida, USA — born February 7th — he/him.

Where:
Ross Van Alstine (mother agent)

— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
The struggle to survive when choosing yourself. Creatives and entrepreneurs give everything before getting anything. Our mental, our physical, our money. Because of struggle, we stop pursuing our passions and live a life of normality and regret. I dropped out of college to live the life I know I can have, and I won’t stop until I get it. Dead or alive, at least I tried.

— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
Before dropping out of my third year, I studied theatre with an emphasis on vocal performance.

— How did you become a model?
I was discovered on social media. I had just moved to Los Angeles and started posting more of myself online. From there, I started working with photographers and designers locally, then got scouted by my mother agent.

Blade

Who:
Blade Rogers (@bladetrix) — 168 cm / 5’5.5″ — American from Louisville, Kentucky, USA — born September 12th — she/her.

Where:
Natural Models (Los Angeles – mother agency)

— What are you super interested in that most people have never heard of?
I am absolutely obsessed with the art of swords…. that’s how I got my name, Blade! Most people have never heard of swords as a culture or art form. I’m specifically fascinated by the Japanese-style sword, Katana.

— An issue or cause you are passionate about?
I have been volunteering with a local organization called Feed Louisville for years. We help to support communities in need of meals in Louisville, KY. I started volunteering in high school, specifically lending support for our local Boys and Girls Club and Urban League.

— Who is someone you admire and why?
I really admire Keke Palmer. She’s been working hard at her craft for so long. She’s been very open about her struggles, and I find it really inspiring. She motivates me to work hard towards my goals even with a lot going on in life.

Dries

Who:
Dries Van Steen (@driesvansteen) — 186 cm / 6’1″ — Brazilian from São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil — born April 5th — he/him.

Where:
Way Model Management (São Paulo – mother agency), The Society Management (New York), Elite Paris, I Love Models Management (Milan)

— Who is your favorite entertainer?
My dearest entertainer is certainly Fernanda Abreu, a Brazilian samba-funk artist from Rio de Janeiro. She was a pioneer of new urban attitudes and sounds emerging in the 90s. What makes me enchanted with her is her completely powerful but cohesive brew of different languages and genres into a new familiar concept. It’s a concept of life in the city. Life in Brazil’s cosmopolitan yet in-development cities. Fernanda is truly an alchemist in her creations.

— What’s your most prized possession and why?
What I value the most are my two autographed books by Mia Couto. He’s a Mozambican biologist and literary author deeply inspired by a Brazilian author, one of my favorites: Guimarães Rosa. But Mia is in a whole world of his own. In fact, what I’m crazy about is exactly that: the worlds he presents to me through his books. Religiously magical worlds, always true to Mozambican geography and history. I’ve just started my fifth book by him!

— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
I am an Architecture and Urbanism student at the Historical Center of São Paulo. Full-time. I reconcile it with my model career, and so the crossing between the bridges of Fashion and Architecture takes up my entire day-to-day life. I moved to the city center to optimize both worlds — I’m next to everywhere I need to be. Hannah Montana who?

Jacob

Who:
Jacob Ishak (@jacob_ishak121) — 185 cm / 6’1″ — Canadian from London, Ontario, Canada — born February 16th — he/him.

Where:
Chapter Management (London – mother agency)

— Your most embarrassing moment:
The most embarrassing thing that happens to me is almost every day when I’m talking to someone like movie theatre staff or waitstaff at a restaurant, etc., and I say “you too” when they tell me to enjoy my food or movie and then it’s just an awkward silence.

— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
For some reason, people are always shocked when they see that I actually get good grades in school. People always think otherwise so it’s funny when they find out.

— What are you super interested in that most people have never heard of?
I am really interested in working with my hands. I love working outside and doing everything from doing a garden to fixing cars and building houses.

Olivia

Who:
Olivia Wood (@oliviajne) — 176 cm / 5’9″ — American from Silver Spring, Maryland, USA — born June 14th — she/her.

Where:
JEM Models (mother agency), VNY Models (New York)

— One thing you never want to do again:
Halloween is my favorite holiday and I really enjoy watching horror movies but last Halloween I went to a haunted cornfield maze and it was absolutely terrifying. Safe to say I will not be doing that again. I prefer watching scary movies in the safety of my own home.

— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I have always loved animals and grew up with many different pets but I recently adopted a cat rescued from Afghanistan and realized that I am definitely a cat person.
2. I have a crippling fear of certain spiders and some insects. Big and fuzzy are OK but long and leggy really freak me out!
3. Someday I would love to have a home with a huge garden in the south of France or Tuscany (I’m not too picky) where I can grow my own fruits and vegetables.

— What’s your most prized possession and why?
As much as I hate to admit it, I think my vintage black boots are my most prized possession at this moment. I got them less than a year ago and I wear them far too often… they are literally falling apart. I keep getting them fixed because I honestly can’t find a more perfect pair of shoes.

Ran

Who:
Ran Zhang (@ranzhang020820) — 181 cm / 5’11.5″ — Chinese from Nanjing, Jiangsu, China — born August 20th — she/her.

Where:
Tigers Management (Munich – mother agency)

— The most interesting thing about your family:
I’m actually proud to have been born into a family with a strong artistic atmosphere. My dad is a professor at a university teaching graphic design and my mom is a music teacher. Therefore, I grew up with a lot of their influence. In terms of art, my perception of it is multifaceted, which is why I later chose art history as my major. Due to my mother’s influence, I started to practice cello and piano at a young age and consider music a lifelong partner.

— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I am the kind of person who has the kind of “old” and “chill” lifestyle, I like to listen to classical music and like going to different kinds of museums and enjoy finding out spots for reading in the city.
2. I like to play the cello when I am enjoying my spare time. I am now playing as a cellist in one of the orchestras in Berlin.
3. Also, I am really into learning different kinds of languages, I find multiple cultures really attractive.

— Who is your favorite entertainer?
My favorite entertainer is twoset violin. They are two passionate violinists from Australia, now Youtubers doing music channels sharing fun facts in the field of classical music. I like the way they introduce classical music in a light-hearted way. Sometimes I learn a lot from them and I also keep them as a motivation for my own cello practice.