Airese
Who:
Airese Uko (@airese.uko) — 178 cm / 5’10” — Nigerian from Calabar, Nigeria — born September 11th — she/her.
Where:
Beguided Model Management (Port Harcourt – mother agency), GIRL (Paris), THE WOLVES (Milan)
— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
My eyes. I have very unique eyes. In fact, I was short-sighted when I was scouted, but by the time I began training, I stopped wearing my glasses, and surprisingly I do not have such a problem with my eyes or rely on those glasses.
— How did you become a model?
I have always dreamt of modeling. For me, modeling represents a way of earning a living while doing something I love. So with that, I decided on what kind of modeling I wanted to focus on then a friend of mine referred me to my (now) mother agency.
— What’s your most prized possession and why?
I would say my family. Though they are not a possession in terms of material things, I wouldn’t trade them for anything. They are always by my side whenever I am lost or am having a breakdown. They are just my backbone.
Alex
Who:
Alex Valcan (@alexandervalcan) — 187 cm / 6’1.5″ — Moldovan/Romanian from Chisinau, Moldova — born January 17th — he/him.
Where:
Meka Models (Moldova – mother agency), Bananas Models (Paris), IMG Milano
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I have studied music theory and piano at the national art school in Chisinau for ten years, as well as being a concertmaster for an accordion orchestra and a choir for three years.
2. I have a strange phobia of caterpillars. I don’t know why, but they scare me, especially if they’re big and fuzzy.
3. Because of my dad’s job, I have been traveling the world on cruise ships since I was five, getting acquainted with half of the world. It is the thing that made me understand that even if we have different histories and cultures, at the end of the day, we’re all kinda the same.
— The most interesting thing about your family:
My parents met in South Korea (even if they’re both from Moldova), the country in which I started my modeling career abroad! They had been working as dancers and entertainers for a while, and my father modeled for underwear brands in Korea and did a shoot for Versace in Italy (I guess the passion for fashion runs in the family 😂).
— One thing you never want to do again:
When I was 10, my mom made me participate in a singing contest. I was very scared, cried before stepping on stage, and maybe even managed to embarrass myself a bit on national tv. Needless to say, this is definitely something that I will never do again.
Anna
Who:
Anna Borodastova (@anna_borodastova) — 176 cm / 5’9″ — Ukrainian from Kyiv, Ukraine — born February 26th — she/her.
Where:
Dope Models (Kyiv – mother agency), Muse Management (New York), Wilhelmina London, Blow Models (Barcelona)
— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
I’m studying directing. I’ve been on the set of numerous productions since I was 16, and I’ve been working on film projects ever since. Filmmaking is what I’ve always been passionate about.
— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
I’ve been engaged in volunteering and supporting Ukrainians and the Ukrainian army. If you would like to support our heroes, here’s where you can do it.
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I speak four languages: Ukrainian, Russian, English and German.
2. I can’t stand being still. I need to constantly work and be on the move.
3. I’ve always been a very, very curious kid. I still am.
Carlo
Who:
Carlo Hattori (@carlohatt_) — 180 cm / 5’11” — Mexican from Chiapas, Mexico — born August 3rd — he/him.
Where:
Queta Rojas (Mexico City – mother agency), HEROES Model Management (New York), Linden Staub (London), Trend Model Management (Barcelona), STATE Management (Los Angeles)
— Who is your favorite entertainer?
I would say Picasso. He is so out of this world. I love it!
— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
That I eat a lot!!!!!! Haha!
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I am a forgiver with a lot of energy. I always forget everything!!
2. I also love to paint.
3. I believe I have a lot of initiative.
Jainil
Who:
Jainil Nawariya
(@jaynile_
) — 192 cm / 6’3.5″ — Indian from Jaipur, India — born December 1st — he/him.
Where:
Anon Models (Mumbai – mother agency)
— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
That I cook surprisingly well. Even I was surprised after eating a few recent recipes of mine!
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I was a hardcore gamer. It doesn’t matter if it was physical sports or eSports.
2. My current obsession is learning different languages.
3. I am a fitness enthusiast. I love to try new aspects of fitness, such as calisthenics.
— Who is someone you admire and why?
It’s my mother who I admire the most because she’s the only breadwinner in our family, and she always believed in me when nobody else did.
Mariana
Who:
Mariana Gonçalves (@marianas.goncalves) — 176 cm / 5’9″ — Portuguese from Lisbon, Portugal — born December 29th — she/her.
Where:
Central Models (Lisbon – mother agency), Sight Management Studio (Barcelona)
— What’s a story your family/friends like to tell about you?
My parents always tell everyone that, back when I was little, I used to take to school a fork and a plate, which is actually something I see myself doing. It’s super characteristic because all of my friends would take toys, dolls, and other usual things, but I was ready to sit in the playground and play with just a fork and a plate, ahahahaha.
— Who is someone you admire and why?
I really admire my father. Not only because I see him as a good person but also because he pushes a lot for my brother and me intellectually. We always have big discussions about life and what we are here for. That’s something he wants us to think about. He motivates us to have critical thinking and to be ourselves. All this mixed up with kindness.
— How did you become a model?
That’s actually an interesting story. I’ve become a model because of my friends, which may sound strange, but back then, my agency was doing an open casting, and they decided to apply for me without me noticing. I then passed to the casting and got accepted. I owe this to them, and they were the ones to put me in the modeling world, which was never something I thought I’d be in.