@modelsdot We bring you six new faces from Cyprus🇨🇾to the UK 🇬🇧. These rookies share with us how they were discovered, causes they’re passionate about, and one thing they would never do again. To see the answers, click the link in the bio. 👀✨ #mdc #newfaces #models #fashion #posing #howto #fyp #mdc ♬ Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53 – Bizarrap & Shakira
Dragos
Who:
Dragos Lapuste (@god__dragos) — 190 cm / 6’3″ — Romanian from Cluj, Romania — born November 20th — he/him.
Where:
Meka Models (Moldova – mother agency)
, Marilyn Agency (New York), Independent Model Management (Milan)
— Who is your favorite entertainer?
Amza Pellea. He was a Romanian actor and stand-up comedian born in 1931. I consider him a legend because he played in a lot of movies with an incredible passion, which made it obvious that he really loved acting. That inspires me because it is exactly how I want to feel about my job.
— What’s a story your family/friends like to tell about you?
My family makes fun of me because when I was little, I was afraid of Traian Basescu (Romania’s president at that time). My parents used to threaten me that he would come and take me away when I did something wrong as a kid.
— What’s your most prized possession and why?
One is a silver round medallion with the face of Carolus Rex dating from 1800 found in the ground by my uncle, that I now wear around my neck all the time. The other is a precious gold ring my mom gave me that belonged to my great-grandmother, which I also wear all the time.
Emma
Who:
Emma Jo Menne (@emma__menne) — 175 cm / 5’9″ — German from Münster, Germany — born May 5th — she/her.
Where:
Mega Model Agency (Hamburg – mother agency)
— Who is your favorite entertainer?
Vivienne Westwood. A great woman! Everything about her is fascinating. And I think everyone knows why. My favorite quote: The best fashion accessory is a book.
— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
I admire the people and especially the women in Iran, who fight for their rights and for freedom. They risk their lives for values that we take for granted.
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I did Russian Ballet for 13 years, and thanks to my teacher, I now know what discipline and attitude mean.
2. I don’t really know why, but I love being on a stage, being seen. Becoming an actor was an option of mine. But then came Paris (where I was scouted when I was scouted).
3. And last not least, I adore French, the language, and French cuisine.
Felicity
Who:
Felicity Baker (@felicityvbaker) — 173 cm / 5’8″ — British from Norwich, UK — born March 12th — she/her.
Where:
Lucille MGMT (Paris – mother agency), Supreme Management (New York)
— What are three interesting facts about you?
I have Korean blood and a US passport but a British accent. I think this combination of factors tells a lot about my upbringing and values.
— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
I recently spent time in both Israel and Palestine. It was extremely educational and undeniably shocking. I feel that the history of the conflict and better religious education is needed in the West. We are distanced from it, so it’s easy to turn a blind eye to the suffering. Without an understanding of the importance of faith to both individuals and communities, conversations cannot be had. We live in a secular society. This is not the reality in the Middle East. It’s easy to point fingers and pick sides based on prejudices and media- this is not so easy when you are living in the conflict or have family there. I think the West needs to rethink its approach to how we talk about Israel and Palestine.
— The most interesting thing about your family:
They’ve run a renewable energy company since 2006 and have expanded to have offices in the UK and South Africa. When it was first started, my parents could only afford to run it from our home. This meant there were about 20 installers standing in our kitchen every morning before school drinking tea and coffee; all other space was office space too. The renewables industry is notoriously unreliable; I’m used to chaos and instability. Business, sustainability, and global politics have consumed every dinner-time conversation. It’s only now in my young adulthood I fully understand the importance of what they’ve been trying to achieve. I think the world is finally waking up to renewables.
Gelson
Who:
Gelson Semedo Antonio (@gelsonthewaves) — 189 cm / 6’2.5″ — Portuguese/Angolan from Corroios, Portugal — born February 25th — he/him.
Where:
Central Models (Lisbon – mother agency), I Love Models Management (Milan)
— What are you super interested in that most people have never heard of?
There’s this K-Pop group I love, LOONA, they have this complex storyline they tell through their music videos, and it’s really interesting to analyze them and piece the story together.
— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
When I was little, I used to want to be a marine biologist. I’ve always been interested in the ocean (water in general) and marine life since a pretty young age. That’s one of the reasons I loved swimming and I loved being in the water. Though my career path changed, I still have an inexplicable love for the ocean.
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I’m a major cat person. I love dogs, don’t get me wrong, but I resonate more with cats.
2. Somehow, I’ve never seen a frog in person.
3. I used to have swimming lessons when I was younger, from 5 to 13 years old.
Vitória
Who:
Vitória Amorim (@vamoris) — 175 cm / 5’9″ — Brazilian from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil — born October 4th — she/her.
Where:
Independent Model Management (Costa Rica – mother agency), d’management group (Milan), Kult London, Kult Hamburg, Two Management (Barcelona)
— What’s your most prized possession and why?
Hmmm… my crystals? It might sound silly, but whether their properties work or not, they’re like a little reminder, a materialization of the qualities I seek or need to work on, and it brings me a lot of comfort in moments of need (I’ll literally take them with me everywhere- castings included)
— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
I think all social problems are ultimately a concern of all individuals; if it threatens one, it threatens the whole, and that’s the basics of empathy and collectiveness. So a lot of causes speak to me, but I’d say that women’s rights and racial injustice are, in an intersectional manner, issues that I’m more involved in and vocal about since I deal with them directly every day.
— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
I don’t know how to ride a bike, and all the attempts to learn have led me to historical concussions and/or sprains.
Yiorgos
Who:
Yiorgos Paraskevas (@iorgoparaskeva) — 189 cm / 6’2.5″ — Cypriot from Nicosia, Cyprus — born February 18th — he/him.
Where:
Pop House (Las Palmas de G.C. – mother agency), Soul Artist Management (New York), Select Model Management Paris, d’management group (Milan), PRM Agency (London), Modelwerk (Hamburg), Sight Management Studio (Barcelona), IMM Bruxelles (Brussels), Brooks Modeling Agency (Amsterdam)
— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
It’s not that I’m the most passionate person in the world, but I have an issue with where I’m from and what I’m doing. It’s a bit frustrating and interesting at the same time that I’m going to work, and they don’t know where I’m from, or they say Greece. I’m from Cyprus, and I’m passionate about this. All the time that I worked in this industry, I realized that I am the only one with this nationality, and this makes me more passionate about being who I am and doing what I have to.
— One thing that you never do again:
I want to never make mistakes that I made in my past, no matter how hard it is. I know many people are stuck in the past and keep making the same mistakes. I do the same, and I feel that as I grow older, I should be open to new challenges in my life and not to the past. Mistakes show us that we should keep them from our reality and move on without repeating them.
— How did you become a model?
So I never thought about becoming a model, but it happened about three years ago when I was in Cyprus. I was at the gym doing my morning cardio, and I saw a message from an agency in Athens that they would like to see me in person. I was a bit scared at the time, but after a month or so, I decided to go meet them. Since then, l have believed I have something to give to this industry.