THREE INCREDIBLE WOMEN, THREE EYE-OPENING STORIES, ONE GOAL. THESE ARE THE FACES REDEFINING FASHION
AAMITO LAGUM
For Aamito, 24, modelling wasn’t something that just happened. It was a considered plan to prove to herself and her single mother that she was good enough, that law wasn’t her only career option and that she could shatter the perception in Africa that modelling is ‘immoral’. Had it not been for the 16-hour bus journey Aamito took from her home town Kampala, Uganda, to Nairobi, Kenya, to audition for Africa’s Next Top Model, aged 20, Aamito says she would probably now be ‘working in an average office, married with a child and another on the way’. The cross-country trip was worth it: she won the TV competition.
Aamito now lives in New York, and she has continued to achieve: she was the first black model to open for Balenciaga under Alexander Wang’s direction and has featured in an all-star Marc Jacobs campaign. But for her, it’s not just about fashion: ‘It’s about using your position of influence to make a difference, to stand up for the underdog, to fight for diversity and have a seat at the table,’ she says.
I AUDITIONED FOR
Africa’s Next Top Model to give myself peace of mind that I had at least tried – I didn’t want to look back with regrets. I told my mum, ‘This is the last audition I’ll do. I’m not going to talk about it any more if you just let me go to this audition.’
BY UGANDAN STANDARDS,
modelling is a rebellious thing for women to do. Society doesn’t understand the concept of being a fashion model – they see it as wrong and immoral.
MODELLING HAS GIVEN ME
a louder voice and I want to make an impact in a positive way, whether it’s empowering women or young girls. This summer, I’m going to Uganda to give out reusable sanitary towels to girls who can’t afford them. It might be a small project in a small community, but it’s a start.
I SPEND MOST OF MY TIME
in New York, where I live with my flat mate Jess, a dancer from Uganda. We promise ourselves at least once a month that we will go on a date, just the two of us. We get dressed up, take a taxi to a great little restaurant, order the tasting menu and drink a lot of wine. It’s our treat.
MY GUILTY PLEASURE IS
watching The Real Housewives of Atlanta. When someone comes in, I quickly switch the channel and pretend I’m not watching it.
THE PEOPLE YOU SURROUND
yourself with help to remind you of who you are. Social media can get you down; you have people saying negative things about you when they don’t even know who you are. For me, I have my mum and she reminds me of the journey I’ve been on and how far I’ve come. When you appreciate those amazing moments, you forget the one moment that made you feel down.
ADRIENNE JÜLIGER
If it weren’t for Justin Bieber,
Adrienne would still be living with her family in Bonn, Germany, spending her days as a competitive horse rider. When the frecklefaced 20-year-old went to watch a live taping of Germany’s Next Top Model, the prospect of modelling was not her main motivation: ‘I was a huge Justin Bieber fan and I found out that he was performing at the final [taping] of the show, so my friend and I went there to see him.’ While searching for a way in to catch a glimpse of her teenage heart-throb, Adrienne quite literally bumped into a model scout, who wanted to book her on the spot. Her first job was walking for Miuccia Prada in the SS15 resort show; since then, Adrienne has walked all the big catwalks, such as Chanel, Dior and Valentino, as well as appearing on the cover of ELLE France. Yet scrolling through the model’s Instagram account, it’s the pictures of Adrienne wearing cowboy boots, Stetsons and sequinned western outfits with her two horses, Libby and Rose, that reveal her biggest passion: ‘I love horse riding,’ she says. ‘If I could live anywhere, it would be Texas.’
LAST YEAR, I DROVE STRAIGHT FROM
Paris Fashion Week to my stable, picked up my horse and went to an international German equestrian competition. There were 36 horses taking part and I had hoped to place in the top 10 since I had been away for four weeks of fashion shows, but I ended up winning the whole competition!
WHEN I THINK OF FASHION IT'S NOT
really the clothes that I think about, but the models. Those iconic Eighties models in particular: Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Christy Turlington – they are fashion to me.
I WAS SO NERVOUS WHEN I
walked for Prada, all I could think of was, ‘Where is the exit?’ The catwalk felt a mile long, but in hindsight it was a short walk.
IT IS DIFFICULT TO MAKE FRIENDS
in the industry. You work with people once and then you don’t see them again for a year, sometimes ever, so it’s difficult to maintain contact. My friends at home are my best friends.
THE BEST PERSON I HAVE MET
on the job is Celine Dion. I have always listened to her music and belted out her ballads when I was younger – I was bowled over by how nice she was, but I was so starstruck, I could barely speak to her.
ISABELLA EMMACK
How do you go from maths class at school to one of the most-booked walkers in your first season? A haircut. A life-changing, scalp-skimming haircut: ‘I was really insecure about my long hair,’ says 19-year-old, Kansas City-born Isabella. ‘I wore it in a ponytail for seven years, so I felt like cutting it off was something I needed to do.’ But modelling hadn’t been on the cards for the self-professed tomboy, who was scouted aged 16 at a school basketball game: ‘When someone asked me if I wanted to model, I was like, are you kidding me?’ she says, still with a hint of surprise. Three months later, she was the girl with the pixie haircut walking in front of Kim Kardashian at the Alexander Wang AW15 show as an exclusive model, her hair styled by the legendary Guido Palau. Since then, with her signature crop and striking green eyes, she has fronted campaigns for Versus Versace and Bottega Veneta, and walked in every major fashion week – and all before turning 20. Now that’s what we call a good haircut. I GET A LOT OF JUDGEMENT FROM people about my short hair. Old ladies will come up to me in the bathroom and be like, ‘Do you understand this is the women’s bathroom?’ And I’m like, ‘Yes, actually I do, I can read.’ THE MIDWEST IS PROBABLY the best place to grow up. The people in Kansas City seem more genuine and more involved in each other’s lives. They truly care about you. I still have teachers from when I was 10 years old checking in to see how I am doing. There’s also a sense of freedom – you can just go and run in a field or explore the forest. It’s my safe haven. WHEN I WALKED MY FIRST SHOW for Alexander Wang, I had never been on the catwalk before. I felt like I was running and floating at the same time. It was incredible. PEOPLE THINK I AM SOME KIND OF party girl because the hair makes me look like a rocker, but I’ve been to two parties in my life. I would much rather watch Netflix and have a night in. EVEN TO THIS I struggle with mental illness. It’s something that needs to be talked about more. The isolation, being away from the only place I had ever been in my life, was hard: I loved my community, Fridaynight football games, bonfires and seeing my friends, and doing those things became difficult. I started going to therapy, opening up to my agents, my mum, my friends. That helped me get to a better place. DAY, I WANT TO CREATE A PLATFORM where I can voice things I really care about, whether it’s music or connecting people about [the challenges of] mental illness. I want people to know it’s OK to feel that way.