Model behaviour
Supermodel Adwoa Aboah has helped change the fashion and beauty industry. She tells
ADWOA ABOAH has been a bonafide supermodel since 2017, showcasing brands including Calvin Klein and Fendi, but as we chat to her we soon realise the 29-yearold is more interested in her influence off the catwalk than on it.
After suffering from depression and addiction, Adwoa made it her mission to use her voice to help others going through similarly tough times. She pinpoints the catalyst for some of her struggles as working in a notoriously unforgiving, and historically non-inclusive, industry.
“My job played a major role in the way I looked at myself, so I had to do something about it. I wanted to change it,” she says.
Of course, she’s proud of her success in the fashion and beauty world, but she feels even more passionate when chatting about Gurls Talk, the mental health initiative she set up for young women.
Now, with a new Rimmel makeup collaboration hitting shelves – aptly named the Kind & Free range – we talk to the star about her favourite beauty picks, and how she’s conquering past demons…
Adwoa, you look amazing! Is there any point asking a supermodel what she uses?
That’s kind of you to say. I’m very minimal. I like a lip salve – I put that on my eyelids as well as my lips. If I’m not having a good skin day, I don’t cover it up with foundation, I leave it. I haven’t always felt confident doing that, but it’s what I have to do.
What do you reach for when you want a little beauty boost?
I use a Rimmel lip liner in the shade Spice, as it’s just easy to use. Eyebrow gel is also my go-to, but I’m not into brow colour – I only use clear formulas. That’s about it.
Speaking of Rimmel, can you tell us a bit about your new make-up collection…
I think my favourite product is the moisturising skin tint. It has that dewy finish, which is how I like to look. I also wanted a wide colour choice to be reflected in the creative decision, so there are 12 shades. I love the mascara, too.
Did you always know you would become a model?
Definitely not. But it grounds me to know it wasn’t necessarily something I strived for, and I now respect my perseverance of sticking with it, even though it wasn’t going the way I wanted it to.
What challenges have you faced?
The industry didn’t feel very inclusive.
I didn’t understand why I wasn’t getting the same opportunities as other girls. Now I have much more of an understanding, and my perception of the industry has completely changed as it has changed.
Have you grown quite a thick skin?
I had no idea how much rejection there would be. I had to grow about five skins, but it’s been a blessing.
I think it’s important for anyone starting out in modelling to have other things going on – you can’t have all your eggs in one basket. As a model, you now need to bring more. We’ve reframed what it means to be a model.
Are there any changes you’d like to see happen in the fashion and beauty industry?
The list is quite long, but I think we’re getting there. I don’t like seeing people who are just jumping on the race, mental health or gender trends. People who have been, and are still, interested in pushing the conversations forward, that’s what I’m about.
We bet you’ve also had some amazing moments in your career…
ZOE CRIPPS how she’s done it
I think my Time Magazine cover was mega, and my British Vogue cover will always be a major moment because I think it marked a change. I’m so happy and grateful to have been a part of that.
You’ve also been on quite the journey outside of modelling…
Yes, I think the journey that got me to now is completely unrelated to modelling. I had to do lots of self work. If I hadn’t done that, I don’t think I’d be here.
It sounds like you’re very passionate about helping others facing mental health issues?
Yes, as soon as I got my Italian Vogue cover – which was the start of my career changing – I was already working on Gurls Talk. I had taken a step back [from modelling] and was collaborating with non-profits.
I wasn’t thinking about jumping back into the industry. Talking about taboo subjects became ingrained in me from the moment I got support for my own struggles.
In your opinion, can social media be blamed for damaging mental health?
Right now I’m seeing a space overwhelmingly clouded with toxicity, and it’s getting harder to see the good things happening [on social media]. It takes a lot of willpower not to go into a deep hole, at any age. It seems obvious to me that young girls shouldn’t be on Instagram, but that won’t change any time soon.