Marina Romashina: Open up to the unknown while you are young!

Marina Romashina, a fashion model, agreed to answer my questions for an interview.

— Where did the idea of trying it out as a fashion model come from?

— I think it is rooted in my childhood. I used to love watching various shows featuring fashion models and their catwalk entrances. I have always been interested in this. I also loved being photographed. In fact, my grandmother was my first photographer. She used to take pictures of me, she would tell me what posture to adopt to look better. We would then look at the photographs, and gradually this dream about becoming a fashion model gathered some substance.

— Was your grandmother seriously into photography?

— No, she wasn’t a professional photographer, but I used to spend a lot of time with her. Polaroid and changing into different kinds of outfits – this was exciting.

When I started school, all of my time was spent on studies, I could think of nothing else. I am an ‘all or nothing’ sort of person, so I naturally wanted to finish school as a straight A student. Later on I went into college and I began thinking that when I move to Yekaterinburg (I am originally from Yugorsk) I should try and see if I can be good at something. But then my studies started again, and I had to dedicate myself entirely to this.

However, one fine day last summer something happened in my head and I realized that I need to move elsewhere. I want to do something that is useful and that I enjoy doing. This is how I found myself at a modeling agency.

— How did you pick your agency?

— I spent about a month looking at different options myself since I really did not feel like wasting my time on something superficial (no offense to anyone). So I finally decided on Fashion One Model Management.

I really liked the photographs they present there. First and foremost, I looked at the models themselves, because websites don’t usually explain very well what an agency does, they basically just advertise the companies. I must admit I was very impressed with the professional level of models and photographers. I also found out last November that the agency was enrolling candidates to their modeling school. I went to their Open Doors Day, someone named Natasha Koneva sat next to me there, she said ‘Hi’, and this is how it all started.

— Was your primary training covered by the agency?

— I actually paid for myself, and this is a normal scenario. Agencies usually run schools for people who do not necessarily aspire to be fashion models; quite often, they just want to boost their self-esteem, learn to sit for a photo shoot, try something new, and socialize with interesting people. It was my own choice to go to that school, and I do not regret my decision, this was exciting.

— You have only been with this agency for a few months, and your photographs are already being featured by a popular magazine. How big a workload did you have in the first three months?

— I had three projects to run: first, a photo shoot for Sunday Up Market, you could say this was my first serious work experience. Then, there were some lower-profile shoots, and I also sat for magazines twice. In a word, I was busy enough.

— You act in a very confident, free and uninhibited way in front of the camera. Is this skill something that you were born with, or did you learn this at your modeling school?

— It seems to me I was born with it. This skill is extremely hard to develop. One can choose the right angles, but the camera loving you is a sort of gift.

— And when your grandmother took pictures of you, did she use to advise you on what position to adopt? How was the shooting organized?

— She could tell me, ‘Come on, give me a coquette.’ So I would sit and muse about what I should do, how to shift my hat a little lower, how to smile. The photo shoots were rather serious.

— A modeling job involves doing some bits on the catwalk and taking part in fashion shows. Do you have any experience in this respect, or do you only do photography for now?

— A professional fashion model must be able to do everything from the catwalk to socializing with people. I actually have more experience with photography at the moment, I feel better as a photography model.

— Did they teach you to do the catwalk at school?

— Yes, I was taught to do that. I really enjoyed this part, these were my favorite classes. Everything seemed fascinating at the time, I did not realize how hard this really was. I haven’t had any experience in this field, though, I only received some training, which is still in progress, actually.

— What are your ambitions as far as the modeling business goes?

— I will naturally keep trying. As I said, I am an ‘all or nothing’ sort of person and I will try till I see the result. I would like to work abroad, too. There was a time, however, when I used to think this was not my cup of tea; to be more precise, I used to think I couldn’t do it, but, thanks to certain people, I have no more doubts. I now understand that I want to and I will keep trying. It is better to regret the things you did than the things you didn’t do.

— You are now adopting the lifestyle of a professional fashion model; does this impose any limitations on your everyday life: your diet, your daily routine?

— At the beginning – during perhaps the first week – I thought I would limit myself. Yet there are no ‘no-no’ foods as far as the diet goes, and I have never actually kept to a strict diet, and I don’t think I am going to. As for exercise, I have always gone to the gym on a regular basis and tried to keep fit. Also, there is no conflict of interests with my studies as of yet: I am trying to combine working and studying, and this has been working out quite well so far.

— How does your family feel about this?

— My father has always told me that I am talented, and a lot of people actually suggested I should try it out as a fashion model. I used to say I would try this later, and my father insisted, ‘God gave you a pretty face, go for it!’

I didn’t even tell anybody that I started taking classes at a modeling school, only very few people knew about this, not even my parents were aware. When everything was ready – I was about to sign the contract – I told them. My father, of course, provided me with immense support, he would always tell me to go forward and keep trying and he would back me up.

— Did you show your works to your parents?

— I showed them the WTF magazine when they came to visit: I saved a copy specially for my parents.

— Which foreign fashion model would you like to emulate and see as your role model?

— If we look among the thirty-somethings who are quite well-known and who are still in the modeling business, this would probably be Kate Moss. What really appeals to me about her is that she does not fit into the general stereotype about models: they are supposed to be tall, goddess-like women. Kate Moss, however, is more natural, she has this girl-next-door appearance. If we look among the new generation, this would be Cara Delevingne, she has an amazing charisma.

— Kate Moss had some publicity around her. The story of her becoming addicted to cocaine alone…

– I am not talking about her lifestyle. When one becomes famous, one can turn away from the straight road and take the wrong turn, everyone knows that. As a model, however, she proved that it is possible to be a success even if you are not tall or don’t have a great body.

— What well-known photographers did you manage to work with in Yekaterinburg in three months?

— Ksenia Vetrova, first of all. This photo shoot was the first serious experience for me, and I really liked working with her. Then, there was Roma Mitchenko, who teaches at our modeling school. I also did a photo shoot called ‘Let’s Have a Wedding!’ with Oleg Turinsky recently. There were also Yuri Lishenko, who did some work for WTF, and Artem Surkov. Ksenia is, naturally, the most memorable photographer for me.

— How did it feel seeing yourself in a magazine?

— When I saw the photographs, before they actually printed by the magazine, I thought,’ Wow, is this really me? How come?’ And then as soon as I opened the magazine I realized how nice it feels slowly but surely to reach your goal, how wonderful it is to have some achievements. I loved it, I find it unbelievably pleasant to see the result.

— A contract with an agency sets certain limits to things you can do, and yet you have pages on social networks. Does the agency try to control the way you communicate?

— I haven’t felt any serious limitations, because I am allowed to use the product I have created myself. Of course, if your have a customer to work with, and they have exclusive rights over the photographs, this is an entirely different story. I haven’t had any photo shoots with such strict limits yet. I can actually upload my own works on the Internet. I haven’t yet been forbidden to do this by anyone, and no one has ever told me I could display this and couldn’t display that, even though there are certain restrictions on the agency’s part, we do talk over some provisos.

— If we look at the biographies of all the famous fashion models, we’ll see that nearly all of them did some nude photography at an early stage of their careers. However, posing topless is a sort of taboo for Russian models. Why do you think Russian women do not want to take their clothes off in front of the camera?

— Most likely, starlet models are afraid of being talked about, even though we do live in a city with the population of over 1m. The way they were brought up by their parents could be another reason for this. Quite a few relatives or boyfriends forbid these women to do anything of that sort. Some women would perhaps say yes, but there are certain restrictions to consider, and some women might simply be too shy. I had a discussion about this with my friends recently, and I got really frustrated because some people say this is art and some people say this is porn, even though it is not. A naked woman in front of a camera is something to be denounced for many (under-educated) people. I personally see nothing wrong with this. It all depends on the model herself: some of them are quite unfettered; they love their body and are not afraid of showing it.

As regards my own self, even though I see nothing reprobate in nude photography and do not make any judgments, I am not quite prepared to do nude photo shoots myself at the moment. Never say never, but right now I am not ready for this.

— Can models really feel embarrassed about their bodies?

I think they can, but this is true of starlets rather than professional models. I used to think that one goes to a modeling school to become a model. Yet quite a few people go there to become less inhibited, to learn to love themselves, to learn something new. In any case, embarrassment is an obstacle.

— And what was your father’s opinion on the subject?

— No, my parents are not going to impose any terms or conditions upon me. I have been free to do what I wanted since I was sixteen, my father said he would advise me and support me but would not forbid me to do anything. At most, he could approach me later and say, ‘Tisk, tisk, why would you do a thing like that?’

— There is a time frame for everything. How big a portion of your life are you prepared to devote to modeling, to business and career, so to say?

— This is a very difficult question to answer. I am not planning for anything for the next five years at least. For one, I have to get my degree at college. I need to achieve something in life so that I can have a family later. I try to think along the Western standards: business before children, to make sure they have everything they need. You should open up to the unknown while you are young, and later on you can dedicate your time to children and family.

— Let’s imagine you became a top model. Working with which brand would you see as the summit of your career?

— My ultimate dream is to become the face of Dior, this would make me the happiest person on earth.

Marina Romashina, photograph by Ksenia Vetrova for SUNDAY UP MARKET EKATERINBURG

Marina Romashina, photograph by Yuri Lishenko for WTF Magazine No. 12

Marina Romashina, photograph by Artem Surkov for баррикадка.рф

Photo source/model’s web page: http://vk.com/romashina_marina.

Короткий URL: https://photoekb.ru/?p=7301

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Написал blackpr в 03.03.2014 | 10:01. Соответствие In English, Интервью. Вы можете перейти к обсуждениям записи RSS 2.0. Вы можете сделать trackback вашей записи