BODIES
Many people are beautiful,but that doesn’t make them a model. What else does it take?
We’re all beautiful in our own way. But,like you said,beauty itself doesn’t qualify someone to be a model. The most important thing – which comes before beauty,in my opinion – is personality. I know so many beautiful girls who have a really bad attitude. You have to be nice to others,respectful and thoughtful.
What about physically? What do you need to do with your body to be catwalk- and photoshoot-ready?
For me ... I don’t do anything.[Laughs] I’m naturally blessed with a fast-working metabolism. I eat like crazy. Even if I was the type of person who could gain weight,I wouldn’t put myself through[dieting]. I know girls who stop themselves from eating for the sake of remaining skinny,and it becomes very unhealthy. It affects them mentally. I work out – I go to the gym – and I used to do athletics. I come from a very active,sporty family. We all did running and played sports. Even in the refugee camp,we would have racing competitions and we made a soccer ball out of rubber bands. It’s just in me.
Modelling looks glamorous from the outside. What’s not glamorous about it?
It’s a lot of hard work. We wake up early,work 15 to 16 hours a day,put our bodies through so much. With shows,you wake up at 5.30am or 6am,do make-up,rehearsal,you’re sleep-deprived. During fashion month,by the time you get to the last day,you haven’t slept in about three weeks and your body is crashing.
Earlier this year,Who magazine ran a feature on you,but with a photo of Ugandan-Australian model Flavia Lazarus. You said publicly the error was “unacceptable and inexcusable” and felt your “entire race has been disrespected”. How do you reflect on that incident now?
It was insulting;it is racist and it is pure,straight-up racism and whoever doesn’t see it as racist has a problem. Australia is my home,and it affects me when these types of things happen. A lot of people were saying,“Oh,it’s just a common error. It’s a mistake.” When something happens constantly,it’s no longer “a mistake”. A lot of people think that to be racist,you have to say,“You don’t belong in this country,” but racism doesn’t just come in one form.