Photography by Ana Lui
It seems like there is always a fashion shoot going on here in Ibiza. It’s not surprising really, considering some of the beautiful beaches and rock-star villas that make for a stunning backdrop (not to mention plenty of places to celebrate afterwards!). My guess is that most of the world’s top models have been photographed here at some time or another, even if it’s only by paparazzi when they are on holiday.
Whilst I never had any desire to be a model myself when I was younger (and the agencies weren’t exactly knocking on my door!), I must say I’ve always thought it looked quite fun. So when photographer Ana Lui, who does lots of stunning fashion work in Ibiza, (as well as gorgeous shots for the White Ibiza site), offered me the chance to be a model for a day, I nearly bit her poor hand off. In case you haven’t heard, ‘old’ models are all the rage at the moment. At the recent Autumn/Winter shows in New York, London, Paris and Milan, the stars of some big label shows such as Calvin Klein, Victor & Rolf, and Louis Vuitton were in their 40s (and Elle Macpherson is pushing 50!) and some even had grey hair.
Now I’m still a few years off 40, and goodness only knows what colour my natural hair is, but if that was what was happening on the catwalk I didn’t feel too old to model! Plus, we had just received some amazing clothes, including that sass + bide dress Beyonce wore to the MTV awards.
After accepting, I suffered from an extreme case of pre-shoot nerves. Would a whole jar of Crème de la Mer fix those wrinkles overnight? If I went for a run tonight will I lose 5kg in my sleep? In the end I opted for a large glass of red wine, went to bed early, and dreamt about all the episodes of America’s Top Model I’ve seen. I must have learnt something about posing by osmosis!
In the end, our photo shoot wasn’t typical of those regularly done here in Ibiza – there wasn’t a beach in sight (and certainly no bikinis). We deliberately sought out graffitied doors, peeling paintwork and old stone walls at the foot of D’alt Vila for our backdrops. I walked up stairs, jumped around (in six-inch heels mind you), leaned in doorways, and tried to look sultry. And every now and then Ana would suddenly shout ‘Yes! Gorgeous!’
So was it as easy as it looks? No. It’s difficult to look natural and take direction at the same time, and I really don’t know what I was doing differently whenever Ana’s face changed from a frown to an excited smile. The end results were some great shots (or maybe that was thanks to post-production Photoshop – either way I don’t mind) and I had great fun in the process.
I’d certainly get out of bed for less than 10 000€ to do it again someday!
Photography by Ana Lui
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