Senait Gidey, new muse! iloveyouwildfox
Exclusive Interview - Senait Gidey During a season which saw scarce visibility of models of colour on fashion's white-washed runways, the emergence of Canadian/Ethiopian newcomer Senait Gidey seemed somewhat of an apparition.
Seventeen year old Gidey's impeccable show list included appearances at Chanel, Burberry Prorsum, Emilio Pucci, Kenzo, Max Mara, Loewe, Christopher Kane, and Guy Laroche, landing her smack bang on Inoubliable Model Army's Top 10 Newcomers list for the Fall/Winter 2013 season.
Gidey's doe-eyed angelic features, slender 178 cm frame, and deliciously luminescent chocolate skin tone stood out amongst the bland homogenous line-ups of the European runway circuit.
Much like her role model contemporaries Liya Kebede, Iman Abdulmajid, and Naomi Campbell, Gidey exudes an effortless elegance, sophistication, and a proud regal quality on the runway which is a dream to witness.
With mother agency Elmer Olsen in Toronto and IMG Worldwide plotting her course, Gidey is destined to nab key editorial slots in the ensuing months. Harper's Bazaar Global Fashion Director Carine Roitfeld clearly has Gidey on her watch list, having recently cast the newcomer in a Sebastian Faena lensed editorial for the publication's May 2013 issue.
And as the only black model featured in Karl Lagerfeld's Chanel Fall/Winter 2013 presentation, Gidey has model pundits and key industry players hankering for more.
Gidey chatted exclusively with Inoubliable Model Army about her whirlwind Fall/Winter season, the issue of diversity in modelling, and the key look which had rocking the runway. Inoubliable Model Army: Hi Senait, congratulations on a stunning Fall/Winter 2013 show list - Chanel, Burberry Prorsum, Emilio Pucci, Max Mara, Loewe, Guy Laroche, and Christopher Kane amongst others.
How are you feeling in the aftermath of the shows?
SG: Thanks so much! It was overwhelming. Now that the shows have drawn to a close, I've finally had a minute to stop and take everything in! I'm very honoured to have had this opportunity!
IMA: Would you mind sharing with us a bit of your backstory?
SG: I'm 17 years old, born and raised in Toronto, Canada but my ethnic background is Ethiopian.
IMA: How long have you been modelling for and how were you initially discovered? SG: I've been modelling for two years now. A model from Elmer Model Management went to my high school at the time and highly recommended Elmer to me. IMA: The Fall/Winter 2013 season was particularly tough on new black models with 90 % of all models featured throughout the show season being white. What are your views on the lack of diversity in modelling and from you personal experiences do you feel that things are improving for models of colour? SG: I look up to the women who came before me like Liya Kebede among others who really broke down the walls for young black girls like me. It's not always easy but with such strong role models, you can't help but be inspired. IMA: You had an impeccable show list this season. What were some of your personal highlights and if there was one look that you wore that you could have walked off the runway with, which collection would it have come from? SG: Some of my highlights this show season were walking for Chanel and meeting Karl Lagerfeld, Burberry, Christopher Kane, Pucci and Max Mara. Also going to London and Milan for the first time ever!! If I could walk off the runway in any look, I would definitely choose my look from Kenzo. I was rocking a tailored, patterned Kenzo blazer and trousers with a cool pair of shades. IMA: Each show season is highly competitive with so many new models vying for runway spots that will get you noticed. What is your approach going into castings and how do you deal with the intense scrutiny and often times rejection that comes with the territory? SG: I like to go in with a positive attitude and no expectations. To be honest, you're running around from casting to casting, you don't have much time to think about it. I did my best to be myself and to show my personality. IMA: What do you like or dislike most about modelling?
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