Hazel Townsend
Unique design title model of the month
british model and clown hazel townsend

British model and clown in training, Hazel Townsend. Image by Felicity Ingram

Sydney Lima

LUX contributing editor and Storm model, Sydney Lima continues her online exclusive series, interviewing her peers about modelling life and business.

THIS MONTH: Four years into a career as a successful British model Hazel Townsend, a regular face on the pages of Vogue and Elle, discovered a new passion: clowns. The 23 year-old Storm model began raising money using a crowd funder page to pay for a year of clown school at the prestigious École Philippe Gaulier, where the likes of Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter studied. During London Fashion Week, Townsend took donations to wear humorous costumes to her castings, which she documented on Instagram. This year she began her training.

Sydney Lima: When did you first get scouted?
Hazel Townsend: This is a little hazy in my memory now. I was 18 but I think I was 19 before I actively started pursuing it.

SL: What are you favourite things about working in fashion?
HT: No matter how uninterested in fashion I have pretended to be, you end up soaking up knowledge and forming your own opinions on things, getting an eye, appreciating aesthetics. I have a whole new reason for applying this since playing with theatre. Oh and the people. You meet some of the best people.

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SL: Has there been a favourite shoot to date?
HT: That’s almost too difficult to answer. Are we talking about the process? The result? Or the prestige? My favourite shoots are where I get given the opportunity to play. I did a shoot with Anya Holdstock a while back where I got to romp around the new forest where I grew up. So that was pretty special.

Hazel townsend model

Image by Nicola Collins

SL: What inspired you to go to clown school?
HT: I just slowly got absorbed into the cult. There were a couple of shows that made me piss myself laughing and I had no idea why. So I made the decision to seek out that pleasure and that beauty.

SL: Have you always been interested in theatre?
HT: No not at all! I always thought I was going to be Indiana Jones. Going out with a puppeteer sort of opened up that world for me. I had a lot of fun being a quiet observer but soon I couldn’t contain the impulse to get up and make things.

Sydney Lima: Do you see modelling as an extension of your creativity or something that exists separately?
Hazel Townsend: It has definitely been where I have learned the most about the creative process. Every shoot now feels like a small opportunity to perform now.

SL: What are your plans for the rest of the year?
HT: I am going back to school for the main clown module and then I am planning to plan some plans to unleash what I learn on the world.

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Model of the month

Model and photographer, Darwin Gray. Image by Robert Binda

Unique design title model of the month

Sydney Lima

LUX contributing editor and Storm model, Sydney Lima continues her online exclusive series, interviewing her peers about modelling life and business.

THIS MONTH: Soon after 20-year-old Darwin Gray signed to London’s Storm Models he was spotlighted as the one to watch in the fashion world, walking catwalks for the likes of  Burberry, Tom Ford, Louis Vuitton and Vivienne Westwood, shooting campaigns for Jack Wills and editorials for Harpers Bazaar and eventually singing to agencies globally from Tokyo to New York. Now Darwin is developing his skills as a photographer, working on a portrait series whilst he is based in Korea.

Sydney Lima: How did you first get into modelling?
Darwin Gray: I was scouted at my cousins wedding by his best man, it was all a weird situation, he came up to me and said I should think about modelling, I just thought he’d been at the bar a bit too long! Then I met Storm a few weeks later and the rest is history.

Follow LUX on Instagram: the.official.lux.magazine 

SL: What has been your favourite team to work with to date?
DG:My favourite team to date would probably be the Jack Wills team. I was part of two of their campaign shoots, both of which were just as fun as the other. Not at one point did it feel like work, the team were all really nice and good fun- I also met my girlfriend while shooting it so that’s a plus!

Image by Robert Binda

SL: What inspired you to first start taking photos?
DG: I had been modelling a few years before it became something I concentrated on. I was always taking lots of photos and I’ve loved looking back at them because each photo has a little memory it takes you back to.

SL: What’s your favourite subject to take photos off?
DG: My favourite subject would be my girlfriend Lottie, every day I’ll take photos of her either on my phone or camera. I probably have over 10,000 photos of her…

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”25″ gal_title=”Darwin Gray”]

Above: A selection of Darwin’s photographs. Courtesy of Darwin Gray

SL: When did you get your first camera?
DG: I got my first camera about 3 years ago. I bought it in Tokyo as the prices were better. It was a Canon EOS Kiss X7.

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Sydney Lima: Do you find you learn a lot through working with other photographers?
Darwin Gray: I’m always watching what other photographers do, I find it interesting how people all work so differently. I’m always asking questions. I feel lucky to have the opportunity to learn from within the industry.

SL: Who’s your favourite photographer?
DG: Tom Mitchell is one of my favourite photographers because his work is so clean and he portrays natural beauty in a subtle way.

SL: Do you have any projects planned for the year?
DG: I’m working on a few things, but right now I’m concentrating on a documentary photo series whilst I’m in Korea.

instagram.com/darwingray

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Supermodel alicia rountree

Unique design title model of the month

Model and chef Alicia Rountree

Mauritian model and restaurateur, Alicia Rountree

Sydney Lima

LUX contributing editor and Storm model, Sydney Lima continues her online exclusive series, interviewing her peers about modelling life and business.

THIS MONTH: Mauritian-born Alicia Rountree leads a hectic life doubling as both supermodel and restaurateur. Since signing to Models 1 at the age of 17, Rountree has travelled extensively shooting campaigns for the likes of L’Oréal, Victoria’s Secret and Ralph Lauren. In 2010 whilst living in New York she opened ‘The Tartinery’ with close friend Nicolas Dutko. Situated in the Nolita district, the restaurant specialises in open faced sandwiches and tartines, inspired by Alicia’s love of french cuisine and the simplicity of fresh ingredients.

Sydney Lima: How did you first get into modelling?
Alicia Rountree: I was scouted a few times as a teenager when I was in London spending summer holidays, but I was too young to get into the business. I was then scouted at 17 at a Vogue event and I was more then ready to start modelling by then.

SL: What’s been your favourite shoot to date?
AR: It was a shoot for Italian Elle, shot in Mauritius. The team loved my family so much that they added them into the story. We all have alicia rountreewonderful memories from that shoot.

SL:What do you love about modelling?
AR: Travel, discovering new places and cultures, meeting new people and making friends along the way. I obviously love clothes and fashion
in general so I love the dressing up part too!

SL: What do you hate about modelling?
AR: It can be very lonely sometimes. Always packing and unpacking your suitcase. It is sometimes quite hard on your body shooting for long hours and travelling non stop.

SL: What inspired you to open your own restaurant?
AR: A restaurant like Tartinery did not exist in New York. We found that there was a place missing where you can meet up and have fresh local food, easy to share in an industrial-chic environment with nice music.

 

Read next: Copenhagen’s youth on why their city is the greatest

Sydney Lima: Where did you love of French cuisine come from?
Alicia Rountree: I went to Paris a lot as a child and have so many memories eating at French cafes. French people have a love of food that is different to anywhere else. Also they don’t care about eating carbs, they love a good fresh baguette or croissant!

SL: Did you get involved with much of the interior design and aesthetic of the restaurant?
AR: Yes it was important to have the place be charming and sophisticated. I remember even painting the chairs myself to get them done the right way.

alicia rountreeSL: What inspires you on a daily basis?
AR: Being grateful. I know that I am very lucky to have the life I do and I never take anything for granted. I love my family and friends and make sure that they know it.

SL: Do you have a role model within the industry?
AR: Not really. I like people who stand for their own beliefs and are strong. But I don’t really have a role model.

SL: How do you rate your cooking skills?
AR: I am a good cook. I get it from my mum. But I don’t really have the time to cook much. Only in Mauritius with all the family, then it’s so much fun to cook for everyone.

SL: What would be your signature dish?
AR: Avocado toast! Can you call it a dish? I do many delicious variations.

SL: What plans do you have for 2017?
AR: Learn more and share my knowledge with whoever wants to listen.

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Joanna Halpin by Dean Martindale

Unique design title model of the month

Joanna Halpin

British model and blogger, Joanna Halpin. Photograph by Bryan Rodner Carr

Sydney Lima

The models who look at us from our magazine covers and Instagram feeds are often astute businesspeople as well as subjects for fashion stylists and photographers. They are now “360 degree creatives”, raising revenue from everything from social media to events appearances. Our contributing editor Sydney Lima is a model with Storm and has appeared on the cover of Condé Nast‘s glossies; she also works in film and in this new exclusive series interviews her peers about the lifestyle.

THIS MONTH: British model Joanna Halpin joined Premier Models at the age of 20 and has since shot major campaigns for the likes of L’Oréal, Free People and Urban Outfitters. Her clean, minimalist aesthetic on Instagram has attracted a following of over 280,000 and now she’s climbing the blogging ladder too, with her sister and fellow model, Sarah Halpin and their model lifestyle blog, What She Said.

Sydney Lima: How did you get in to modelling?
Joanna Halpin: I went to agency ‘walk ins’ in London nearly 4 years ago now and got taken on by Premier.

SL: What’s been your favourite job to work on so far?
JH: I’m not too sure if I have a favourite job but I have been lucky enough to get taken some of the amazing counties and shoot in the most beautiful locations. So any job where I get to travel to somewhere new always makes the favourite list.

SL: What’s been your proudest working moment?
JH: Sarah and I have recently starting working on a big exciting project through our blog so that’s going to be a very proud moment when I can properly say what it is. So sorry to sound so secretive!

Read next: Jaipur Literature Festival photography series

SL: Did modelling have any influence over your decision to become a blogger? How did it all come about?
JH: Yes modelling did have an influence on me starting a blog. I love modelling but I wanted to be able to have more creative input on shoots. I have a background in graphic design, as does my sister, so we decided last summer to start our blog together so we could be creative, and of course it goes hand in hand with modelling.

Sydney Lima: How do you find inspiration?
Joanna Halpin: With apps like Instagram and Pinterest it’s so easy to be constantly influenced. There are now so many beautiful accounts to follow that are great for inspiration. Accounts such as @c_l_o, @frankieandclo, @maggieontherocks, @oraclefoxjournal and @fredericforest all generally post such a variety of things from campaigns, to art, to fashion, to interiors. I think what inspires me most is imagery over actual designers, or style icons.

SL: What plans do you have for 2017?
JH: I really want to focus on the blog this year, my sister Sarah who I run it with has finally finished university now so we can hopefully both dedicate much more time to it. We also want to travel together this year, we are actually both meant to be in Sydney right now but my visa is taking a little longer than I had originally thought. But hopefully I’ll be there with Sarah in a few days!
@joannahalpin | @whatshesaidblog

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