These Rookies Are Passionate about LGBTQ+ Rights and Slow Fashion

Lu

Who:
Lu Stelling (@luu.castell) — 181 cm / 5’11.5″ — Dutch from Purmerend, The Netherlands — born March 21st — he/they.

Where:
Mouna Models (Amsterdam – mother agency), Milk Management (London)

— How did you become a model?
I got scouted a couple of times while working in a local cafe but was told I was too short to be a model every time. But then, one time while I was getting measured, I stood up completely straight–it turned out that I was, in fact, tall enough; I just had bad posture for my entire life until then.

— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
There are so many, honestly, but something current and close to my heart is the safety of LGBTQ people around the world. Many countries are either slowly or quickly becoming less and less safe for people in our community, even though we’re all just human.

— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
If I find a topic that piques my interest, I can spend hours and hours finding out as much information about the subject as I can. Through video, research articles, news, etc. These topics range from the French pharmaceutical industry to finding out what influence different arts have on each other.

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Matthew

Who:
Matthew Kim (@kimchikillah) — 188 cm / 6’2″ — American from Los Angeles, California, USA — born January 27th — he/him.

Where:
BRI’GEID AGENCY (New York – mother agency)

— Who is your favorite entertainer?
My favorite actor is James Dean. Being yourself gets you far in life, and I just love how genuine he is in his work. From his first hit film, “East of Eden,” to his most well-known film, “Rebel Without a Cause,” he was able to channel these characters like no other. Although he passed away at the peak of his career, he left such a huge impact on both the film industry and the fashion industry.


— How did you become a model?
A mutual friend was kind enough to give me Brigeid’s Instagram and told me to follow to see what happens. Nico followed me a minute later and reached out to me, asking if I was free later that night to see if I wanted to call and speak about a contract. It all happened so fast that I wasn’t really able to comprehend what happened that night until the next day.

— Who is someone you admire and why?
Definitely my mom. She’s the one who pushes me to be the best version of myself. When I told her about modeling and how unsure I was, she told me to go for it or else I’d regret it. She has always been by my side, and I know she’ll continue to be. If I ever walk for a big brand, I’d want her to be there.

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Sebastian

Who:
Sebastian Marchlewski (@sebastianmarchlewski) — 186 cm / 6’1″ — Polish from Poznań, Poland — born May 30th — he/him.

Where:
X MANAGEMENT (Warsaw – mother agency)

— What are three interesting facts about you?
First is that I won a National Championship in basketball in 2019. Second is that I am somewhat of a good dancer. And third is that I trained in tennis for five years. (Bonus one is that I can make the best carbonara in the world!)

— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
Fast fashion – its reliance on plastic fabrics, enormous carbon footprint, and labor issues.

— How did you become a model?
This is actually quite an unusual story. So my friend was just casually walking on a street in Poznan, and suddenly some TikToker stopped him and asked if he could take some pictures of him and his outfit for TikTok. He said yes, the TikTok was posted and went viral (it got like 1,5m views). So a scout from my current agency saw the video and went to my friend’s Instagram (which was tagged in comments), where he had posted a picture of him and me looking at each other. I guess the scout thought that I might be interesting, so he went on my Instagram and DMed me. That’s how it started 🙂

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Talita

Who:
Talita Dielemans (@talitadielemans) — 175 cm / 5’9″ — Dutch/Malawian from Rotterdam, The Netherlands — born May 13th — she/her.

Where:
Editorial Model Management (Rotterdam – mother agency)

— Who is your favorite entertainer?
Burna Boy! His music is so uplifting, and he’s just legendary!


— If you could talk to your younger self, what advice would you give?
Chase your dreams. No dream is too big!

— How did you become a model?
My friends and family always encouraged me to model, and then one day, I was scouted on Instagram by my mother agency, Editorial Model Management.

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Theo

Who:
Theo Depreux (@milofreshprince) — 188 cm / 6’2″ — French from Paris, France — born November 6th — he/him.

Where:
Warrior Model Management (Philadelphia – mother agency), NOLOGO MGMT (Milan), STATE Management (Los Angeles)

— What stresses you out?

I’m a relatively relaxed person who takes all situations very lightly, but people’s bad vibes can sometimes get to me and stress me out. That’s why I try to surround myself with people who are as positive as possible.

— What weird or useless talent do you have?

I can recite sounds in music, films, etc. I can imitate other people’s personalities rather well.

— What’s the most interesting thing about your family?
My grandfather was a wonderful person. He was an architect and designed most of the houses in the town I currently live in, including my own.

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Xiaorui

Who:
Xiaorui Li (@xr_xr_l) — 179 cm / 5’10.5″ — Chinese from Dezhou, Shandong Province, China — born January 8th — she/her.

Where:
Lacoco Model Management (Shanghai – mother agency)

— Who is someone you admire and why?
Liu Wen. l am surprised at her ability to perform. This also is the most valuable thing that l can study and learn from her. Her pictures can convey emotion and push me to think a lot. In addition, she is optimistic, easy-going, straightforward, and full of powerful feeling. All characteristics deeply attract me.

— Who is your favorite entertainer?
My favorite artist and singer is Xue Zhiqian. I love his talent; his lyrics and compositions are very elaborate, he has a passion for music, and his personality is funny and humorous!

— What are three interesting facts about you?
There are many interesting things about me. Climbing up different mountains to see different sunrises and sunsets, exploring different hobbies, learning to sing a new song, and cooking a new dish are all interesting to me.