A great cover is all well and good, but who is behind the Alaïa sunglasses? We knocked on the door of our cover model Em Stenberg and asked her a few questions. Read below to find out what a woman in a van has to do with her modeling career and how she spends her time away from the fashion world.
FACES: Em, tell us something about yourself! Where are you from and how did you get into modeling?
Em Stenberg: I come from Darwin in northern Australia, a small desert town where everyone really knows everyone. One day I was coming out of school early and was approached by a woman in a van. I thought it was a bit strange at first, but she was actually a model scout.
Q: What do you like better: photo shoots or the catwalk?
ES: I love different things about both: a photo shoot is more personal, but the catwalk season is such a great time to see all the girls again.
Q: How does it feel to see yourself on a magazine cover?
ES: It’s a very satisfying and surreal feeling. You shoot all day long with a great team, which is like a dance: everyone contributes and in the end you have this beautiful final product. Magazines are especially great because you can hold them in your hands.
Q: Which outfit from a shoot do you wish you had taken home with you?
ES: For Alice.D Issue X, I wore a jumpsuit that was made of the same material as a wetsuit, with 3D printed bikini-like wavy things hanging off my body – that was very cool.
Q: What’s the best life lesson that modeling has taught you?
ES: That it’s totally okay to say no. Most of us start so young that we don’t want to be difficult or a “diva” by any means, so we just go along with everything, even if it’s uncomfortable. Because there are people who take advantage of this, it’s important to learn to say no in these moments.
Q: Tell us something about yourself that most people wouldn’t guess.
ES: Although I love chatting and meeting new people and being outside most of the time, I love spending time with myself.
Q: How do you spend your time when you’re not on a shoot?
ES: I spend most of my time with my friends. I also like to play video games. And although I haven’t done that for a while, I always try to find time to paint.
Want to stay up to date with our cover girl? Then follow her Instagram.
You can read all about the cover star of our international edition here.
