Self-doubt through social media

FIV: You have a great reach on social media. With that notoriety comes both positive and negative aspects. Among other things, criticism. How great is the pressure in the business to always be “perfect”? What’s the best way to deal with it?

Alicija: Personally, I’m a very perfectionistic person, which is good on the one hand but also brings its downsides…most of the time I stand in my own way and my chances. Last year I struggled a lot with my self-doubt and with my body. I was just comparing myself. Which actually also made me sick.

Social media spreads false impressions

Alicija: In the social media world, it seems like everything is just perfect, beautiful and THAT is the REAL life. When you watch influencers building a house, starting a family, getting married, doing sports and eating healthy, you forget to see yourself. You immerse yourself in another world and forget your own. His own needs, his own body. Just because a certain lifestyle applies to someone and they share their experience (unaware of what it may do to others) doesn’t mean it will work for you and your body. You may be inspired by it but not want to make it completely your own. We have completely forgotten to listen to ourselves because we are too busy showing people a false world (which is actually insane).

Photo: Fab4Media

Alicija’s experience with perfectionism

Alicija: In the meantime, I have reached a point where I can talk about it (even if it is still difficult). I actually want to share my experiences, only my perfectionism comes into play again. I’m working on that though and it’s getting better and better. For the year, I’ve resolved to be more myself, listen to my heart, and whenever I think no one might like it, upload or share it all the more.

GNTM has completely changed Alicija’s life

FIV: You owe your fame to GNTM, among other things. You participated in GNTM in 2019 and came in 5th place. Since then, you’ve been a successful model and active on social media. How has your life changed since you took part in GNTM?

Alicija : It has indeed changed completely. If someone had told me that earlier, I wouldn’t have been able to believe it myself.

Alicija does not abandon her fans

Alicija: After I applied for GNTM, I roughly knew that it was about “modeling,” but I had no idea about social media. So I dived into the social media world without knowing how it really works. Even today I ask myself if it is the right thing for me. Of course, you don’t abandon such a “gift” of reach and your “fans”, yet I realize that I just ( precisely because Instagram, for example, has changed so much) no longer agree with my inner values and those that Instagram embodies. Accordingly, I try to share my values that are important to me with my followers.

Photo: Fab4Media

GNTM: Modeling is a nightmare

FIV: Has modeling always been your dream job? If so, since when?

Alicija : I loved the idea of walking the catwalks of the world, working with different designers, traveling, meeting new people and getting beautiful photos. However, that didn’t really hit home for me personally after GNTM. Reality looks different than it is portrayed in the show. I had to make the experience of not being good enough, not being thin enough and not being tall enough. Thus, the former dream job of modeling became an actual nightmare, after you were allowed to kiss the sky of all that in GNTM.

Tips for participation in GNTM

FIV: Soon the new season of GNTM will start, what tips do you have for the aspiring candidates?

Alicija: Enjoy absolutely every second that you can be there, enjoy the time with the other girls. Be grateful to be able to travel and have such an experience. Just go with it and listen to yourself. If your heart says it’s not the right thing to do, then stop. Not everyone is made for this psychological pressure and you will feel better in the end even if everyone else says otherwise. If you feel good about it, give 100%, push yourself and be nice to everyone else.

Tips: Perfect interior design

FIV: You also attach great importance to order and a beautifuly decorated home. Do you have any tips for the perfect interior design?

Alicija : I love interior, when decorating I can actually live quite well. There is no “perfect” interior. Look at what you feel comfortable with, collect ideas and create small vision/mood boards. Don’t buy on impulse, take your time and think twice or three times. Order is half the battle, but even there I know that not everyone can do it and everyone has their own order. All I can say is that I feel more comfortable in a tidy home than in a messy one.

Photo: Fab4Media

Outlook for Alicija’s future

FIV: Finally, a short look into the future, we are curious what you have planned in the near future: Do you have big plans like a move or something similar or is there something special coming up? Give us a little teaser of what your fans and followers can look forward to in the near future!

Alicija : This year I plan to travel a lot, generate new experiences for myself and grow mentally. To do more what I enjoy and to pursue my work with more ease. As I mentioned in the beginning, I would actually like to invite my followers to pay more attention to themselves again. I have a little Detox Thursday in mind, where you put your phone away, do something for yourself, spend time with your family and friends and maybe take a picture of it and send it to me. The idea is not yet fully developed, but I just want to encourage people to do something for themselves and not to participate in building a house, planning a family, or going to the gym, but to live their lives and shape them themselves.

More about Germany’s Next Topmodel

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Interview with Soraya Eckes: GNTM, pressure on social media & traveling

Soraya Eckes has been successful as a model and also in social media since her participation in the 12th season of Germany’s Next Topmodel. In an interview with our magazine, Soraya talks about the pressure models experience on social media, her most beautiful journey so far and how her life has changed as a result of her GNTM participation. Finally, the beauty gives a few tips for aspiring Germany’s Next Topmodel contestants and reveals her plans for the future.

• Soraya Eckes Interview

Interview with Vanessa Fuchs: About her life in New York & modeling career

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• Vanessa Fuchs Interview

Photo: Anouk Hart Styling: Anouk Hart Published: The Diary Issue

Nana has already experienced a lot as a model

FIV: Hello Nana, how nice that it worked out with the interview today. You participated in GNTM this year and have been very successful as a model and on social media ever since. What has happened to you since GNTM, what exciting projects are you currently pursuing?

Nana: Thank you so much for asking me to do an interview! I’m represented by McFIT MODELS now and I’ve had three shoots as well. One for JD Sports Fashion and one for the sports brand ADIDAS and I walked for Samuel Gärtner at the Frankfurt Fashion Week. I also found a very good PR agency in Hamburg that supports me in terms of social media.

Photo: Guido Rashke

Tips for GNTM contestants

FIV: The new season of GNTM is starting soon, do you have any tips for the new candidates?

Nana: My tip to the new candidates: approach the shootings and walks with confidence and don’t give up! I fell (yes) in the last season of GNTM and that went through the media. I then just got up and kept walking. That can happen, but it’s not the end of the world.

Naomi Campbell as inspiration

FIV: Has modeling always been your dream job and what inspired you to become a model?

Nana: Even when I was little, I thought Naomi Campbell was great. Models like her inspired me – models with a strong charisma and personality. Also, many friends told me to try it and I enjoyed it from the beginning.

These are the goals of Nana

FIV: You are still relatively new in the modeling business, what do you want to achieve as a model? For which designer or brand do you definitely want to model one day?

Nana: I like sporty brands but also high fashion designers like Dior. It would be great to walk on a Dior show or to hang on a poster for ADIDAS or NIKE.

Photo: Guido Rashke

Nana’s Fashion Must Have

FIV: On Instagram you inspire your followers with your cool outfits. What inspires your looks and what are your absolute fashion must-haves?

Nana: So absolute must have is a hair cloth with which I can design my Afro hair perfectly in different hairstyles. Most of my cloths are plain and black or if I’m after an eyecatcher: then Leo.

Will Nana be on TV more often soon?

FIV: Finally, a short look into the future, we are curious what you have planned in the near future: Do you have big plans like a move or something similar or is there something special coming up? Give us a little teaser of what your fans and followers can look forward to in the near future.

Nana: My plans for the future are definitely to continue modeling, if not worldwide. I would also like to do shoots, for commercials for example, but I would also like to continue working as a presenter, maybe on TV. I also find radio exciting, and I’m thinking about studying journalism.

Photo: Guido Rashke

More about Germany’s Next Topmodel

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• Zoe Saip Interview

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• Liliana Maxwell Interview

Photo: Daniel Tran, Styling: Esra Erdugan & Steffen Schmid

From elementary school teaching to GNTM

FIV: Hello dear Johanna, how nice that it worked out with the interview. You are a successful model and already have a large reach on Instagram. Did you always want to work in the model and social media world or did you have other future goals in terms of your profession before GNTM?

Johanna: In fact, I always wanted to work with children and study elementary school teaching. I’ve loved being in front of the camera ever since I was little, and after taking part in GNTM, it was immediately clear to me that I wanted to continue in this field.

Tips: Pressure on social media

FIV: You are in the public eye and are active on social media as a social media personality. How great is the pressure in the business to always be “perfect”? What is the best way to deal with it?

Johanna: The pressure to be “perfect” is definitely there. When you’re in the public eye or actively using social media in general, you automatically compare yourself to others and often get a false self-perception as a result. However, I always try to do my thing and just show myself as I am, without constantly thinking about whether I meet any criteria or please everyone with it. I think if you think too much about how you present yourself, what you say and how you act, you can quickly become inauthentic and I definitely don’t want that. People are interested in me and my life and not in some version of me that is considered “perfect”.

How to feel comfortable in your skin

FIV: Keyword social media. You do a lot for body positivity. Do you have any tips for our readers on how they can feel good in their skin?

Johanna: The best tip I have for others to feel good is to ignore the opinion of others and be yourself. You can’t take negative comments to heart and just stand by yourself. There are always people who won’t like you, just like you don’t like everyone. You just have to focus on the things that you like about yourself and then emphasize and highlight them instead of constantly looking for flaws.

Life changed by GNTM

FIV: You owe your fame to GNTM, among other things. You took part in GNTM in 2020 and have been a successful model and active on social media ever since. How has your life changed since GNTM?

Johanna: My life hasn’t really changed that much apart from the fact that I now share a lot of things with people through Instagram. Sure, you’re often recognized and approached now when you’re out and about somewhere, but that doesn’t bother me at all, quite the opposite. I still worked in the beer garden after GNTM, just like before, and recently started studying, because I still find that super important in addition to social media.

Johanna’s artistic streak

FIV: In your free time you like to deal with art and paint. How did you get into art and would you like to work professionally as an artist or in the artistic field?

Johanna: Art was always my absolute favorite subject at school. Unfortunately, I had little time to pursue it after my school days. When I then had to involuntarily quarantine for a while, I started to paint again and will definitely deepen this hobby and maybe even earn money with it in the future. Artist as a main profession, I could imagine but rather not.

Projects that Johanna will pursue in the future

FIV: Finally a short look into the future, we are curious what you have planned in the near future: Do you have any big plans like a new project or a movie or is there something on the

Johanna: I don’t have any concrete plans for the future, I’ll let everything come to me. But I could definitely imagine further TV projects, if the right offer should come along. I will also continue to pursue modeling and hopefully make progress in this area. Otherwise, I just hope that the overall situation with Corona will relax again and maybe you can travel again without any problems, because there are still super many countries and places that I still want to see.

More about Germany’s Next Topmodel

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Interview with Lena Schreiber: GNTM, model career & fitness tips

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Photo: Leon Schleßelmann

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Interview with Jana Heinisch: Radio show & model career

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• Jana Heinisch in interview

Photo: Nikk Martin

Luca has experienced a lot since GNTM

FIV: Hello Luca, it’s nice that the interview worked out. You have already experienced a lot in your life. You took part in GNTM in 2021. Since then you are a successful model and active on social media. How has your life changed since you took part in GNTM?

Luca: After GNTM, my life in public has changed: despite the Corona circumstances, I am invited to events and have the opportunity to meet other well-known personalities there. I am recognized on the street and people ask for photos with me. In my old school I have become a role model to realize one’s dreams. But privately, everything is actually like before, the daily madness just.

Tips for participation in GNTM

FIV: The new season of GNTM starts soon. And you certainly have tips in store for the aspiring candidates?

Luca: In any case, stay true to yourself, don’t let it get you down, be able to laugh at yourself sometimes, and don’t take some things too seriously. The best thing is to take everything with you as a great experience and also grow in yourself and the challenges.

Photo: Guido Raschke

How Luca got into modeling

FIV: Was modeling always your career aspiration or did you want to do something else?

Luca: In the beginning, modeling was just like a hobby and I didn’t think that it would become bigger… but over time it has developed, also by the motivation of my environment, there! Before there were already some career ideas, for example: run your own horse farm with friends, then be a veterinarian there; I also wanted to join the police…

Social media and study

FIV: You are currently a student. How do you reconcile your studies and life as a model with your activity as a social media personality?

Luca: Sometimes I’m surprised myself, but somehow it works out most of the time… the lecture quickly takes place on the train, and then social media during the breaks.

Photo: Guido Raschke

Tips: Pressure on social media

FIV: You are in the public eye and are active on social media as a social media personality. How great is the pressure in the business to always be “perfect”? What is the best way to deal with it?

Luca: Of course, numbers play an important role. The business is big and always a test, but I try to put myself under less pressure. That works well in some places and not so well in others… My friends and family are an important support for me to always remain authentic.

Interesting things are coming

FIV: Finally a short look into the future, we are curious what you have planned in the near future: Do you have big plans like a move or similar or is there
something special? Give us a little teaser of what your fans and followers can look forward to in the near future!

Luca: The next big event is the fulfillment of an agreement with an Olympic athlete, among other things it’s about high diving… then of course my journalism studies and a few other interesting things that I still have to do, but as we all know, you don’t talk about unlaid eggs…

Photo: Guido Raschke

More about Germany’s Next Topmodel

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Jolina Fust: emigration to Mallorca, model career & GNTM

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