Gabriela Martin

Gabriela Martin, from a small town in Spain called Santander to Milan. She has been working as a model since she was eleven years old, when a boy stopped her in the street to ask her for some photos. Since then, she moved to Barcelona and then to Florence and Milan. Gabriela has become a successful model in Milan, where she works non-stop, while studying at the same time!

• Gabriela’s Instagram

Gabriela Martin: From Hometown To Milan

FIV: Gabriela, you are working so much this last years. Campaign after campaign. It must be exciting for a young model like you! Do you remenber the start? How was it?

GABRIELA: Of course I remeber! My career as a professional model started in Barcelona in 2019, it was then when I contacted my mother agency, Fifth Models. Before that, I had done some shootings in my hometown and decided that I could give it a try. So I did it.

FIV: Among many other things, modelling. Why modelling? What inspired you choose this profession?

GABRIELA: I guess I got inspired by the work itself. When I did my first shooting. I was only 11 years old and someone on the street asked me to take some photos, after that I did a few more services.

Modelling World: Energy, Passion And Dedication

FIV: So, do you feel proud to have chosen this profession?

GABRIELA: As I kept growing in my agency in Barcelona, then in Florence and now also in Milan, I realized how beautiful the job is and how much you get to learn about fashion, design, trends, etc. It is an exiting world full of energy, passion and dedication.

Architecture Student And Model In Florence

FIV: Of all locations, why did you choose to come to Italy as a model? Are there more opportunities?

GABRIELA: I actually decided to come to Florence for my studies, I came 2 years ago to this gorgeous city to finish my studies in interior design. But, fashion and design go together, when I arrived in Florence everything just fell into place.

FIV: You arrived as a student and become a model. Wow. Did you expect it?

GABRIELA: Italy is not only well-known for its architecture and art, but also one of the main countries in the fashion industry. Coming here was definitely a great decision because it allowed me to do both.

Florence or Milan: Which One Is The Capital Of Fashion?

FIV: Your first stop was Florence and now Milan. Which city is best for modelling?

GABRIELA: Once I was settle in Florence, in the city, in my studies and in my agency, Casting Firenze; I decided to expand my opportunities and look for an agency in Milan. I started working with Select Management and yes, I have to say that there are a lot of opportunities in Italy. Milan is one of the capitals of fashion, so there is always something going on.

Gabriela’s Mum: Her Biggest Supporter

FIV: Moving abroad is not easy. Do you get support from your family and friends with your model career?

GABRIELA: Yes, I am very lucky. My mom always supported me, it was her who encouraged me to look for an agency and has always been there when I needed it.

FIV: Mums are mums, they are always there!

GABRIELA: The rest of my family and friends have also been a huge pilar in my life and in my decisions, I would have never had the courage to do so many things I did if I didn’t have the support of my family at home and of the friends that became family in Barcelona and Florence.

Balance Between Architecture, Interior Design And Modelling

FIV: Your life has been full of new challenges. Is there something planned in the near future?

GABRIELA: Well, for now, I am happy where I am. I found the balance between architecture, interior design and modeling. Modeling is a career where you can’t really plan what is about to arrive, but I have three amazing agencies that help me and support me with my future. I love changes and new beginnings so I am open to many possibilities.

FIV: You mentioned that your also studing and working in archicture and interrior design! How can you unite the jobs with private life?

GABRIELA: That is something very hard. Working as a model is a time-consuming job. You can easily find me in some train around Italy or in the backstage working on my laptop. But I have to say that online lessons and remote working really made everything way easier. And also, it is also a job where you meet new people everyday, behind a shooting there is so much people working so it is easy to make new friends and get in contact with different people.

Self-Confident And Attitude: How To Get A Job

FIV: If you had to describe yourself as a model, What would you say that is your secret weapon to get a job?

GABRIELA: I try to be as natural as posible. When going to a casting, they don’t only want to see if you are beautiful, how tall your are or if the product fits you. In a casting they want to see you being you, they want to see if you feel comfortable and confident with the product, they want to see if you like what you are wearing and how you wear it, so I guess it is as simple as that. It is a job where you have to be very self-confident and where your attitude is as important as your image

The Best Advice: Find Your Own Beauty

FIV: To end, What can be the advice to give to new young models?

GABRIELA: To find your own beauty. To be strong and not give up. It is an easy and a hard career and it takes a lot of courage to do it. You have to be positive and optimistic about it and enjoy what you are doing. Everybody has something that makes them special, so you just have to be yourself!

FIV: Thank you so much Gabriela! It’s been a pleasure to have you in FIV Magazine.

Become A Model In Milan

If you want to become a model in Milan take a look at Model Agency One, the best page to find the best agencies, not only in Milan. You are aldo goint to find Gabriela’s Agencies.

• Best Agencies In Milan

Marcus Hessenberg: Instagram
Marcus Hessenberg: Website

Personal information: Origin, daily routine & shootings

FIV: Marcus your last name sounds like you having german origins. Is there a story behind your last name or are you german?

Marcus: Hessenberg is a german name, although I was told there could be dutch origins but it has always made sense that it could be a hill in Hessen and my German side seem to all be from Frankfurt. There are not many Hessenbergs and i actually found my German cousin through couch surfing and we keep in touch still.

FIV: I saw that you live in London. Do you think it is easier to get into the fashion business in London than in other cities? Why is london so famous in the fashion business? And do you think there it is easier to develope your own unique style?

Marcus: I can’t tell you how much I love London. London and New York are both my favourite cities. The truth is that London is famous for so many industries and fashion is just one. I love this mix as it means there is a clash of motives in the city. It is used and seen in so many different ways. There are different types of people through out the city and they dress and behave in different ways – there is a constant reaction to eachother and this fuels different communities to identify themselves in different ways. There are also many different influences from all over the world and London is still a port city with people coming and going all the time, each leaving their mark here. London is truly international and all the communities bring their own fashion sense.

FIV: Marcus can u tell me how a busy work day in your life looks like? What is your first step you do on those days?

Marcus: At the moment I am busy! On shooting days I tend to keep things simple – I have a large set up and a small set up – my small set up is a Canon stills camera and a Sony Fs5 Video camera. If I am not shooting I have my laptop with me and move around London sitting in cafes editing. Yes I am one of those laptop people. I get up at 8am usually and get my bike or walk in a direction from Elephant and Caslte, sometimes in to Soho, sometimes South or East. I try to mix pleasure with work as much as possible, I am always working in one sense – from shooting, to editing to planning the next shoot and answering emails.

FIV: On your website I saw that you mainly shoot womans. Do you have a certain reason why you mainly shoot woman? I see the urban look is your style. Why you took the urban look?

Marcus: I mainly shoot women this is true. I prefer working with women generally and in terms of clothing and working with the body I find there is more versatilty in photographing women. Obviously I naturally have a male gaze but I tend to follow many female photographers who work with women’s fashion on instagram. I may work with men more in the future but I would really want to reflect on how to make men’s fashion photography a bit dfferent, it doesn’t come naturally to me. I love women.

I am a city lover and I shoot the people I admire and find stylish. I live in a central inner city bit of London and this is reflected in my work.

FIV: At your website i could read that you like celebrating modern culture and prefer the art going more forward than backward. What does art mean for you?

Marcus: Generally I like the way cultures change and adapt according to circumstances. Cities such as london are always moving and adapting. People compete here and its the same with styles. Birtain as a whole can sometimes have a habit of looking backwards and trying to revert to past stereotypes of Britishness. I react against this as much as possible. Britain can be a very progressive and exciting place in certain corners of the country with some of the most contrasted people in such a small place.

FIV: There are many fish at the sea, that’s a german phrases. Literally translated this means, that your not the only photographer in London. What do you think make you unique and high demanded?

Marcus: Who know’s – I do what I like and I enjoy my work. I feel less and less like trying to impress people and just to do what I enjoy as much as possible – At the beginning you feel like trying to justify your work and create work that appeases other people but I do this less and less. I try to only take on projects that work for me now too. I only shoot colour now. I’m also quite positive and i think this helps. I am always taking every shoot as a learning experience tooo and I want to improve constantly.

FIV: You already had a lot of shootings with differnt people and personalities. what do a model need in your opinion to be successful and a good model? Are there some characterics every model should have? If so which are they?

Marcus: Modeling is a skill – the ability to switch it on when you may not be in the mood, or to switch from happy to moody on demand is amazing. I have had a model who is 5 foot who appears to be 6 foot in the photos, purely because she knew her angles and had a big personailty. I tend to choose models who have personality and their own style. I like it to feel like a mutual collaboration and I enjoy talking with models as we shoot.

Photographer: Way to professional photography

FIV: Compared with other photographs your style look different. Do you want to say something with your photos? And would you consider photography as art?

Marcus: Im not too sure how to define my style. I like colour and i like colour and i like energy. Although inadvertise myself as a fashion photographer, its more about the people than the clothes. I like people with natural style and character. The clothes come with it. I snap away and chat as i do, its also my social life half the time. I dont over think things, i just like to do. I suppose again it is my rejection of a certain view of the UK – I like celebrating the concrete and the clash of old and new here, as well as the changing face of the UK.

Photography is an art form but i don’t take it too a seriously in that sense. I see it more as documentation, documeng people and doing it in a colourful way. I like people, i like bodues and i like personality

FIV: You working as a photographer, is that your biggest dream or do you have another bigger dream? Now looking to your career, what is your next goal?

Marucs: Photography and video are my passion. I love stills photography but i always want video to go along side with my photography. I always shoot video on every shoot. I tend to edit the video first as i really enjoy the process. I would like to make a feature documentary on the people of London, also one on sex and erotica and also try my hand on a narrative film eventually.

FIV: You write on your website. »too many cooks spoil the broth« Is that’s the reason for you using small teams. How many people are working with you in your team?

Marcus: Normally i try to keep it as small as myself and the model. Sometimes theres an MUA and stylists, sometimes not as i tend to shoot people who have a natural intersting style in their wardrobe. If its a bigger shoot with a stylist i try to keep the team as small as possible and limit extra people on set. I just find sometimes the atmosphere changes when everyone has a view. It’s always best when people feel like they are free on set and give more direction as the shoot goea kn and everyone feels more settled in their roles.

FIV: Did you ever was in Berlin? If yes would you say that you can compare Berlin as the german fashion metropole with other fashion metropoles like London, Paris or New York?

Marcus: Yup! I used to spend a bit of time in Berlin and recently went back. I’ts a great city. I used to want to move there but as i said before, I fell in love with London. I think it is true when people say the Berlin look is a bit grungier although i do not feel confident enough to say this for sure. I would say that London and New York has much more variation in styles as the people come from all sorts of fields.

Marcus Hessenberg: Instagram
Marcus Hessenberg: Website