QUARANTINE DIARIES 2 with : VICTORIA PLUM
Facetime photographed by Mathieu Puga. Words by Charlie Newman.
Please can you tell us where you're from and the best thing to do there.
I was born and raised in Mallorca, Spain, and probably the best thing you can do on the island is to enjoy the beach on nice weather days. They say the island stands on a base of rose-quartz, so the energy there is very special. I would recommend you soak it up!
How long have you been modelling for and what has been a career highlight for you?
I have been modelling for almost eight years now and my personal highlight would be the whole
career. The last eight years of my life have taught me more things than I could’ve ever imagined. I got to work with great artists that let me see the world through their eyes, but also not so great ones that were great teachers to me in a completely different way.
What was the biggest surprise for you when you first started working in fashion?
Truly nothing is what it seems. Not the good, but neither the bad.
And what do you wish people knew more about when it comes to the world of fashion?
The blood, sweat and tears that lie behind a beautiful dress and the process it has to live to get in to your hands. Who made it, and where the textiles are from should be the bigger questions, not who is the designer or what brand’s name is in the back of the neck.
Drawing from your personal experience, what have you gleaned from working in fashion?
I’ve discovered new ways of viewing reality. I’ve learned not to take neither compliments nor criticism so personally. I’ve gleaned much life experience and lessons, for example, travelling allowed me to see crazy new places and different cultures, but it also made me feel how important family and community really is. Thanks to working in fashion I’ve obtained strength and softness, confidence and humbleness, a particular sense of ‘joie de vivre’…
Covid-19 has undoubtedly transformed the way the world now works, the fashion industry included. How would you like to see the industry change for the better in the future?
A more sustainable approach is the main answer I can give you. Less quantity, more quality. More connection with from where your pieces are. More diverse of beauty standards, more inclusivity; more respect for humans, animals and the earth.
What have you discovered about yourself throughout the struggles of this year?
That I long for a strong connection with nature and my loved ones.
Who do you look up to in the industry and why?
Anyone who works hard to make the industry more honest and sustainable, for the obvious
reasons.
Who do you think we should be watching/admiring when it comes to up and coming talent right now?
I wouldn’t be able to choose… I could make a long list from my close friends doing great things
creatively speaking while respecting the earth. Another long list of future friends I haven’t met yet, doing more of the same…
What would your advice be to young, up and coming models now?
Go for it, try it out! “Just” stay true to yourself: don’t change your background story nor your name and roots; have your moral principals clear and don’t step over them for anyone, except yourself. You are beautiful as you are. You can do it on your own. Don’t be so hard on yourself… I’m saying all of this as if it was easy, but: Just go for that too, and try it out!
Lastly, with the closing of 2020, what do you hope 2021 brings?
I hope the next year will bring us all loads of health, kind love of any sort and with that a better
sense of community and solidarity.
Victoria appears courtesy of IMM Bruxelles.
