Abdalla
Agencies
Mother Agency (MA): LIZBell Agency
London: IMG
Answers to Q&A
What INSPIRED you to become a model?
I grew up in rural Manitoba with immigrant parents, and my Ukrainian mother threw her kids into every extra-curricular activity she could find. From Taekwondo to Pilates to acting camp, she wanted us to try everything. So naturally, when she saw an ad in a Winnipeg newspaper for a model search, we were going! I took some questionable photos at the local Superstore and just had fun with it. Then, when I became an adult, I reached out to an agency, drove myself to the city, and started developing as a model from there. I moved to Vancouver for Film School and that’s when things really started to flow. Now I live and work between Canada, the US, and the UK.
What are you most excited about when it comes to modeling?
I love this question because recent years have really put this into perspective for me. The most exciting part is the “other people” of it all. A day of work means being surrounded by creative people and artists who are exceptional at what they do. There’s something thrilling about being in a room full of artists who get to be artists. Everyone on set shares a love for art and culture, and we bring together our different areas of expertise to create something special, beautiful or iconic. Getting a call sheet at night and discovering who you’ll be working with in the morning will never get old to me. On any given day, you might work with a model from the Ivory Coast or a makeup artist from Japan. There’s far more opportunity to learn in this industry than people realize, and I’ve found it incredibly fulfilling.
Can you share with us some advice you have for models wanting to get into the industry?
Closed mouths don’t get fed! But also, don’t expect people to do everything for you. Agents love to work with models who are self-motivated. If you’re feeling stagnant, build a creative community and make your own work together. Approach everything with a gentle curiosity and learn how to walk in heels.
share a fun fact about yourself!
I’m definitely still scared of the dark and I love to box!