Alyssah Ali

^^ It's insane how gorgeous her face is. I know it's not ~edgy or whatever but it would be so unfair if, with a face like this, she didn't have major success.
 
^ i agree. her face is out of this world. so stunning and perfect. it makes me mad that she isn't booking campaigns right and left.


Nordstrom

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nordstrom.com
 
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Alyssah was on the cover of Anokhi Magazine
http://www.anokhimagazine.com/story/2010/05/02/open-chest-alyssah-ali
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Here's a video of the shoot
http://www.anokhipulse.tv/shows/episode10.shtml

Introducing the incandescent Alyssah Ali

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Nicknamed Pocahontas, 20-year-old Alyssah Ali is relatively fresh on the international modelling scene. This Trinidadian beauty is fast becoming a staple on the world’s runways and major ad campaigns, most recently with the Ralph Lauren brand. In the past three years, she has caught the eye of many a glamour magazine, quickly growing an enviable portfolio of work with the likes of Marie Claire, Elle, Flare and Vogue India.

Her combination of provocative looks and strong scorpion personality has given her the right amount of ANOKHIness to take on the highly competitive world of modelling and stand out to boot!

In this, her first official interview, she talks about her experiences in the industry and shares aspects of who she is.

“From the moment I saw this girl, it was a yes without a question. She has a face to launch a thousand ships. There are beauties, but then there is Alyssah Ali” – Norwayne Anderson, the creator of NAM Models.
How does it make you feel that an industry expert has this much confidence in your potential?

It gave me confidence because he has launched so many supermodels and he has all the faith in the world that I’m next.

NAM discovered you by chance walking through a mall when you were only sixteen. Tell me how this happened?
It was not exactly NAM that discovered me but one of their models, Kareema. I was shopping with my mom when she saw me and approached me. She gave me the NAM card and told me to go. My mom immediately said no way. She told me I had to wait until I was 18 and finished school. (Kareema) was also the one who gave me the nickname Pocahontas.

Nice! What did you think when you were asked if you’d be interested in modelling?
When she (Kareema) told me I had to be a model, I thought it was wicked. I probably wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for her.

Was this career ever on your radar before this chance meeting with NAM?
It was definitely not my first choice. I gave it a bit of thought but pushed it aside because I thought I did NOT look like a model. I didn't think I had what it took to be one of those girls who seem so perfect. I also knew there was no way my mother would ever let me become a model. She was strict and the clothes and lifestyle of a model would not be proper. So when I turned 18 I went, without her knowing, to NAM. Now she is very proud of me.

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You were a straight A student in school and were accepted by all the universities you applied to, but you chose to bite the bullet and try your hand at a career in modelling. This must have been quite a challenging decision. How did you make it?
The decision for me to model was not that hard. I applied to universities because my mom wanted me to get accepted into them to ensure I had a future, in case modelling didn't work out. I also chose modelling because I couldn't choose what I wanted to do in school. I applied for criminal deviance and law, earth space science and geology, humanities, undetermined major and social science—one very different from the next. I thought I would only get into one and go there but was forced to choose when I got into all. I thought, while I'm figuring out my life, I may as well work. But then modelling became my life. I love doing it and I am not too sure I would want to do anything else right now. But it is always nice to have a fallback plan and I have five.

In August 2008, barely eight months after you signed with NAM in Toronto, you caught the eye of international heavyweight IMG who signed you on the spot. Did this help legitimize your decision to forge a career in modelling versus going into higher education—the fact that you must have "something" to offer?
I started working for IMG Paris and then for IMG New York—that definitely made me love my job. I realized you learn so much that you cannot get from textbooks. It's such an experience. Learning so much about life and how different things are around the world, and yet some things are the exact same.

Since then, things have moved into warp speed for you with photo shoots for Marie Claire, FLARE and Vogue India, as well as covers for Lush and Verve Girl, not to mention catwalk gigs that include names like Kenneth Cole. You were even flown to Paris by Lancôme! Tell me about some of these experiences.
I have so many experiences, I could write a book! And it has all been in the span of two years. I loved working for Vogue India because they were really friendly and even booked me again. I also made some friends along the way. The second time I worked for Vogue India, I was flown to Mumbai. That was a crazy experience. I was nervous to go but when I got there, (it was) phenomenal. The locals were ridiculously nice. I couldn't believe how humble they were and their kindness. It was really sad to see the way some people were living though. I want to go back there one day just to help some of them. It was also odd to visit Mumbai because even though Trinidad is halfway around the world (from Mumbai), the two places looked so similar—the way buildings were and how shops were set up on the street. I loved doing Marie Claire because I was always in a different country. I went to South Africa for Marie Claire France. I went to Sayulita, Mexico for American Marie Claire, which is where I realized it was one of my favourite places on earth. It was so peaceful and at night the town was full of culture—people dancing on the street and enjoying the night with no drama. I did go to Paris for Lancôme. They wanted to meet me to make their final decision on one of their upcoming projects. They told me I was too dark.

Wow! How did that make you feel?
I did not take it personally because they were looking for something specific and it was not me.

During your freshman years in modelling, who have you met that was worth meeting, and tell me why they were?
I have met many memorable people throughout the duration. Starting out with NAM, I met a couple of girls and we are still in touch. It is nice to see a familiar face when I am home and I love when I see them in magazines. I met some amazing girls in Paris. We are still good friends today. I cherish their friendship because they threw me a birthday party when they barely knew me. It was so thoughtful and special. Meeting Norwayne and Sonja was definitely worth it. They are not only my agents but my friends as well. I can talk to them about anything and they are always there for me. I love that I can confide in Sonja and she can always make me feel better. I am also really lucky to have met Kareema. She has been a huge influence in my life and helped me through some really tough times. She gave me really good advice and eighty percent of what I know about modelling, she taught me. One thing I always remember is that when you did not get the job, nothing is wrong with you, you just weren’t what they were looking for.

Have you faced any experiences that you wish never to repeat again?
I do not think there is one because even the mistakes I have made, I learnt from them. Some of my mistakes actually made my life better. I would have never started modelling or been allowed to if it were not for a huge mishap in my life. It was my fault and caused a lot of grief but I am glad I made it.

What thus far, has been the most memorable moment in your career and why?
When I went to Paris, I learnt so much, not just about modelling but about life. It has been an incredible experience—I have made some great friends whom I still talk to today and gained some loyal clients. Also, whenever I am in Paris I feel this great confidence about myself. It is weird but I love that feeling.

In your utopia, you'd be a Victoria's Secret model and do a show for Valentino. When you achieve this (notice I said when), what will this mean to you—that you’re finally on top, or is there a deeper meaning for you?
One of the reasons why I do want to become a Victoria's Secret girl is because they have the most beautiful girls in the world, with curves. I want to be part of that elite group. And yes, it would mean I have reached my (modelling) dream. Having a dream gives you something to strive for. Valentino because I love his gowns, they are always so exquisite.

ANOKHI has a long standing relationship with you, as you walked the ramp at one of our fashion shows in your early days and you were recently named one of our 2010 Sexy & Successful South Asians. And now, you've bagged our very first Wedding Issue cover! What did you think when we approached you with this?
I was very happy that ANOKHI chose me for the cover. I was also ecstatic to hear that it was a Wedding Issue. I love the traditional Indian dresses. Actually I love all saris, lenghas etc. because they are so gorgeous. My parents were also happy because it was the first thing I'm in where I'm wearing Indian outfits and that they could get in Canada.

What do we have to look forward to from you this year? Any notable campaigns you’re involved in for us to look out for?
I recently did the Ralph Lauren fragrance campaign for men. That was a highlight of my career. I have done the Miss Selfridge campaign a couple times and the La Redoute campaign in France. I am also out now in Sephora. I recently did my first W magazine and did another spread in Vogue India, which are (both) coming out soon. And I am going to be on the cover of ANOKHI!
The Art Of Seduction (credits below)
If you had to sum up who Alyssah Ali is, using five adjectives, what would they be?
Here’s what the people closest to me say:
- My younger sister Anisah: I'm crazy
- My older sister Aliyah: I’m unique
- My boyfriend, Alex: I’m outgoing
- My dad: I’m enthusiastic
- My mom: I'm feisty

Outside of your modelling career, what else do you aspire to achieve in life?
I would love to be an elementary school teacher or a geologist. I haven't decided yet. I want to have children for sure, when I'm ready, because I love kids. I want to gain more confidence and I am hoping modelling will help with that.

What does it mean to you to be an ANOKHI woman?
To be an ANOKHI woman does not necessarily mean that you have to be completely different from everyone else.You may have qualities that are similar to many women. I think ANOKHI is to have qualities that make you stand out from others and go against the norm of society. For example, a woman may not (as) thin (as society expects her to be) but she has all the confidence in the world and it shows. It makes her beautiful. Another girl may not act the way everyone wants her to but she believes what she's doing is right. ANOKHI is someone who has so much confidence despite what people tell her or how much they put her down. I remember in middle school there was a girl in my class who everyone made fun of because she had an accent and looked different. I admired her because she knew that she was crazy smart and had the confidence to walk into class every day, and do presentations in front of the class as well. I know for a fact if that was me, I would change schools or something. ANOKHI is confidence (and) being different.
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In your eyes, what does the ANOKHI brand stand for and why, if at all, is it relevant in today’s society?
I think the ANOKHI brand stands for every South Asian woman out there, as well as the men, living in communities where the South Asian community is not as prominent. It is comforting knowing they have a magazine that focuses on the make-up brands that are best for Indian skin, highlights the culture, promotes being an ethnic woman . . . and lets them become aware of what's going on in their society today.

This magazine is definitely relevant in today's society because South Asians are trying to make a name for themselves in the Western world. It shows that even though they have adapted to Western ways they still have their own culture. It lets society know that they are not the oppressed group they once were. They have changed. This magazine has also let everyone else become aware of our culture and helps them understand something they are not familiar with. I am thankful for this magazine because some people I have met in my life are so ignorant when it comes to anything they are unfamiliar with and (they) make fun (of it) or insult it.



EXCLUSIVE Behind-The-Scenes Cover Shoot of Super Hot Model, Alyssah Ali in ANOKHI Magazine's 1st Ever Wedding Themed Issue!

BY: RAJ GIRN / PUBLISHED: MAY/JUNE 2010 ISSUE
(PHOTOGRAPHY BY VINCENT LIONS/ STYLIST: RASHMI VARMA/ HAIR AND MAKEUP: DEE DALY/TRESEMME HAIR CARE/JUDYINC.COM/MAKEUP: M.A.C COSMETICS/ASSISTANT STYLIST, JESS SIDHU)

(CLOTHING CREDITS:(
WHITE HOT: WEDDING DRESS, REVA MIVASGAR, $3250 CDN; SHOES, ALDO $90 CDN; KUNDAN EARRINGS AND TIKKA, BANGLEZ, $100 CDN; BANGLES, BANGLEZ $20 CDN)
ROCK THE FROCK: LENGHA, CTC WEST, $1935 CDN; SILVER NECKLACE AND EARRINGS SET, BANGLEZ, $80 CDN; TURQOUISE RING, BANGLEZ, $20 CDN; SILVER ANKLET AND CUFF BRACELET, VISHVA BOUTIQUE, PRICE UPON REQUEST
SOUTHERN BELLE: SARI, VISHVA BOUTIQUE, PRICE UPON REQUEST; RANI HAAR NECKLACE, BANGLEZ, $250 CDN; RANI HAAR EARRINGS, BANGLEZ, $100 CDN; NOSE RING, BANGLEZ, $45 CDN; HAND PEICES, BANGLEZ $100 CDN; KUNDUN TIKKA, BANGLEZ, $56 CDN; JEWELED BELT, SONU SAREE PALACE, $49 CDN; SHOES, BROWNS, $138 CDN
AFTER HOURS: LENGHA SKIRT, VISHVA BOUTIQUE, PRICE UPON REQUEST; SILK CAMISOLE, DEIPPO $129 CDN; JACKET, BCBG $296 CDN; JHOOMER (HAIR ORNAMENT), BANGLEZ, $35 CDN; RING, SWAROVSKI, $140 CDN; SHOES, NINE WEST, $130 CDN



source: Anokhi and facebook
 
such a beautiful girl, I wish IMG would do more for in in HF. has she ever been in town for a show season?
 
Ooh! I didn't know she was Trinidadian! That explains her mixed Spanish and Indian heritage.

That's a great interview too! She sounds so smart.
 
didn't see these posted! :smile: :flower:

Alyssah for Miss Selfridge

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they're not that recent but they're gorgeous all the same! :heart:

missselfridge
 
she looked so beautiful in that shoot! :smile: there was also a behind the scenes video released:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXpbUKiip_o

i was in john lewis the other day, and spotted this, which i'm almost certain is alyssah:

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sorry for the bad quality (i only had my phone on me), but i'm on the hunt for a HQ version! it looked like it was for their 'john lewis women' collection.
 
An article about her: It’s hard to believe Alyssah Ali once thought of herself as an ugly duckling. However, she says at 13, that’s exactly the view she had of herself. So when, at that age she entertained thoughts about modelling, she dared not reveal it to anyone, lest she be laughed at. Today, Ali’s modelling career is no laughing matter. Now 20, she has blossomed into a strikingly beautiful woman whose bronzed skin and piercing eyes have landed her spreads in Marie Claire (France and US), Elle, Flare and Vogue India and the covers of Anokhi, Lush and Verve magazines. More recently, she landed a campaign with Ralph Lauren. The 5 ft 10 inch beauty, who has been nicknamed Pocahontas, was born in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, to Trinidadian parents. She has tons of family here, she said, and last visited three years ago. Ali is very proud of her Caribbean heritage even though many think she is from India.

“It was because someone wrote an article about me being Indian. Ever since, I have been trying to prove to people that my background is Trinidad. Even then, some do not know where it is and assume it is somewhere in Asia. I am very proud of where my family is from. I would love to celebrate my Trinbagonian heritage if given the chance,” she said. Modelling at Fashion Week Trinidad and Tobago (FWTT) would give her that chance. “Even though I am Canadian and proud, it would feel like an honour to walk on the catwalk in Trinidad. I would finally be able to represent myself as a Trini and not as an Indian. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against anything. It would just be nice for once to do something I am familiar with and to represent my background country,” she said via email, admitting that she was excited to be highlighted in a local newspaper. Ali grew up in a very conservative home where she and her sister weren’t even allowed to wear bikinis or short shorts. Therefore, when a model called Kareema spotted her in the mall and told her she should be a model, her mother was against it.

“My mother would never have let me because she was so strict. A couple years later when I turned 18, I went anyway without her knowing because I could legally do what I wanted,” said Ali, who just last weekend modelled in Jamaica at Dulce de Leche, a swimwear and lingerie fashion show. Now I can wear whatever I want and half the world has seen me in lingerie. My mom is very proud of me now.” The model that spotted Ali was represented by the Norwayne Anderson Models (NAM) Agency in Canada. Founder, Anderson reportedly said that from the moment he saw Ali it was yes without a question. “She has a face to launch a thousand ships. There are beauties, but then there is Alyssah Ali.” In 2008, a few months after she signed with NAM, international powerhouse agency IMG signed her up too. Her job has since taken her to exotic locales all over the world. She has lived in Munich, New York, Paris and London. “Some of the most amazing places I have been were Mexico, Indonesia, India, Switzerland, South Africa to name a few,” she says, listing her favourite countries. “There are so many great experiences. The travelling is always amazing.

Alyssah Ali

The most exciting thing for me when I travelled did not have anything to do with modelling except for that I was coming home from a job. I was on the plane home from Spain and I sat beside someone from NASA. I got to ask him so many questions I had about space and he answered them. Some, he said, he was not allowed to talk about, so I felt special. The only bad experience I have is when I am super late for my flights; I get nervous and freak out. Everything else has been a learning experience and I would not call them bad.” Ali started modelling at a time when she was trying to figure out what she wanted to study at university. She hasn’t abandoned hopes of furthering her education but says modelling gives her time to figure out what she wants to do with her life while making money. “I applied to universities for many different subjects not knowing what I wanted to do in life. I knew going to university is always an option but with modelling, you have a lifespan. So I figured I would give modelling a try and save up the money for university,” she explained, stating that astronomy, teaching and geology are among her career options.

Told there are many people in Trinidad who aspire to a successful modelling career as hers, Ali, who dreams of one day working with Valentino, advised those people to always keep a positive attitude. “Even though you may have the worst shoot, it has always worked in my favour to not let the little things bug you. Another thing some models do forget is to be themselves. “I see some models getting lost in this world because they take things too personally. The most important advice someone gave me was when you were not picked for the job, it was not because they did not like you or you did not have what it takes. You just were not what they were looking for and you keep doing you.”

guardian.co.tt
 
my friend told me about this website where she has a few pictures and is featured in the intro video.

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beauty360.com
 
Not only is she strikingly beautiful but also so very well spoken in her interviews. I love the bit about meeting someone who worked for NASA, who knew that she would consider one of the hightlights of traveling and modeling! :smile:
 
OMG i'm loving all the action this thread is getting. those pictures of her are lovely! and that's def her in the fragrance video... hope some pics come out from that as well!!!
 
Model Wall: Alyssah Ali

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Don’t be fooled by her sophisticated beauty; Alyssah Ali’s a tomboy at heart. “I love playing video games!” she reveals with a playful grin. “Mario’s my favorite! I’ve played it on Nintendo 64, Wii, and the DS—it’s brilliant, and I’ve beaten them all!” When she’s not engaged in technical combat, the Toronto native is busy fronting shoots for Sephora and La Redoute, hair commercials for Garnier Fructis, and most recently, frolicking in front of Bruce Weber’s camera for the launch of Ralph Lauren’s new scents, Big Pony. Just two years into her career, the twenty-year-old is having the time of her life. “I love travelling, meeting new people, and…I guess the partying is fun,” she shrugs. Best event so far? “My sister had a heart attack because I went to a dinner party in Paris and Mick Jagger was there. I didn’t even know who he was!”
—Esther Adams

Age: 20
Provenance: Toronto
What she’s wearing: H&M romper and Gucci heels
Photo: Christy Kurtz

vogue.com/voguedaily/2010/07/model-wall-alyssah-ali/
 

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