Up close and personal with the new face of Vero Moda
INTERVIEW WITH ERIN WASSON
Text by: Christian Jespersen
Knowing next to nothing about American Supermodel Erin Wasson, I was thankful for Google and YouTube when I finally sat down
to interview her at the Vero Moda photo shoot. . Although I had a preconceived idea of who I was going to meet, I was taken completely
by surprise when I met Erin in person. The beautiful blond girl who appeared to be your typical all-American model from
the state of Texas turned out to be much more than that.
She was having her hair and make up done and was sitting with one foot up on a chair. Her leg was wrapped in a plaster cast all
the way up to her knee. I introduced myself and asked her what had happened. “I broke it at a photo shoot a few weeks ago. I was
running in a forest and then I fell,” she said. She told me she still had to wear it for a few weeks more before getting it off. I had
heard that in spite of her handicap, she had been sightseeing the day before the shoot, limping around on her crutches all over
Copenhagen. I had to know more about that.
ON HER VISIT TO DENMARK
CJ: I heard you went to Christiania yesterday. How was it?
Erin: It was great. I’ve known about it for years but had never been there before.
CJ: How did you hear about it? It’s not something a lot of people know
about in America.
Erin: No. My boyfriend is half Danish and half Swedish, so he told me about
it some years ago when they were talking about tearing it all down. I used
to walk around backstage at fashion shows with a t-shirt on saying “Bevar
Christiania.” (save Christiania)
CJ: People there are quite different from the rest of the Danish population.
Do you like people like that?
Erin: I’ve always been attracted to the radical version of what is going on.
It’s the 70’s ideal – “true living”. I’m a hippie at heart. It came as a surprise
to hear that she had such an interest in something so far removed from her
everyday life as a supermodel.
ON BEING A MODEL.
I was a bit puzzled at how such an outspoken girl like Erin could get intellectually stimulated in a business where the main focus is on looking good rather than sounding good.
CJ: So how did you end up in the fashion business? Was it always a dream
of yours to become a model?
Erin: No, never. I was never that kind of girl. My dad sent in my photo and
I ended up winning a model competition. I had no dreams about being a
model. I just thought it would be stupid not to go with it and see how far it
would go. I thought I’d only model for a few years and then stop. Now10
years later, just look where I am!
CJ: Not many girls have a modelling career that long. Do you feel you have
to compete?
Erin: I don’t believe in competition! Be yourself. Just be true to yourself.
CJ: Do you think people look at you differently because you’re a model?
Do you ever get tired of portraying something that’s an illusion?
Erin: People think we live these fantastic lives as models. I’m just a normal
girl living a normal life. I just want to be known for who I am. Sometimes I do get tired of portraying something I’m not. The hardest part is balancing it.
ON HER PERSONAL LIFE
CJ: So, what do you do when you’re not working as a model?
Erin: I’m more than just a pretty face. I skate for one thing! I like all sorts of outdoor activities like skating and surfing. I’ve built a tree house in my back yard and I’ve got a half pipe also, so every summer I bring all the kids from the neighbourhood over and I teach them how to skate. I’m an outdoor freak, I love the sun, I’m like a lizard. I love riding horses as well, and I want to live on a ranch when I’m old.
CJ: Don’t you think you’ll get bored?
Erin: (laugh) No! That’s why we invented airplanes! I can just fly to a city if I feel the need for it.
CJ: Do you have any hobbies besides that?
Erin. I paint sometimes and make my own jewellery. I love music, it’s my life. Mostly I’m into old soul and funk, I’m a rock b*tch! Sometimes I DJ, spinning old 45’s. I’m very interested in art as well. I’m always hanging out with artists whenever I’m in New York. I’m one of those weird people who walks around with a camera and gets off on taking photos of some weird thing on the ground. I work at a gallery sometimes too.
FUTURE PLANS & AMBITIONS
CJ: So do you have any plans for the future? Any ambitions?
Erin: Yes, I’ve got my own jewellery line out now, which is really exiting.
CJ: Do you think there is a lack of cool clothes for girls right now?
Erin: Definitely! Girls look at fashion magazines but can’t afford to buy the
clothes in them, which sometimes cost thousands of dollars. I do make a lot
of money, but I’m not going to spend that kind of money on clothes myself.
CJ: Any other projects?
Erin: I just opened up a club in Manhattan with some friends called Santa’s
Party Club. I need to bring back new life to Manhattan. A new cool club.
ON THE FASHION INDUSTRY.
CJ: Can you understand why there are so many young girls who dream of
becoming a model?
Erin: I guess it’s the idea of flying around the world. It’s the rock star mentality.
CJ: Do you think the media gives an accurate picture of the industry?
Erin: No. You don’t become a star overnight. It takes strength and it’s mentally
hard, so if you’re not cool in here (pointing at her heart)…
CJ: What does beauty mean to you?
Erin: (pause).. Confidence! If you’re confident in your own skin then you’re
beautiful.
CJ: How do you feel about the body image the industry sends out?
Erin: In this industry they want young girls to look like boys. When I was
young I was so thin I got no attention from boys. In reality men want girls
with curves. Whenever I’ve done a lot of shows and have got really thin,
the first thing that goes is my butt and my boyfriend goes “NO !” He doesn’t like me thin.
CJ: One last question. If you were to write a biography about yourself what
would it be called?
Erin: Monsters with Masks (Erin winks and smiles)
I can’t really say who supermodel Erin Wasson really is when she is not on
the job, but somehow I believe I was one of the few who have been lucky
enough to get a glimpse of what the real Erin is. Then again, I guess that’s
what makes her a supermodel in front of the camera and off. She makes
you believe that she is all yours.
