so here's the PANI interview, enjoy! Sorry for any mistakes.
the beginning is translated by
mackos
I'll play it all
She’s in many rankings of world’s top models. Muse of Steven Meisel and Terry Richardson. Karl Lagerfeld’s favourite. Hard-working and talented. Knows how to strike a fantastic pose and from time to time designs jewellery herself.
Two and a half years ago we met for the previous editorial for PANI Magazine in a lovely cafe Doma in West Village, the snobby district of New York. The place looked quite normal, but apparently Sarah Jessica Parker has been seen there, as she had bought an apartment in the neighbourhood. Magda has been renting a small studio nearby and she was popping to Doma for a croissant and cafe latte. We were set in the morning. In the evening she was going to Metropolitan, on the previous day she came back from Mexico and on the following one she had a flight to Paris.
In Doma she catches everyone’s attention. Incredibly slender, perfectly dressed. She seems to be a strong, self-confident girl, who’s just conquering the world. Few months later I got to know she came back to Poland. Now we are talking in Warsaw. Magda’s looking very feminine in a long black dress.
When we first met you said you were visiting Poland occasionally.
Magdalena: I met Wojtek, fell in love with him and decided to move to Warsaw. It was a spontaneous decision, I didn’t analyse all the pros and cons or think of the future. We started to live together quickly and although many people were surprised, I came to the conclusion it’s no good waiting. I think it’s better to take the risk than later regretting not having done something. There’s no time to waste. Before I have been in few relationships which were very typical for New York. Each had his own apartment and business, we met each other when we felt like it. Since the beginning I knew such relations don’t have much chances to survive.
You lived in New York for five years.
Magdalena: First two, three years were wonderful. It’s an amazing city, full of energy. But at some point I got tired by the fast pace of living and ubiquitous chaos. Besides, my job is very unpredictable, there’s a lot going on. Sometimes I say that a year in modelling is like five years of normal life. That’s why it’s so important to have the personal affairs in perfect order, a family etc. A strong base you can rely on. Wojtek appeared in my life when I was missing a stabilisation. When I was packing all my stuff on the ship I was sure I wouldn’t come to New York.
Weren’t you afraid it would ruin your career? They say New York is the best place for a model.
Magdalena: Somewhere deep in my mind there were some questions and my NY agency wasn’t really happy about that decision. On the other hand, I haven’t been not going to the castings since three years. If someone wants to work with me they just call the agency for the direct booking. When I was living in New York I have often flown to Paris or Milan. Now from Warsaw the distance is shorter and I’m spending the same amount of time on the planes anyway. Well, maybe a little more, as my career has developed really quickly in the last two years. I shot a lot of covers for the prestigious magazines and was booked for the new advertising campaigns – recently for Prada which has made my position stronger.
I think this winning streak has something to do with my well-being. At Warsaw I felt like home really quickly. I’m happy and satisfied. Together with Wojtek we have places we like to go and meet our friends.
When we were looking at your pictures [for our magazine] in the office, everyone was just amazed. Pictures are simply stunning.
Thank you very much. Today I can say that I'm on the top: I can be very feminine, subtle, sexy, sensual, masculine. I'll play it all. I know my strength, I know how to pose in front of the camera. Sometimes, when I do my make up, I use the little beauty tricks I learned from make up artists during fashion shows. I think I would be able to take myself a nice picture too (laughs). That's the result of long years in the business.
Many well-known models come from not the wealthiest families. Their stories remind modern cinderella tales. There is nothing strange in the fact that teenage girls want to work in the modeling industry.
My home wasn’t the wealthiest too. I grew up in a small apartament in “falowiec” (huge block of flat which is wide and wavy-shaped, just type it in google, I can’t find better words ; ) in the city of Gdansk. I dreamed of interesting life, travelling abroad, I learnt foreign languages as well, but I wanted to be an architect, not a model. When I was 16, mum sent my picutres and I won the contest, then signed with a model agency... I barely did shows or editorials. I passed the high school exams and left Gdansk. I studied & lived in southern France. Unfortunately some changes in my private life caused a flight to New York and I decided to start working as a full time model. I needed to earn money and then study again. Today I’m pretty surprised of my courage, I used to think “If it won’t work out well, I’m gonna find job in Starbucks!”. I was very determined. Now I know that success starts directly in your mind.
And you didn't want to come back home?
No, I wasn’t even thinking about it! Funny that now I fully enjoy my comeback to Poland and back in time, I dreamt of leaving this drab reality. Apparently, you just have to leave and then you appreciate everything you had. When I landed in New York, I rented a studio with a Dutch girl and I started modeling. In the beginning everything was so hard, but then I opened YSL and it was my real breakthrough. I did McQueen and Dior shows with Galliano and finally I felt strong, not unsure or full of concerns.
Your career is still blossoming and every new season brings new, younger girls. Some of them are quite successful and they fade away as fast as they came in.
Sometimes I tell girls that few good campaigns in one season isn’t the thing that really matters. The most important is to stay on the same level for five or ten years. I’d love to stay where I am now. Many girls can’t make a use of their fast success, they party a lot, oversleep for work, they are picky and don’t care about bodies. Body is a working tool of model. I’m not trying to say that you have to starve, but you need to eat smart. I learnt it by myself, I eat healthy – less, but frequently. Even Wojtek, who is a great cook, can’t make me lose control. And it’s important to work out on a gym, no matter how good is your metabolism. The body lost its firmness. I go jogging three times in a week, I ride a bike a lot. It’s better to be nice, prompt, hard-working, happy. Photoshoots run mostly on Saturday, Sunday. It starts at four, five o’clock in the morning and it lasts a whole day. Model has to bring a positive energy and help others, not disturb. Of course you can’t predict trends. Suddenly the type of beauty is changing and automatically you work less. This is no concern of any top model, she becomes, over time, a muse of an important photographer and she keeps working with him.
You are a muse of Steven Meisel.
He is my “god father”. After my first fashion weeks in New York, Milan, Paris, I started working with him. Meisel is interested in new, fresh faces and then he wanted to work with me. Shortly my picture was on the cover of Vogue Italia. We shooted many times together, he is the photographer of my last Prada campaign. I worked with almost every great photographer, except for Mario Testino. It surprises me a bit, because I consider myself to be in his type. He likes feminine models and I probably pass for one. I hope there’ll be an occasion soon!
You aren’t afraid of posing completely naked. You've worked with Terry Richardson, who is well known from his controversial, sexual style of photography.
I did Jimmy Choo campaign with him and an important photoshoot for “Purple”. In my opinion, Terry is shocking for real in his private photo albums, but his campaigns or photoshoots for big magazines aren’t as much controversial. He has his own, unique style. He’s extraordinary. Posing naked is a matter of being a real pro. While posing for Purple Magazine, I felt no shame. I like my body. I treat it like some kind of scultpure. I can’t see anything wrong in nudes made by photographers who can spot its beauty. There’re many false opinions floating around, but it’s good to observe, that no one calls Newton works as a p*rn*gr*phy.
Is it true that Karl Lagerfeld likes you a lot?
I've worked with him many times, not only for Chanel or Fendi, but for his Lagerfeld Gallery too. We did numerous editorials and Pirelli calendar together. He's the modern Leonardo Da Vinci. He designes clothes, directs films, photographs, he's much more unpredictable than controversial Terry Richardson. Thanks to modeling I met great people. Everything I experienced was absolutely valuable. If somebody told me "You're 20 yo and you can make a decision again - the same path or different", I would totally choose the same. Maybe I've become a grown up too fast, some kind of youthful naivety passed me round and it's a pity as it's significant for every human. In spite of all, I consider my ten years in modeling as a great experience.
And profitable. Top Models earn tons and tons of cash.
Comparing to Kate Moss, I earn not so much, but of course I can't complain. I invest money in real estates, I bought an apartment in kamienica (a type of popular old polish residential building made of brick or stone, with at least 2 floors, incorporated with other, similar buildings) in the centre of Warsaw. Sometimes I'm afraid is that a good way, I'm trying to have a safe tomorrow, but my goal isn't to live in luxury. When I'm on holidays, I often stay in the motel and rent an old jeep. It seems more interesting than a five star hotel. There was a time in my life that I was with a wealthy guy that could do everything for me, but he was working and working. It's important to stay close to the people you love. In New York I have many "fashion" friends and nevertheless I felt lonely because they were working when I was free and vice versa.
What shouldn't the top model do?
She can't understate her level and - for example - be involved in some unsure project. She should avoid the situations that can ruin her reputation.
You were very young when you got into the world that has so many temptations to succumb to: alcohol, drugs, inappropriate men. How do you manage to stay grounded?
Everything depends on the character and upbringing. My parents talked with me, they explained a lot of things to me. At first, in New York all my thoughts were concerned with money and how to earn my living here. If I were tired after a party and had a photoshoot, I would stop working quickly. Rule is to never lose control, I respect myself so much. Anyway, you don't have to be a model in New York to drink alcohol or do drugs. If somebody is searching for it, he will easily find it in Warsaw too.
You've been making jewelry lately. Is it a plan B for your future?
Modeling never was an "inspiring" job for me. Okay, I have some great pictures, but I didn't take them and also I didn't even designed the clothes I was wearing. To be honest, I'm a bit ashamed when people admire me, because it's really not my credit - the way I look like. It's good to see everything well-proportioned. Fashion is a huge industry, but we doesn't save lives. Many models are searching for something to do besides modeling. I design golden jewelry and I take it seriously. I bought jewelry waxes, milling machine and such. I've found a great jeweller Marcin Strzałkowski, who agreed to help me. He thinks I'm talented. The website will be avaliable very soon.
Imagine you're forty-year-old...
I live in Thailand, I have a beautiful house, I'm sitting outside in my garden watching my children play. I paint, make jewelry. For sure I'm not going to pursue my career all the time, I treasure tranquility a lot. That's why I'm working so hard right now - to have my future life safe.
