vogue
Fashion’s Latest It Girl Comes Straight from Guadalajara
SEPTEMBER 12, 2016 7:12 PM
by JANELLE OKWODU
Though it may not be home to as many supermodels as Brazil or Russia, Mexico has given the world some of its most dynamic models; among them ’90s Sports Illustrated regular Elsa Benítez, Gucci-era Tom Ford favorite Liliana Domínguez, and current runway sensation Issa Lish. The latest to catch the eye of fashion insiders is Mariana Zaragoza, a 16-year-old newcomer from Guadalajara, who snagged one of the sought-after exclusives at Proenza Schouler. Selected by casting director Ashley Brokaw to walk alongside stars like Julia Nobis and Mica Arganaraz, Zaragoza made her modeling debut in the biggest way possible—something even she can’t quite believe. “Here I am, in New York City, and it’s amazing!” Zaragoza said post-show. “This has been a huge opportunity for me to grow as a model, get more experienced, and meet new people.”
In many ways, Zaragoza’s story follows the classic new-model narrative: She never considered a career in fashion until a local agent approached her and her mother while they were shopping at the mall, and then it was pretty much all she considered. “I couldn’t get the modeling idea out of my mind,” says Zaragoza, who is now signed with IMG. “My cousin was taking classes at an agency in Guadalajara and invited me to go with her. That’s when it all started.” A flamenco dancer with a gift for posing, Zaragoza spent the next year building her book with tests and editorials before getting the chance to work behind the scenes with Proenza Schouler designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez in the days leading up to the show. “Then I got to see the final pieces ready for the runway,” said Zaragoza, who may be new to the fashion world, but is not immune to its many charms. “It’s hard even to choose just one thing I liked best; there were so many beautiful pieces! There is so much effort involved in the creation of each piece of a collection, in a single photograph for a campaign, and in the planning for a show. It literally is a work of art.”
Even when she wasn’t immersed in Proenza Schouler’s process, Zaragoza’s New York Fashion Week has been pretty magical. The model has spent her time jetting around the city to see the sights, picking up an occasional souvenir for her friends back home, and checking in via FaceTime with her pets: three Vietnamese pigs. “I adore pigs!” she says, and she also collects them in figurine form, citing the current tally at “more than 300 pieces.” Zaragoza even found time for the most New York of experiences: a major celebrity sighting. “I was walking down the street after a fitting and saw a bunch of people in the street. Suddenly I look up and there were David and Victoria Beckham on their way to a coffee shop!”
http://www.vogue.com/13476273/mariana-zaragoza-proenza-schouler-exclusive-model/
what an iconic moment for her, major!
