Marina: Face of the Moment
20 years old, 8 of those working, the Madrid model has skyrocketed to next summer's international runways. Milan, Paris and NY belong to the the 2003 winner of the Premio L'oreal Best Model. By Eugenia de la Torriente. Photos by Nico and L'Estrop.
She wasn't discovered by accident at an airport or while accompanying her sister to a casting. Hers is not a fairy-tale beginning. Marina has worked as a model since the age of 12 when her mother put her in an agency. She's almost methodically been through the stages. She started with kidswear and department store catalogs. She travelled to Milan and Tokyo at 15 and won the Best Model award in February 2003 at Cibeles (Madrid Fashion Week). At 17 she landed national campaigns (Mango, Pronovias, Massimo Dutti, Victorio & Lucchino). It was at this time, more or less, she stopped travelling everywhere with her mother. A year ago she decided to try her hand at America and went to New York. She met her boyfriend (from Beverly Hills) and walked for Custo and Imitation of Christ. People talked about her impending mark on the international scene. And after her ads in Italy for Patrizia Pepe, that promise was fulfilled.
The new Marina, at 20, walked for Calvin Klein in New York for Summer 2005. She exploded in Milan and Paris. Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Jil Sander, Roberto Cavalli, YSL, Chanel, LV and Christian Dior, among others. Indeed a feat for a Spanish model. "I know I must take full advantage of this opportunity and now is the time to take it," says Marina whose rounded face has give way to striking cheekbones. Maybe she has fulfilled the the very statement she made back in 2003 on "The Country of Temptations" when she spoke of the rise of Spanish models on the world stage: "It's not becuase we're Spanish. It's that here we look for beauty that's common and abroad they look for a beauty that's a bit less common." On deck for Marina are jobs (like Italian Vogue with Steven Meisel, V and a campaign for Loewe) that could make her the model of next summer.
Caption: Above, the model photographed backstage at BCN fashion week in Feb 2004. Below, on the runways of Milan and Paris in September and October 2004. From left to right, at some of the most-watched shows in the world: Missoni, D&G, Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel.
was very interesting to read!
