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From Detroit to Paris: Model Riley Montana on Claiming Her Superstardom
Though she’s graced the runways of Milan and Paris, for model Riley Montana, it all goes back to Detroit. “I want to be a part of the rebuilding,” says Montana. “It’s really my generation that is going to have to fix things. I want to show the positive side [of Detroit]. You always hear the sad stuff, and there is so much more going on.” The Motor City native has been making waves in the world of fashion since debuting in Givenchy’s Spring 2014 campaign alongside Erykah Badu. Since then, Montana has kept busy with runway appearances for labels like Balmain and Rodarte. Though her fashion success seemed instantaneous, Montana found herself feeling lost. “When you don’t have anything, all you can do is think positive. You have to tell yourself that you’re going to be a star and you’re going to succeed,” says Montana. “But once you have a taste of success, the doubts come. My biggest challenge was reconnecting with the fearlessness I had when I was younger.”
It was that fearlessness that pushed Montana to look beyond her humble beginnings in Detroit’s foster system. After making her way to California for test shoots, she pushed her agents to let her travel to New York to prove herself in the competitive high-fashion scene. The gambit paid off and soon Montana was gracing magazines like Vogue Italia and V, even working alongside her idol Kate Moss, an experience she describes as surreal. “That’s probably been the most exciting moment for me so far—just watching her move and work was incredible.”
It wasn’t until that fateful Mert and Marcus shoot with Moss that Montana truly began to feel comfortable with her newfound fame. “Edward Enninful actually said something to me—he said, ‘Superstar Riley Montana,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, no, I’m not a super yet,’ and he was like, ‘No, you need to claim it. If you want to be a supermodel, you need to claim it.’ The word supermodel is thrown around a lot, but it was good to hear something like that from him. Being around such supportive people gives me confidence, and it was just nice to get a compliment from someone like Edward.”
Since then, Montana has approached her career with a renewed focus; this season she worked a new lineup of designers, including Marc Jacobs—an experience she calls “magical.” With plans for travel, acting, and more exciting work on the horizon, the future seems limitless, but the one project Montana’s most excited about is all about giving back. “I want to do a nonprofit organization for foster kids—I want to inspire people who come from the same background as me. It’s important to give back and it’s important to let people know that you can be so much more than just a product of the system. I’ve been given so many amazing opportunities—now it’s time to show the world what I’ve got.”
DOCUMENT JOURNAL
A CLOSER LOOK AT BALMAIN’S S/S 2015 COLLECTION
Olivier Rousteing knows how to make a statement. Though he was only 25 when he first took charge at the storied house of Balmain, he’s never lacked for confidence. From his first collection, he’s created clothes that dare their wearer to seek the spotlight, and that demand a strong woman to carry off their bold embellishments and body-baring silhouettes. It’s no wonder he often refers to his favorite muses and models as the Balmain Army.
In the S/S 2015 of Document Journal, though, photographer Christian MacDonald treats readers to a peek at the women behind the warriors. Models Riley Montana, Jessica Stam, Annely Bouma, Malaika Firth, Issa Lish, Catherine McNeil, and Amanda Wellsh are captured alongside Olivier himself in a series of intimate studio portraits. They reveal that the diverse, vibrant group of women in the Balmain Army look just as beautiful letting their guard down as they do strutting down the runway. It turns out the Balmain look is just as much about the attitude as the clothes.
In the accompanying interview by documentary filmmaker Loïc Prigent, Olivier bares as much in his words as his models do in their photographs. In the candid Q&A, he opens up about posing nude, his first job, and some of his most memorable extravagances. It’s clear that Olivier’s living a life that’s as rich and colorful as his designs.