ABBY KORZA TALKS MODELING
"Learning how to hold a moment"
Daniel John
With so many creative dimensions to who you are, also acting and singing, how did modeling find its place among them?
It truly started on stage when I was a child. I've spent more than ten years in performing arts and that was the real foundation. It was learning how to hold a moment, how to be fully present while someone is watching, how to communicate something true without saying a word and overcoming that fear of being in front of so many people at once. Modeling felt like the same instinct pointed at a different lens. The camera is just another audience. So I'd say nothing was planned exactly but rather one thing kept opening into the next because they all come from the same place. Performing taught me presence, modeling taught me stillness, and now creating content has let me put all of it in conversation. They feed each other constantly. When I first moved to California, I needed a way to stay creative, but did not have the bandwidth between work and school to be in a full musical. Modeling allowed me to not only be creative in my schedule, but also connected me with so many wonderful creatives.
How likely is it to find you singing in between camera snaps?
Very likely. I'm a musician at heart, and always have been, so music is never far from how I work. Singing or humming between frames keeps me loose and sets the temperature on set. There's a rhythm to a good shoot that's not so different from a song, and a little music between takes keeps everyone in it. I have been writing songs and singing since I could speak, and my notes are full of songs and lyrics, performing and singing is at the core of my creative soul, and I very much will release my own music when the time is right.
Do you get into the “look” of a fashion-shoot just as you would playing a character?
Completely. I treat a look like a role. Before anything else, I want to understand the world we're building, for example the mood, the story we’re telling, and what the overall goal of the shoot is. Once I understand the emotional core, the posture, the expression, the energy stops being something I perform and starts being something I inhabit. Practically, that means a lot of mood-boarding and sitting with references beforehand so that by the time I'm in a studio, I'm not thinking about it anymore. The prep is what lets you let go. This is also why I moved away from runway modeling and much more towards photo shoots, especially creative ones. The concept of collaborating with such talented creatives all coming together to bring a shoot to life amidst our busy schedules is so beautiful and very much shows in the results.
What does creative authenticity mean in the modeling context?
It means letting something real come through, instead of performing a version of “beautiful”. People can feel the difference between a look that's worn and a look that's faked, even if they can't name it. To me, it is also letting go of judgments and allowing yourself to be fluid in your thought process. The biggest lesson I have learned, especially in the past few years, is the more you know, the less you know. Being true to yourself one day may look completely different another! What matters most is learning to listen to yourself and your instincts. And being present in your art. This is when truly authentic work comes through.
What was a shoot where you got to fully express all of your creativity, where everything came together and just clicked?
I so honestly could write an essay for so many shoots that have held a deep meaning to me, but one specifically means quite alot to me to this day. I had been going through a very hard time in early 2025 and had taken a long break from shooting. I’ll also note that one of my favorite artists has always been Stevie Nicks, and I often come back to her music in that sense. I decided to do a photoshoot inspired by her, and it could not have been more empowering. We had wanted a sunset shoot, but it ended up being cloudy, and we simply decided to continue anyway. I remember simply trusting the process, and as soon as we began shooting, it began to rain and mist slightly. I was spinning with a black shawl in the light rain, and I could feel myself stepping into myself more and letting go of the heaviness of such deep hurt that had been engulfing my life. This to me, is the true purpose of any art. To capture human emotion and move past the fear to feel deeply.
I’m sure it can both give and take energy wise. What do you turn to when you’re just not feeling like being creative at all?
I've made peace with the fact that creativity needs fallow time, and I think that's actually a performing-arts lesson too. You can't be “on” forever, and pretending you can leads to burnout. When I'm not in it I lean into reflection. I'll listen to music instead of making it, get outside and move, spend time with people I love. I’ll travel, go camping, plan and write. Anything that feels right in the moment that allows me to rest and reset.
Call it manifesting, mood-boarding or simply dreaming. If you could bring your dream shoot to life, what would that look like?
I would love to shoot internationally. While of course I have goals and specific dreams, my “dream” shoot is every time ideas come to life. I say internationally as traveling is something I want and need to prioritize more. I used to do much more, and miss meeting so many incredible people, learning different perspectives, and experiencing so many different things. It is my true dream to travel and learn as much as I can.
Has modeling inspired your personal wardrobe choices and how you dress day-to-day?
Yes, so much! Modeling has very much allowed me to step into myself, and learn what styles make me feel the most confident. I felt so lost in that sense, before modeling, but now I absolutely love finding new styles that feel right and am always looking for ways to evolve my style.
