EMMA SUKURICA TALKS MODELING
"People often ask why I am so dressed up"
Daniel John
Was there any fashion interest in your family or among friends or what do you see got you into it?
I was always very different from my family in many ways. None of them had an interest in fashion the way I did. I loved fashion already as a kid and I remember how my mom used to try to trick me into thinking my secondhand clothes were “markirane”, that’s Montenegrin for “designer clothes.” Which, of course, they weren’t. I wanted a Hermès Birkin bag when I was eleven after watching a report about Hermès on Fashion-TV. I always begged my mom to buy Elle-magazines for me, but she complained they cost forty-five Swedish kroner, so it usually ended with me running to the magazine stand at the ICA-supermarket and flipping through every magazine I could before she got to the checkout. So yeah, that interest has always been there.
When was the moment you knew you were going to become a model?
It was when I was sent to Milan to work as a model for the first time and I was practically thrown into a photoshoot by my Italian agents. I liked the chaos and the creative process. Everything felt completely insane to me, and the fact that I could make money off my looks was so foreign to a nerd like me. But once I got the chance, I didn’t want to lose it!
How did you come to that chance?
The first step I took was practicing poses in the bathroom mirror and getting into the shape and measurements required to be a model. It was really tough for me since I wasn’t the classic stick thin girl, more athletic and fond of carbs. Aside from the surface-level things, I also tried to learn about the industry itself. I spent hours online researching what was relevant, and about who worked with whom. I have a tendency to get obsessed with information, and instead of anatomy textbooks, it became the modeling industry.
What surprised you the most about working as a model once you got your foot in the door, was it what you hoped?
What surprised me most was how people around me changed depending on my job. Suddenly everyone thought I had it “easy” which couldn’t be further from the truth. Anyone who succeeds or has a future in fashion, designer or model, knows how much work it takes to stay relevant. Being relevant and “different” in just the right, cool way is something everyone in fashion tries to be, without knowing how.
What’s the most beautiful place you’ve been photographed in?
In a little West Irish village called Doolin. There were these towering cliffs over the Atlantic, so beautiful that they looked like a Microsoft Windows background. I was photographed there for four days with an Italian team of twenty people for a Colmar Sport campaign. It was incredible! It felt like being in a scene from 'Game of Thrones'. I wish!
Is there any place in the world where you would love to shoot?
Montenegro. My parents’ homeland, a country that means so much to me.
How do you stay motivated with exercising and healthy eating?
Exercising and healthy eating aren’t things I think require motivation. I simply feel my best when I have good routines and eat clean. That said, I definitely allow myself cheat days, not cheat weeks. When I do it, I go all in, and then leave it at that. I live by the eighty-twenty rule, eighty percent clean food and training, twenty percent-indulgence. It’s all mental, I do hate being a sucker, for anything. Even bad habits when it comes to food or drink. I control my reality, not the other way around, there’s nothing better than a great kickboxing session. It’s intense, effective, and gives you such a strong, beautiful body! I learned kickboxing from a coach in Montenegro. We trained twice a day for two months. He said he was turning me into Hilary Swank in 'Billion Dollar Baby'. The only difference between me and Hilary was that I did it so I could stand in a bikini in front of a camera.
Do you feel modeling made you more confident in who you are?
Oh my, yes! It’s such a confidence boost, if you let it be. I’ve never taken negative criticism to heart, quite the opposite, over the years, my confidence has only grown. I’m humble, but I’m also aware that I literally get paid because I’m considered “pretty”. If that doesn’t give you confidence, I do not know what will. That said, it’s sad that most models struggle with low self-esteem because of agents, managers and clients constantly commenting on their looks. I think I started at the right age not too young like many others.
Do you think fashion allows us to be ourselves more?
Absolutely, the bolder you are, the louder you speak! Don’t be “just enough” or like someone else with your own style. Just as you're not like anyone else, your fashion shouldn't be either.
What’s one piece of clothing you haven’t been able to live without this summer?
Tiny bikinis and big hats!
What does the perfect summer day look like for you?
Swimming off the coast of Formentera, out by the boat, loud music, and ice-cold tequila.
Is your personal style very different from how you dress for work?
Very! I love dressing up, and I do it often. I probably have about fifty pairs of Italian heels that all love a spin with a miniskirt and a silk top. I would describe my style as sexy, elegant, and feminine. People often ask why I am so dressed up but I love it! If I am not overdressed, I’m in chic workout clothes, there’s no in-between.
Which season do you feel most at home in fashion-wise?
All of them! I name my jackets and bags, they need to feel loved all year round!
You share a path with a former interviewee, Frida Gustavsson, a model turned actress. Is acting an old love or a new-found infatuation?
Even being mentioned in the same sentence as a goddess like Frida is a major compliment, thank you! I’ve always loved film and the emotions it evokes in the viewer. Storytelling and conveying feeling are magical to me. I acted and sang on stage a lot in school, and I even did some auditions for SVT when I was young, but in my teenage years the “embarrassment” of being interested in something like that took over. So I focused hard on school instead of pursuing acting. It’s always been in the back of my mind though, even while modeling, that fashion would eventually be my bridge into film.
What will we be able to see you act in?
In Swedish productions, you can see me in smaller roles in 'Love and Anarchy' on Netflix and the new version of the police series 'Huss' on Viaplay. Then hopefully next year you’ll see me in an American Paramount Pictures production, the press release has not dropped yet. Though it might turn out I get cut from it! (laughs)
Is modeling still a big passion for you?
Unfortunately, no! I still love fashion, the art of style, materials, and elegance, but I’m not as passionate about modeling itself anymore. I want to have more of an impact. I like to think I have a voice and an energy that can express something deeper emotionally.
Do you think there’s anything you’ve carried with you from your years as a model into acting as well?
God, yes! I remember how nervous the camera made me at the start of my career. But I learned how to be myself, to find my best angles in flattering light. It has also given me a certain natural ease in front of the lens, I can sense how it looks without even seeing the footage. I’d never have known that if I hadn’t worked as a model.
Do you have a life motto?
“If it’s not fun, exciting or filled with passion I don’t want to do it.”
