WILDA RUBIN TALKS MODELING

Interviewed by Culture Coast Talks editor Daniel John. Interview transcripts might have been edited for length and clarity.

What first made you put your one hundred seventy-eight centimeters in front of the camera?

Standing in front of the camera has always been an interest of mine, even when I just was one meter shorter. Doors into the modeling world opened for me quite early but my mom chose to keep them closed until I was older and more aware, since then there have been lots of pictures taken, plenty of playing around and lots of talk about design and style, especially with my best friend Lycke. Now that I have grown a bit wiser, we decided to answer a scout who had reached out. That was more or less the starting shot of my modeling career. I’ve always liked design and art in all forms, not least clothing, both of my parents are also designers by background. I’ve always loved creating, and not too long ago I even sewed a garment myself. I think that’s also a contributing factor to why I’m interested in the modeling profession and I can’t deny that it’s a lot of fun to get styled up and have the honor of representing the work of creators!

Is all of this still relatively new for you. Because it wasn’t that long ago that you signed with Avenue Models. What was that first meeting like?

Yes it really is! I had my first “meeting” with Avenue Models in November of last year which kind of happened by chance. Right away I was welcomed very warmly, and it truly felt like they were a serious agency with ambitions. Luca, my agent, I also met that very first day at Avenue. He was very straightforward with me about my potential and showed their interest in me which gave me a greater trust in the agency. It’s such a huge contrast from everything else in my life, like handball, friends, school. So, honestly, I didn’t go into the meeting thinking about what was important. I was very excited, but I had no real expectations about it. If you can put it that way.

What do you consider important now when you’re with them?

What I think is most important in an agency is that they see your strengths and can work to highlight those sides in photos and to clients. To work with the individual and what is most suitable for me specifically. Also, having a safe point of contact, one or more people you can trust and rely on in the agency. For me, that’s Marie and Luca!

Avenue Models is your mother agency, but are you also looking for agencies internationally?

I am! Right now, we’re actually in discussions about which agency in Milan I will be signing with this summer, so it’s very current, I really need to practice more English at home before the departure. At the moment, I am mostly focused on advertisement, but in the future, maybe it will be more about catwalks. That’s very powerful. But there are many fashion-scenes in the world I’d love to explore.

If you could choose just one fashion world to step into, which would it be then?

If I have to name just one, I’ll shoot for the stars, and say Chanel. Their shows are something completely different, especially when Karl Lagerfeld was still involved. It would be incredible to explore that world too.

You're now part of Rabalder’s spring campaign, where they are welcoming spring with new additions to their slow-fashion collections. What was the experience of stepping into the studio for this shoot?

Rabalder was my first paid job. I was nervous and excited before knocking on their door and of course I ended up spilling my breakfast all over myself. But, right away I was greeted so warmly by the owner and designer Mia and her team in the studio, it couldn’t have been a better start for me, which also made standing in front of the camera even more fun, a perfect experience. And I am grateful for the chance to showcase their spring collection. They also served delicious buns and we chatted about handball, extra bonus.

Is spring a season that you feel at home in, fashion-wise?

Absolutely, I do, maybe mostly because it is closer to summer clothing! (laughs) It’s the little things that make spring lovely, like being able to choose a lighter jacket and lighter shoes. My style varies a lot from day to day depending on my mood. But today I would say a denim-theme with jeans and a jacket, paired with a stylish blouse underneath with lots of texture so something’s happening. Add a pair of golden ballerina flats and a nice bag, and matching nails of course, and it becomes a really good day! Maybe I’ll change into a long skirt after putting that on, like I said, it depends on the mood.

You also have a handball background, how do you balance that with modeling?

I’ve been injured during the second half of the season, which has allowed modeling to take a bit more space in my life. I’m the kind of person who believes I can give my all to everything at once, even if that’s not always possible. But I figure I’ll live with that mindset until reality proves otherwise, since I love both handball, training, and modeling. So I hope it works out, if not, I’ll deal with it then.

Modeling can be unpredictable, you can start with no work, suddenly have several shoots a day, and then back to none. Do you see modeling as just a fun thing where you leave those odds to chance, or do you bring the same competitiveness from sports into it?

I’m in exactly the stage you describe, where at the beginning you don’t know how things will turn out since I am still at the start of my career. When I travel abroad to work this summer, I hope to gain more insights and a clearer picture of my opportunities in the industry. I tend to go all in for the things I enjoy. I’m very excited and eager to see how far I can go in this industry. But excluding other things at such an early stage, that’s not me, Wilda. So no, I don’t see modeling as just a fun thing. Even though it is a very fun thing. Let's go! Absolutely.