Yasmina Faizis is a 20-year-old living in London. She identifies as a mixed-race Dutch and Moroccan who is currently studying at Queen Mary University of London to pursue a career in politics and law enforcement. Throughout the years she’s been approached to model but had always declined as she was solely focused on her studies, but in August 2020 that changed.
No stranger to the industry as her mother become a model after being crowned Miss Holland, Faizis is now being represented by the Kult model agency in London, and since deciding to embrace her roots she’s achieved 2 magazine covers, several fashion editorials, and been recently interviewed by Al Jazeera news.
In-between her busy schedule we had the opportunity to catch up with her on her views regarding the future of the modelling and why she actually decided to take the leap.
Why did you change your mind and decide to try modelling now?
These days’ models have social media platforms, so even if they’re not well known, they can still have a relatively big following and articulate their views in a way they weren’t able to do before,” As a model, a lot of people look up to you, especially young girls who follow you on social media platforms. Therefore, I want to use my platform to shed light on political and health issues that I have at heart. For instance, I have a lot of friends that follow the stigma that being pretty means being skinny. I have friends who don’t understand that what they see on the Internet is just a distorted image of someone’s life and not the whole picture; that what you see on Instagram is not reality. That being skinny doesn’t mean starving yourself, but rather working out and having a healthy lifestyle.
Mixing fashion and politics: Is it a good idea?
I feel that modelling and the fashion world can help me pursue my career in politics. The world is changing. I am half Moroccan and half Dutch I feel it is important to be a role model to young Moroccan and Arab girls.
Who is your inspiration as a model?
My inspiration as a model is Bella Hadid I feel like we have a lot in common. Bella is of Arab descent and has used her platform to raise awareness on political matters that most people don’t dare acknowledge. Whether it regards the Israel-Palestinian n conflict or the Black Lives Matter movement, she always expresses her thoughts no matter the consequences or the backlash she receives.
Which designers are you inspired by and what is style for you
My favourite designers; Maison Margiela, Alexander Wang, Raf Simons, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander Mcqueen, and Rick Owens. I’m a firm believer that you can say a lot about a person just by looking at the way they dress, as fashion and personality come hand in hand. There is a correlation between my favorite designers as most of them are dark, uncanny, audacious, and different. If one would look at Maison Margiela or Rick Owens’ fashion shows, they’re all so different from what designers usually portray. They’re out of the ordinary, but in a good way. Similarly, my favorite color is black and I love being different from everyone in the room, especially when it comes to the way I dress. Growing up, the best compliment anyone could give me was a compliment on my outfit. I always felt like it was ten times better than someone calling me pretty. Being called pretty or beautiful is overrated, I mean you can’t do anything about the way you look, as it all comes down to genes. Style, however, is something you have control over. It’s a way of expressing yourself without words.
Who is your favorite Arabic designer?
My favorite Arab designer, who also happens to be half Moroccan, is Charaf Tajer. His brand, Casablanca, is not only about elegance, but also about comfort! I’ve always been sportive and into comfortable clothing as I grew up taking part in several sports such as volleyball, badminton, basketball, and football. It was a dream come true when I found out about the Casablanca brand, named after my city. It would also be an honor to work for Elie Saab or Georges Hobeika.
Today your fashion editorials are with fashion designers Raishma and Lalica, how does it feel?
I love being in front of the camera, it’s so much fun. It’s like being in character, especially with the makeup and styling.
Text by Suna Ahmed
Photographer: Latiff Napoleon
Make-up artist: Stafania
Hair stylist: John Harte
Wardrobe stylist: Mao Miyakoshi
