Wiola Gaida - Thinking fashion - Harper's Bazaar Srbija

Haljina Zhivago
Minđuše Chanel
Šešir Saint Laurent

Wiola Gaida je poljski model koji se bavi muzikom. U intervjuu za Harper’s BAZAAR Srbija, govori o svojim počecima, interesovanjima u detinjstvu, omiljenim destinacijama i budućim planovima.

Da li ste odmalena pokazivali interesovanje za modu?

Ne, zapravo, bilo je potpuno suprotno. Kao dete, nisam znala ništa o modi, a manekenstvo me nije ni zanimalo. Uvek sam bila ambiciozna i fokusirana na školu. Bila sam jedan od najboljih učenika u celoj školi. Primljena sam na najveći Medicinski univerzitet u Poljskoj i zaista nisam imala vremena da razmišljam o modi jer sam uvek bila usredsređena na polaganje sledećeg ispita i pripremu za laboratorijske časove. Osim toga, ja sam iz malog grada u kome niko ne priča mnogo o modi. Moj prvi susret sa svetom manekenstva dogodio se kada sam otišala u veći grad u kome me je slikao fotograf koji je tražio modele za agenciju. Na moj odgovor da se ne bavim modelingom, mislio je da se šalim. Tada sam se definitivno više bavila muzikom nego manekenstvom, ali iznad svega bilo je obrazovanje.

Recite nam nešto više o sebi i muzici koju pravite?

Naravno! Sve je počelo pobedom na vokalnom takmičenju u Poljskoj “Vigraj Szanse”, “Osvoji priliku”. Pevala sam i nastupala na nekim izuzetno važnim poljskim događajima. Pevala sam i u pozorištu gde sam na kastingu izabrana da budem i glumica i pevačica u istoj predstavi. Upisala sam i dodatnu školu za vokale. Na kraju sam dobila ponudu da pevam sa velikim orkestrom od preko 20 ljudi. Prihvatila sam ponudu. Takođe sam pohađala časove gitare u Poljskoj, koju sam napustila kada sam potpisala prvi ugovor sa modnom agencijom. Svakodnevno sam imala kastinge, snimanja, reklame i gostovanja u emisijama. Tada sam počela da snimam obrade tuđih numera, jer sam jedino za to imala vremena. Za sve to vreme, putujući po inostanstvu, muzika mi je jako nedostajala. Moj otac je svirao klavijature u bendu od svoje 16. godine, a sestra je svirala električnu gitaru u jednom rok bendu, otuda je i moj muzički talenat.

Opišite svoj savršeni slobodni dan kada se ne bavite modelingom?

Kad se ne bavim modelingom – stvaram muziku. Slušam različite pesme koje me inspirišu da stvaram sopstvenu muziku i često tražim poljske pesme za inspiraciju, jer mislim da u Poljskoj postoji mnogo pesama sa vrlo značajnim i jedinstvenim tekstovima. To su mahom umetnici koji obrađuju veoma važne teme u svojoj muzici. Osim muzike, volim wellness, jogu i meditaciju… S druge strane, ja sam fanatik biologije i ishrane i volim da širim svoje znanje o ljudskom telu. Fasciniraju me discipline kao što su neurobiologija, filozofija, antropologija i psihologija, kao i kognitivne nauke. Jednostavne stvari, kao što je druženje sa dečkom, porodicom i prijateljima, takođe mi donose sreću.

Top i helanke Burberry
Suknja Alison Eastman
Minđuše i prsten Gucci
Čizme Alexander McQueen

Kako izgleda vaša beauty rutina?

Pre odlaska u krevet uvek dobro operem lice kako bih se uverila da na koži nema tragova šminke. Na primer, nedavno sam završila New York Fashion Week gde su me šminkeri stavljali više slojeva šminke na kožu. Posle čitavog ovakvog dana, ispiranje šminke samo gelom za čišćenje ne pomaže. Ponekad moram dva puta da operem lice sredstvom za čišćenje, a zatim da upotrebim jak toner sa salicilnom kiselinom kako bih se rešila ostataka šminke. Nedavno sam otkrila organski probiotski sprej za negu kože. Kasnije, u zavisnosti od toga šta mojoj koži treba, nanosim hidratantnu kremu. Tokom dana krema za sunčanje je neophodna. Takođe volim da koristim piling za telo, maske za kosu i kada vreme dozvoljava, saunu.

Poznata je činjenica da modeli često putuju, možete li nam reći nešto o svojoj omiljenoj destinaciji?

Da, neki modeli putuju više, neki manje. Zavisi od opisa posla koji ćete izabrati. Veliki sam ljubitelj drugih kultura, hrane, jezika, arhitekture, religije i istorije. Ako moram da biram, rekao bih da su mi Hong Kong, Meksiko i Njujork omiljena odredišta. Hong Kong jer se uvek dešava toliko mnogo stvari, ima mnogo događaja, prodavnice su otvorene do kasno, ljudi su ljubazni i veoma vredni. Neverovatan kosmopolitski grad koga nazivaju i “Azijski New York”. Takođe sam imala priliku da živim u Meksiku i zaljubila sam se u kulturu, gostoprimstvo i njihovu hranu! U Meksiku ljudi vole da pomažu jedni drugima i izuzetno su topli, druželjubivi i ljubazni. Na kraju, ništa manje važan je Njujork, grad koji nikad ne spava, u kome možete osetiti uzbuđenje. Tamo vam se čini da je sve moguće, običan dan se za manje od jednog minuta, može pretvoriti u san!

Kakvi su vam planovi za budućnost?

U narednih nekoliko godina moj plan je da se više fokusiram na muziku, jer sam nakon videa koji sam radila u Meksiku dobilan odlične povratne informacije. Svakodnevno dobijam neverovatnu podršku svojih fanova, a ideja je da ih ovog puta obradujem svojim prvim singlom. Što se tiče ličnih planova, želja mi je da provodim više vremena sa porodicom.

Kaput Manokhi
Helanke Marine Serre
Cipele Stuart Weitzman
Minđuše Louis Vuitton

ENGLISH HERE

Did you always show interest for fashion, since your childhood?

No, actually, it was the complete opposite. When I was a child, I knew nothing about fashion, and I was not even interested in modeling. I was always very ambitious and focused on school. I was one of the best students in my entire school and I always graduated with honors. I was accepted into the biggest medical university in Poland and I really didn’t have time to think about fashion because I was always focused on passing my next exam and preparing for my laboratory classes. Aside from this I am from a small city where nobody talks much about fashion. My first encounter with the world of modeling happened when I went to a bigger city, and I got scouted by a photographer who was looking for models for an agency. The photographer asked me if I was a model and I thought she was joking because it was totally not my cup of tea. I was definitely more into music than modeling at the time but above everything else was school.

Tell us a little bit more about yourself and your music.

Sure! So back in Poland I won the vocal competition “Wygraj Szansę” (“Win a Chance”).

Then I was booked for various shows and performances in Poland. I sang at many venues and also performed during some extremely important Polish events. I also sang in the theatre where I was selected at a casting to be both an actress and a singer in the same show. I also enrolled in additional vocal classes. I eventually received an offer to sing with a big orchestra comprised of over 20 people. I accepted the offer. I also attended guitar classes in Poland. Now I also play a little bit of ukulele. Aside from that, I sang in a big choir (approximately 80 choristers) as a soprano voice. I was one of the youngest performers in the choir.

I left Poland because I got a modeling contract. Once I left Poland, my agency arranged photo sessions, shows, commercials, and castings for me every day. So, I didn’t have much time to do music. In addition, I knew that I would only have 3 or 4 months in each country I modeled in, so just when I was just getting used to a country and making contacts, I had to leave. The entire time I was traveling for modeling I missed music so much. Music is what plays in my soul and is in my blood. My dad played the keyboard in a band since he was 16 and my sister played electric guitar in a rock band as well.

While traveling for modeling there were moments when I missed music so much that I started recording covers because that is all I had time to do. In Taiwan I covered “say something” with a Taiwanese singer and later in Hong Kong I also did a cover of “3AM” where I sang in Mandarin. In Mexico I recorded a cover of “Someone You Loved” with a Venezuelan singer. I also spent 2 years in Mexico. I was actually in Mexico when the pandemic hit so I had the opportunity to create more music there. I formed my own band of 6 people and we played music live. They were extremely talented people! I created 5 videos with them singing popular songs such as “Stand by Me”, “Killing Me Softly”, “Crazy in Love”, “Eye of the Tiger” etc. You can find all of these covers on YouTube by searching “Wiola Gaida” or on Instagram by searching @wiolagaida.

Now I’m in The United States and I plan to record my own songs and possibly an album.

Describe your perfect day off when you are not modelling?

When I am not modeling- I am making music. I take the ukulele in my hands and start to sing. This is such a small thing, but I enjoy it so much and it can change my mood immediately. I listen to different songs to inspire me to create my own music and I often look for Polish songs for lyric inspiration, because I think that in Poland there are many songs with very meaningful and unique lyrics. Artists in Poland touch on very important topics in their music. Besides music I love wellness, yoga, and meditation. I also like listening to podcasts about manifestation or the law of attraction. Sometimes I also like to listen or watch things about conspiracy theories. On the other hand, I am a biology and nutrition fanatic and I love to spread my knowledge about the human body. I am fascinated by disciplines such as neurobiology, philosophy, anthropology, and psychology, as well as cognitive sciences. I also love reading books. Simple things like spending time with my boyfriend, my family, and my friends also brings me so much happiness.

Odelo Manokhi
Top Maison Margiela
Minđuše Area

Tell us something about your daily beauty routine.

Before going to bed, I always wash my face thoroughly to make sure that there is no makeup left on my skin because often I have had makeup applied multiple times in one day. For example, I just recently finished New York Fashion Week where I was running from one place to another where make-up artists were putting multiple layers of makeup on my skin. After an entire day like this, washing off my make-up with a just a gel cleanser doesn’t do the trick. Sometimes I have to wash my face with a gel cleaner twice and then use a strong toner with salicylic acid in it to get rid of leftover makeup residue. I also use a special eye makeup remover. I recently discovered an organic skin care probiotic topical spray. I wondered if my healthy protective bacteria could become damaged because of excess makeup and harsh cleaning. So, I use this spray to create a layer on my skin which keeps out bad bacteria, maintains hydration, and keeps my skin at a healthy pH. Later, depending on what my skin needs, I apply a cream with, for example, azelaic acid followed by a moisturizer. During the day, sunscreen is essential. I also like to use body scrubs, hair masks and when the time permits, a sauna.

Since is it known fact that models travel a lot, can you tell us something about your favorite destination?

Yes, some models travel more, some travel less. It depends on the character of the modeling that they choose to do. I’m a big fan of new cultures, food, languages, different architecture, religions, and history. This is a very difficult question because each place I worked in has its own unique essence. But if I had to choose, I would say Hong Kong, Mexico, and New York are my favorite destinations. Hong Kong because there are always so many things going on, there are lots of events, the shops are open until late, the people are friendly and very hardworking, and there are many opportunities to grow. Hong Kong is an amazing cosmopolitan city and people call it “The New York of Asia”. I also had the opportunity to live in Mexico and I fell in love with the culture, the hospitality, and their tacos! In Mexico people like to help each another and they are extremely warm, friendly, and kind. In Mexico there are many beautiful beaches like Los Cabos, Tulum or Cancun and there are also magnificent cities like San Miguel, which looks like it is straight out of a fairytale. Last but not least, I love New York, the city that never sleeps. New York has so many activities, shows, people from all over the world, and a mixture of cultures. In New York when you step outside your apartment you can feel the excitement of the city and it feels like anything is possible, an ordinary day can turn into an extraordinary one in less than a minute.

When are you looking to achieve in the next couple of years, both professionally and personally?

In the next couple of years my plan is to focus more on music because after the videos I did in Mexico I got great, unexpected feedback. People have created fan clubs for me, and I get amazing support from my fans every day. I see that my fans watch my every move, they look at my photos and look up information about me on the web and I would like to give them something in return for being so supportive. I would like to share the gift God gave me with the world. So, I am thinking of making a single and recording a video for it. I think that this would be a good first step. When it comes to personal plans, I think I would like to spend more time with my family because in the last 4 years I have only seen my parents and my sister for two months.