A Moment With... Shontina Rose đź’•
Recently, I had the pleasure of working with the beautiful Shontina Rose at the Shine Photo Shoot and it was a privilege to interview her for A moment with……. Not only is Shontina Rose so stunning and intelligent, she was a delight to work with, extremely professional and always accomodating. It was a fun day filled with costume changes and lots of Sparkle & Shine.
I hope you enjoy the interview as much as the other models & I enjoyed working with Shontina Rose at the Shine Photo Shoot. 🌟
How did your Modelling Career commence?
It was my dream ever since I was 15 to become a model however I never thought it would be possible until I was asked by an agency to come in for an interview when I was 17. I remember I was extremely nervous and shy, but luckily enough, they signed me. For the first year it was super hard work, I didn’t get any real paid jobs, and I would have to travel two hours on the train from my home town of Noosa to the closest city which was Brisbane, to attend castings and “Time for Print” shoots.
I really wasn’t getting anything back from all of the effort I was putting in, until I realised that maybe it was time for a change of agency. I was pretty nervous, as making those decisions can be tough, but I decided to take the risk and move to the Gold Coast and sign with a new agency. Thank goodness I did. My first day of meeting with the new agent I was booked for a job and did the photoshoot the same day! From there on, I started working like crazy. I eventually moved to Brisbane, and even got signed overseas and lived and worked in Hong Kong, Milan and London. Now I am living and signed in Melbourne and loving working in Australia.
Who or what is your inspiration?
This is a hard question to answer, as I feel like inspiration is everywhere, and it evolves and changes over time. I love feeling inspired by the different people I meet, the places I go, the friendships/relationships I make, the things I read, and the people who have succeeded in their dreams.
Where is the most exciting destination you have travelled to for work?
I spent 3 months in Milan, as well as visiting other cities in Italy for bookings and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.
Most memorable shoot you have worked on?
I think that would have to be for Versace. I spent 2 and a half weeks doing showings in their Milano HQ. During this time I also shot their client look book which was amazing.
What is your favourite holiday destination?
Out of the places I’ve been on holiday, Europe was so beautiful. I spent a month with my boyfriend Jason, travelling around Greece, Italy, France and England. Maybe Santorini was my favourite! I also love going back to my hometown, Noosa, to visit my family. It’s a beautiful little town and always feels like a holiday when I go back.
I’m sure your work day is not always as glamorous as the photo’s look. How difficult can a day in the life of a model be?
Yes definitely, this is quite a common thing where people assume that a models life is all glam and super easy. This is not really the case. It can be tough and exhausting sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job but you definitely need to have a tough skin for it and be super persistent. There have been days where I am sent to up to 10 castings within a matter of hours, competing against hundreds of different girls, and simply get judged and rejected right on the spot. Shoots and shows can also be very long days, sometimes starting at dawn and ending at dusk. During the day, we can sometimes be expected to shoot 150+ outfits, and it requires a lot of energy to keep going and looking/feeling your absolute best all day long, as it shows in the photos if you aren’t.
To stay in shape, are you a gym girl or an outdoor active girl?
I love keeping active outdoors by going for runs, walks and cycling, but I do also attend the gym as it’s important to do a mix of cardio and weight training. I have been working out at the gym a little more lately, especially as it’s my first Melbourne winter, it’s been a lot harder for me to exercise outdoors as I’m not used to the cold. Haha.
Where do you hope your career in modelling leads you?
Honestly, I think I’ve achieved more in my career than I thought I would, so I’m super happy with any opportunity that comes my way. I just hope I can continue to work as a model for as long as I can, as it doesn’t always last forever. I love meeting new clients and getting to know all the great brands in the industry. There’s so many opportunities, so it would be amazing to continue to work the best I can in this industry and see where it goes. Who know’s what’s around the corner!
Do you have any hidden talents like Singing, Dancer, Music?
If it wasn’t for modelling and my complete inability to sing, my dream would be to be a singer, hands down. I used to dance when I was younger but unfortunately stopped years ago. I would love to pick it up again sometime! And this may come as a surprise to most…. but I am a pretty good gamer (playstation). You could say that is my hidden talent! Haha.
A lot of models go into acting. Is this something you would consider in the future?
Possibly, if the opportunity arose, however I’ve never really acted before in my life. Definitely something I would be willing to try.
Is there anyone you would love to work with or have worked with, that is your dream job?
How amazing would it be to be a Victoria Secret model? Haha! I remember that was my dream when I was younger.
What is your daily beauty regime?
Wake up, cleanse my skin, apply toner, serum, moisturiser and sunscreen. I apply makeup if I am going out for the day, however I usually like to go without it on my days off from work as I think it’s important to give my skin a break when I can. In the evenings I cleanse and sometimes apply a face mask, this can be either a sheet mask or clay. Afterwards I apply a moisturiser to sleep in. It’s important to keep skin hydrated so I also try my best to drink plenty of water during the day and eat healthy foods full of nutrients.
What is your favourite food?
Gnocchi!
How important is Social Media to you?
For work, social media is becoming more and more important, it’s really the way that clients and people in the industry know who you are, view your work, your lifestyle, and what you portray to your followers. I always try my best to keep this positive and genuine, as I have a real love for my followers and the connections I have made around the world. However I also think it is super important to switch off every now and then and take a breather. It’s easy to get caught up in the social media world, which isn’t alway healthy. It’s crucial to me that I stay down to earth, take in my surroundings the best I can, without always being behind the screen.
What advice would you give young people wanting to try and be successful in the Modelling Industry?
Just be yourself and love yourself for who YOU are (I know, we hear it all the time and it’s so cliche) however it’s seriously the biggest thing! There are so many girls in this industry competing for work, and sometimes we can get caught up in the other’s appearances and may think that “we need to be this and need to be that”, in order to get the work etc. But the biggest compliment you can give to yourself, is being confident in who YOU are, and loving yourself, once you do that, other people will be drawn to you, and they will love you too!
You're not going to get every job, but that does not change an ounce of your self worth, as the next job may be absolutely perfect for your look. Another important note is to always stay healthy, unfortunately this industry can sometimes put pressure on girls to become certain measurements, however the thing is that everyone is different and it’s impossible for everyone to be the same. It’s OK to remain the healthiest version of you, we are lucky in Australia, as the industry is becoming more and more aware of how important a healthy body image is. So don’t forget that it is so important to glow from the inside out, as this will not only make you Shine, but help you to be comfortable overcoming the hurdles and taking the opportunities which come your way, in order to succeed. Success is not a smooth line, you will have a few setbacks, it’s just about getting back up, reassessing what’s best for you, and pushing forward in a healthy and positive way 🙂
A moment with Shontina Rose đź’•
