Grace Bol - Soudanaise - 1m77 - 84/63/87
Agences
Oui
The Lions
Numéro France N°183
Mai 2017
Txema Yeste
Interview Russie
Mars 2015
Alexey Kolpakov
Showlist Fall 2017 (14 shows) New York (5 shows) R13 Sies Marjan Oscar de la Renta Ralph Lauren Marc Jacobs London (8 shows) Fashion East - Matty Bovan Julien MacDonald Emilia Wickstead Gareth Pugh Roland Mouret Mulberry Burberry Pringle of Scotland Milan (1 show) Emilio Pucci Paris (5 shows) Balmain Loewe Haider Ackermann Kenzo (Closed) Acne Studios
Photographer Viviane Sassen brings two fearless fashion icons together for Dazed - here, they speak out on anti-war activism and multiculturalism in modelling. There’s an energy field around Grace Bol. Her editorial work balances pure, magnetic power and poised cool, the kind of presence you either have as a model or you don’t. After being discovered at the age of 19 at a mall in her hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, her first local modelling gigs quickly led to fashion proper. “Coming into fashion, I loved it. I get to travel, I get to meet different people, different cultures. I love adventure, exploring the world, different cities, countries, wildlife,” she says. Bol is on the phone from her agency in New York, recently back from Paris where she capped off another strong season walking for Marc Jacobs, Gareth Pugh, Balmain, Loewe and Haider Ackermann. Over Christmas, she visited family in her native Sudan. Like fellow South Sudanese model Alek Wek, she fled the country because of civil war, coming to the US with her family at the age of “eight or nine” through a UN camp. “I was shocked by the snow,” she says, laughing. “We didn’t know how to deal with it, but we learned. We learned (to overcome) the language barrier, too, (especially) the children.” As a child in a war-torn country, was Bol aware of what was happening around her? “I saw a few things, but our parents did everything to keep us away... They distracted us, and we were very happy as kids even though we were in the worst place. They made us feel like we were in the best (place).” During her last visit to the country, she says that she saw a lot of change.“Politics-wise, it was still unstable. But I think the country is going in a direction where it won’t stay that way. The world could help by coming in to talk to them and try to unify them. I think it’s best to come in without giving them weapons because they are not in a good place for that.” Bol wants to make the most of the platform fashion offers to speak about her experiences, and has hosted talks on activism paths within modelling. “I could have said anything while I was in school but it wouldn’t have reached anyone,” she says. “Right now, in my position, I can send a good message to people and it will reach them. It’s a good place for me.” Who are her own role models? “Michelle Obama. She’s strong, she’s smart, she’s always been about unity and... I don’t know, I love everything about her,” she says. It’s too bad, I offer, that the current White House occupier seems beyond reasoning with.
Meet the New Girl: Grace Bol Gets Mistaken for Alek Wek ‘All the Time’ Two years ago, Sudanese-American beauty Grace Bol moved to New York to pursue modeling after being deemed "too high fashion" by her Kansas City peers, and she hasn't left since. The 21-year-old is currently represented by Major Models and recently walked the fall 2011 Givenchy, Maison Martin Margiela and Vievienne Westwood shows in Paris. Bol, at the time, was also on hold to shoot for the fall 2011 Givenchy campaign. We met with the statuesque five-foot-ten model last week to discuss her plans for helping Sudan in the future and her uncanny resemblance to fellow Sudanese supermodel Alek Wek. Tell me about your childhood. I have a big, big family back home. I still haven't met half of my family; all my cousins and aunts and uncles [are back in Sudan]. When I was a child, I was a troublemaker, a huge tomboy, climbing a lot of trees like a monkey. I stayed with my grandma because my mom left me when I was 3. I met her again when I was 8 and was very confused. How did you first get discovered? I was born in Sudan but moved to Kansas City, Missouri, when I was very young. At school, my teachers always told me I should model, but I was really into basketball. One day, I went to the mall, and there was an open call with an agency, and these people forced me to go in and enter. So I figured why not, and I signed with them. I only stayed with them for a bit because they said I was "too high fashion" and that I should go to New York. And ever since, I never left this city! It's been two and a half years now. What was your most memorable experience during the fall 2011 season? I was shocked to walk for Givenchy. I couldn't believe I was actually there. Ricardo Tisci is known for selecting unknown faces and making them into superstars. What was the casting process like? I walked into the casting, did my thing, he asked me a few questions about where I was from and my history, and I walked out thinking I didn't get it. There were thousands of girls there, so even when I got the booking I still didn't believe it was going to pan out. I always thought they were going to cancel me, so even on the day of the show I was just looking at the clock to make sure it was actually all happening. But once the makeup was done it all hit me, and it was the most amazing experience in my career thus far. Has anyone compared you to Alek Wek, who is also from Sudan? All the time! People actually think I'm Alek when I'm walking down the street. Several people have chased me down just to get my autograph, and even when I explain to them that I'm not Alek, they think I'm lying! All I tell them is "I'm Grace!" What's your most favorite thing about yourself? I'm confident I would never be one of those people who spend their money on materialistic things. I want to go back home and help people. You're known for your amazing skin. Tips? Every night, I take a towel and run it under hot water and wipe my face down real hard. I then apply Vaseline and sleep in it, and in the morning I'll take the towel to my face again, except this time with cold water. Tell us something about modeling most people don't know. Models aren't bitches. We have that perception, but most of us are actually really down-to-earth, and definitely not divas. You're late to a casting with no time to dress. What are you going to wear? Jeans and a white T-shirt with my high heels. But most of the time I have my casting bags already prepared with my heels and my modeling portfolio. What scares you? Bugs! Little bugs. If not modeling then, what would you be doing? I'd be in school studying fashion. Sudan doesn’t have that much fashion, so I would love to bring fashion back to my country. I want to mix the Sudanese traditions with high fashion. Let's play favorites: Musician? I love Lucky Dube, who's from Uganda. 2Pac, Ludacris, and Jay-Z are staples, though. And I even listen to country sometimes. Film? Rush Hour and The White Chicks. I love action comedies. Book? I'm not a big fan of reading, to be honest. I get bored sitting in one place, as I like to be on the move constantly. You're about to be stranded on an island, with one person and one thing. What would you bring? A sexy guy [laughs] and music to keep me entertained. Wait, can I bring some food, too? Like chicken? [Laughs.] What's the one thing you couldn't live without? Water. I need to drink it and bathe in it. If you could change one thing about the modeling industry, what would you change? I would love if designers and casting directors gave new faces a chance to walk for this runway show or shoot for that magazine; it would be great for anyone because most of us never get that chance. How do you maintain your physique? I don't know about other models, but I eat. I just try and eat healthy by eating all types of foods. Once a week, though, I will eat whatever I want. I like to run sometimes, too. Just a bit of working out, but not too much. Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years I would love to go back to Sudan with the money I make from modeling and help support my country by providing jobs for my people. I would love to open a clothing line of some sort and have my people design it from start to finish; something to make them proud. I would also love to help the orphans. I went back two years ago, and I saw the situation, and it made me want to make a change.