Interview with Noelani — Medical doctor and model
Noelani is a 22-year old model residing in Pasadena, California.
How would you introduce yourself to our readers?
I was born in a small country town in northern California called Sutter. I grew up with my parents and three siblings and was a huge tomboy. I was extremely competitive in everything from school to music to sports, and was never satisfied with myself until I was the best. This drove me to begin competitive sports at a young age, where I succeeded in track and began competing at the state and national level. I was ranked as the number five pole vault and long jump athlete in the nation and had aspirations of joining the US Track team and competing in the Olympics.
However, every full ride offer and olympic dream was immediately destroyed after a severe snowboarding accident. I overshot a jump and fell about 30 ft, crushing my spine in 6 places and temporarily paralyzing myself from the waist down. After this, I had no choice but to focus on school and other aspirations instead. I moved to Los Angeles and studied Applied Health and Pre-optometry in college, and I will soon be attending Optometry school.
When, how and why did you first get involved in the modeling industry?
During my sophomore year of college, I discovered Craigslist and all the wonderful cheap used things I could buy. I randomly came across an add for a Japanese model for 100 Women Magazine and thought “Why Not?” I had zero experience, but decided to just show up and see what happened. Unfortunately, I was not chosen for the magazine, but the photographer emphasized my modeling potential. He sent me test shots and told me to start building a portfolio. I did a few shoots here and there, but it wasn’t until I was chosen as a runway model for Japanese designer H.Naoto that I truly found my love for modeling. After this, I decided I wanted to make modeling a career.
What are your personal and professional goals? Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?
Short term, I simply want to succeed as a model. I’m hoping to move out to Japan for a year or so, where I can really focus on my model career. In the long term though, I plan on finishing Optometry school and getting my medical license. I have an optometry business set up for me in Northern California, and plan on settling down and working up there.
How often are you modeling and what does it usually consist of?
I typically work 3 to 4 days a week, but the type of work may vary pretty significantly. I mainly do photo-shoots for clothing companies and independent photographers, so these primarily consist of catalog, lifestyle, and commercial modeling. I also occasionally do runway and high fashion, but this is almost solely limited to Japanese brands. My favorite type of modeling is usually print or runway work for Japanese lolita or visual kei styles.
Please tell us about the best and/or worst experiences you’ve had so far in modeling.
The worst experience I have had modeling was when I showed up to a fake casting. A model had posted a casting on model mayhem and I was accepted for an interview. I showed up and this “company manager” told me all about these amazing opportunities he had for me and all the successful things he had done. It sounded a bit too good to be true, and I was very skeptical of some of his claims, especially about working with certain celebrities. I immediately went home and checked all my sources and discovered he lied about everything and the company name didn’t seem to exist. I immediately called him out on his fraud and have not been associated with him or his fake company since.
Have you had anything funny, embarrassing or completely out of the ordinary happen during your modeling career?
The most embarrassing occurrence during a shoot was when I started my period mid photo shoot. We were on location and nowhere near a restroom and I was wearing a white skirt. Thankfully the photographer had a female assistant and we were able to quickly find a store and restroom, but the entire occurrence was mortifying!
Is there anything you would change about the modeling industry if you could?
I think the industry can be extremely harsh to particularly new and naive models. Models don’t seem to have many rights, and I have unfortunately seen many models be taken advantage of. One model that I worked with was very adamant that there was no nudity in her photos. During the shoot though, many of the shots ended up producing nip slips and such, but the photographer claimed he had the rights to the photos and could still use the images however he wanted. The model was absolutely distraught. I think that written agreements and releases from both the model and photographer should become more standard in order to ensure the safety of both.
Do you practice any sports and what do you typically eat? Please elaborate on the importance of nutrition and exercise in your life.
Diet and exercise are very crucial parts of any model’s life. However, I do think that many people take these too far in extremes. I like to keep myself fit by playing basketball and going on runs occasionally. I used to go to the gym quite a bit, but I simply no longer have the time. As for food, I try to maintain a pretty healthy diet and typically eat a lot of Japanese food including fish and rice. I don’t restrict myself at all on what I can or cannot eat, but instead simply remind myself that moderation is key. Besides, I love ice cream and pizza way too much to ever give them up.
Please share something people don’t know about you.
Most people don’t know that I am a hardcore video game nerd. I am extremely involved in esports and play League of Legends almost every day.
Would you change anything about yourself?
I would love to change my height and make myself just a few inches taller!
What is the longest you have gone without taking a bath?
I used to go to Mexico and work on construction sites, and we were very limited in water availability. We were in dirt and working with cement all day and I usually would go an entire week without showering. There would literally be an entire layer of dirt caked onto all of us by the end of week.
Visit Noelani’s website for more photos and information