Lily answers

Are you not allowed to eat anything? Do you have to exercise a lot? It really is a nasty little world, isn't it? You're really thin, how much do you weigh? How much do you earn per day? These are some questions I often get thrown at me when I tell people that I'm a model. Recently, I even heard from the Uber driver that he was surprised I was so nice. A compliment, of course, but it says something about the prejudices about models. Today, I'm going to answer these questions for you. So get ready, because the real secrets are about to be revealed.

Are you not allowed to eat anything?

No, I'm not allowed to eat anything. I walk around with a shock collar and a little camera, required by the agency. And as soon as they see me wanting to eat something, I get a shock. NOT. Of course, I can eat whatever I want. If I want to eat three brownies in a day, then I can eat three brownies in a day. Ultimately, I'm responsible for whether I fit into the dresses I have to sell. I honestly admit: I don't eat three brownies a day and I watch what I eat, but the story that every model lives on celery and water or has anorexia is nonsense. Many girls naturally have a very fast metabolism and eat more than three guys combined; the difference is that most models know what they put in their mouths and prefer to make healthy choices.

Do you have to exercise a lot?

Again: I can make my own choices. I don't have to do anything, but if there are questions about exercising, the agency always has information and personal trainers to help. They do encourage visiting the gym from time to time. Especially if they notice that you're starting to get a bit ‘out of shape’, you'll definitely hear about it. Gotta fit those clothes, gotta work, gotta make money to buy food and pay my personal trainer. What applies to exercising also applies to eating: it's my own choice. If I want to work, I have to make sure I'm in shape, and to stay in shape, you make certain choices. Those choices are different for everyone. I will definitely write a post about what I do to keep my model butt in shape, so stay tuned!

It really is a nasty little world, isn't it?

The world, the modeling world, the fashion world, the world where creative people collaborate to ultimately publish beautiful photos: nasty? No. If everyone just walked around bickering, no beautiful photos would come out of it. Of course, there are divas, of course, there are jealous people, but that's no different than in the legal world, the school world, or the fairy tale world (just think of the wicked stepmothers). Competition among each other is also less than you might think. If the client is looking for a girl with black hair and green eyes and I have long, blonde, curly hair and freckles, there's really nothing I can do if I'm not chosen. I can't look into every model's head, and maybe it's my Dutch down-to-earth attitude, but I see fellow models more as colleagues or friends than as competition.

You're really thin, how much do you weigh?

‘You're really fat, how much do YOU weigh?’ I don't ask that, do I? I usually find this quite bizarre. Moreover, I honestly have no idea how much I weigh. Models are not weighed, but measured, so I wouldn't have a clue how many kilos I'm dragging around on my delicate little feet, but I know exactly what the measurements of my hips and waist are. What that is? Go ahead and search on Google, you can find it all there.

How much do you earn?

Again: I find this such a strange question. I understand that I am mega exotic, exciting, and special, but that doesn't give you the right to ask what my income is. It might be very Dutch of me, but I consider that private.

So. I hope all the questions have been answered. And that if you ever encounter a model in the wild (recognizable by long legs and black clothing), you don't scare them away with silly questions.

Kisses from Lily xx

P.S.: If you still have burning questions, email them to Amayzine and I will answer them in a future post.