Loiza Lamers about the sweetest moment in her life

That Loiza Lamers would become a big name and not disappear into the list of forgotten winners was immediately clear. But that she would go on to present the show, I don't think she even dared to dream that. Since Monday, a brand new season has been launched on Videoland that we will of course devour from appetizer to dessert.

Dear Loiza, I feel like an old lady—I am one by now—but I still remember ‘our’ season so well. That special gathering in the garden of a villa in Brentwood where you told us about your life journey and especially the moment you won. I wished it for no one more than you. I remember you as a contestant who was always focused on others. Never an off-day, always cheerful, always eager, always hard-working. Is that still the case?

“Haha, yes, that is true. For the finals, I did everyone's hair and makeup. Holland's Next was such a special time; we had such great days, I was really enjoying it. That was quite unique. Normally, I live very much in the day of tomorrow. But back then I really thought: I don't know how long this will last, so I will soak it all in. Being so completely in the moment as I was then doesn't always happen for me. But I do consider myself an optimist. And I am a perseverer. It must and it will, and if it can't be done one way, then it will be done another way.”

Someone with your fame will occasionally have a cart of negativity thrown over them. How do you ensure that the energy of others does not influence you too much?

“I don't focus too much on negativity. It's a bit in me. Two years ago, I deleted Twitter; it really made me feel bad. On Twitter, everything was unkind, really the drain. And you can dive into that, but why would I torment myself with it? I get a lot of nice responses and occasionally an unkind one, which I can handle quite well. I create something and I hope that I can help the community I stand for take a step forward.”

This season, both Yolanda Hadid and her daughters Bella and Gigi are featured. On a scale of 1 to 10, how exciting was it to meet them?

“That was really cool, you know. Last season, Bella was also involved, but now she was really at a shoot and as a guest judge, so she was around you for three days. For the contestants, that was also so great; you are on the verge of breaking into the industry and then you get to work with one of the best in the field. It was refreshing to see that success doesn't mean you have to be bitchy. I think there is a bit of Dutch charisma in that. I really don't understand why if you have a lot of success, you also have to behave arrogantly.”

So Bella was a guest judge, what exactly did Gigi do?

“I can't say too much about that…”

There is undoubtedly a story you had to tell a friend that same evening because it was so cool and funny. Can you share one with us?

“At one point, I was wearing a very nice white suit from Golden Goose that my stylist Tommy Driessen had chosen for me, with a cup of coffee in hand. Then the hair stylist came in and bumped into me, causing the entire contents of that coffee cup to spill over my white suit. Tommy, my stylist, turned whiter than the suit; that suit had to come off and be treated immediately, so there I was in heels, with huge blonde hairpieces in, in my underwear. Bella saw me standing there and said: ‘Oh my god, you look like a real-life Barbie doll, with your big boobs, your tiny waist, and your blond hair.’ That was quite a lovely compliment, especially coming from her.”

Yolanda, Bella, and Gigi are very close, just like you with your mother. When your daughter takes such a flight to success as a model, it is also very defining for a mother. Some mothers quit their jobs and travel with their daughters. What did that look like for you?

“You got to meet my parents during the whole Holland's Next Top Model journey. They enjoyed it, but it was also challenging. We have—of course, with tougher times—had quite a safe life. Everything I went through, I did under the wings of my parents. Suddenly they had to let their child go into the big, bad world where everyone had an opinion or wanted something from me. Luckily, I know quite well where I want to go and what doesn't feel right for me. I may not have done gymnasium; I think I have a decent grasp of life.”

HNTM has a rich history of shooting in the most beautiful locations for the most special shoots. Which one will you never forget?

“With you, in Los Angeles. That shoot at the LA River, in that amazing architectural house where Charlie's Angels was also filmed and of course on the red carpet in the building where the Oscar Ceremony takes place. I will never, ever forget that.”

And have I understood correctly that you are getting married?

“That's right, I am engaged. In Rome, the first place we went on vacation when we just started dating. We were supposed to go on vacation for two weeks, starting in Rome. On that day, we had been together for exactly three years. We walked to Villa Borghese, where I suddenly saw a gazebo with a bottle of champagne. There he went down on one knee and asked me. After I said ‘yes’, my parents and best friend appeared; he had secretly flown them in.”

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HNTM is available on Videoland.