Twice published in Institute Magazine, Victoria Kiesa was born in Congo and moved to London at the age of eight; always influenced by the uses of fashion and it's trends Victoria decided to attend the Green's Retail academy where she found her passion in the pathway of styling. Since finishing the retail academy Kiesa moved on to study at London College of Fashion where she completed two years of a degree before going freelance. Alongside her time studying, Victoria has always worked within luxury fashion retail, constantly surrounding herself with the latest luxury garments. Working in this sector allowed Kiesa to put her skills in to practice and secure a range of clients. The fabulous stylist has always had a keen eye to experiment with a range of different styles and is not afraid to be pushed outside of her comfort zone. We catch up on how she feels about models within the industry and we question if the shelf life of models should be challenged.

What do you currently do?

Currently I am a freelance fashion stylist, I style a range of shoots from editorial to music videos and of course my personal wardrobe!

What made you pursue styling?

I’ve always loved fashion from a very young age, I’ve always been surrounded by surrounded by various fashion trends growing up and my dad was always a big influence. 

That’s nice, what sort of shoots have you been working on recently? 

Recently I’ve been working on many high fashion editorial shoots. Doing these shoots are my favourite because I can be as creative as I want. There are no boundaries and when you're working with a good team the results are amazing!

Are you ever involved in selecting the models for the shoot? 

Sometimes I get involved with selecting the models, but most of the time it is down to the photographer or the client will choose. Although,  I like the process of selecting a model it helps secure the vision of the shoot.

As a stylist is there a responsibility that you have to take to look after models on set? 

Throughout my experiences I have always worked with a professional team and professional models who come on set to just do their job. I’ve heard of some bad experiences but personally I’ve never witnessed this first hand. I think it’s important that models always take their break, in fact the whole team. It’s important for the models to always be given a breather, some food and a drink as with all jobs.

Has there ever been an experience that has caught you off guard or made you feel uncomfortable for the model or yourself? 

I wouldn't say I’ve ever experienced a booking where I've felt that way but and neither from my awareness has the model. Luckily it’s always been a good experience, we might have to wait around an hour or two for the model to arrive and this sometimes put’s the team in perhaps not the best of moods. It’s hard when you have little timing and are working with a budget.

What are the common reasons for models to be late?

The thing is, the modelling and fashion industry form my experience do not work well with time. If you're working with a model with high demand then more often than most they have up to several bookings or castings in the same day. Not all times will these things run smoothly. Sometimes the shoot will run over or there is transport problems, these things you just cannot control.

Are models good at communicating this type of problem?

Sometimes it’s helpful for the team to have the personal contact details just to stay in the loop with this type of thing, but that's not always the way and therefore, it is down to the agency to chase it up. This more often than most delays the answer getting back to us. 

Do you think models are often misunderstood in terms of how hard they work? 

I would say sometimes, especially from people who don't really understand the industry. Models have to work hard to reach their goals as with everyone else in the working world. I sometimes think people think it must be the easiest job in the world, but there's a lot more to it. I think there should be more credit where it’s due. 

What do you think is giving people this impression?

I think more recently it’s the social media platforms, Snapchat and Instagram in particular. Models only show you what you want to see and, if you're one of those people looking at the likes of Kendall and Gigi you're going to assume the model life's a breeze. The shoots look cool and fun and then their lifestyle looks effortlessly chic. This isn't reality but the fantasy sells.

What are the current trends in terms of model image that are on set recently? 

For the type of shoots I am currently styling we are seeing a lot of young, fresh faced Brazilian models. They’re very pretty and embody such a feminine aura. 

What do you think the modelling industry do not address enough? 

MY answer my not sound original but the diversity within the industry just really needs to start improving. Globally everybody is different and although more recently clients are willing to explore character more race and body shape are still such big factors that aren't addressed correctly.

Do you think that in the future these issues will completely go away?

I suppose not a lot of people think about these issues for the future as people are trying to fix what is in the moment. However, it’s just as much as race is still prominent today, there will always be a race or a body shape that will be undermined. It’s crazy to say that but it’s true, nothing is ever smooth running.

You mentioned that more clients are willing to experiment with the look they are casting at the moment, do you think that a models sell by date is getting outdated? 

Age is nothing but a number, more recently I am seeing campaigns where older models are being used and I am completely sold on how the images look. To me it’s bringing art back in to the fashion industry. The older models emit so much character.

Do you think it’s good to comply with an ageless culture?

The thing is, there are models that are in there 30’s to 40’s and they bring it on set! Models shouldn't have a shelf life, as long as they are good at what they do. The thing is the older market have a bugger disposable income and as being a young creative working and living in London I very rarely have the disposable income to buy the items I style.

That’s so true, I think the older market would benefit highly from seeing more ageless marketing, although would this bring the younger market away from certain brands?

I mean that’s definitely a factor to consider, we are all going to get old one day and I’m not saying brands should re-cast their whole range to the older model. They just need to be incorporated more. 

As a stylist, do you prefer models who bring character on set? 

I love it! It’s nice to have a conversation with someone and allow them to understand your vision as this makes them feel comfortable to achieve the end goal. I'm quite often surprised that there are many models who away form modelling are young creatives. They completely feel the vision and the final product never disappoints. I feel that it is my job to also allow the model to feel comfortable so she can be her true self and feel confident.

Is character and personality something that models should possess?

I think this is vital nowadays, I always suggest to the team I am working with to consider how the models personality will tie-in with the campaign. The whole stigma about models with no character or personality is more dated than ever. It’s boring, what can you connect with?

Who is your current model muse? 

At the moment I have a few, I’m currently loving the look of Tami Williams, Riley Montana, Ysunny Brito and Cindy Bruna - all of these girls have a different, fresh faced look to the current industry.