Model: Gabriella Lomm Mann @gabriellalommmann
Photographer: Linus HallséniusHappy to have you here, Gabriella. Tell us your story, how did you get started modeling and where is your home at the moment?
Thank you for having me! I started modeling when I was 16 years old, but I have focused more on it during the later years. I have had different agencies in Sweden and abroad and did also compete for Sweden in Miss Earth last year as Miss Earth Sweden 2020. I grow up in the citycenter of Stockholm, where I also live now. I have lived in the city of Stockholm my entire life, except for 7 months in Rome, Italy.
Tell us more about yourself. What else do you do next to modeling?
I have always been a creative soul. I started singing when I was only 8 years old. I went to the biggest, most well renowned, music school during my childhood and it gave me the opportunity to sing at the royal opera house in Sweden and also the royal wedding between the crown princess Victoria and prince Daniel. Later on I switched the creativity part of me into modeling and fashion shows.
Beside this creative side of me I have also studied Business administration and finance, which I have a bachelor degree in from Stockholm Business school. I work within auditing today and put my spare time into modeling, pageants, influencing and own companies.
What do you love most about being a model? And, what do you least enjoy?
I have always loved the creative part of it. That you can express a feeling or another perspective just in a picture. You can go into a role for a couple of hours and leave the real world outside. It has helped me a lot in my personal development and I am so glad that I got the chance to become a model.
I have always loved to express myself both within music and modeling. It is a way for me to be able to be creative as well as something that I love to do. I would say that you get the opportunity to create and illustrate feelings and moments in a way you are not able to do in the regular life.
I think what I think is the least enjoyable is that modeling can give young girls a feeling of not being enough. During my younger years photoshop and changing the real look of a model was very common. I am therefore very happy that this has been paid attention to and that big brands now take their responsibility by showing the real pictures in their advertisement and also let people with different body types represent their brands.
What is the most challenging being a model?
I would say the most challenging, but also the most fun, is to always be ready for development. When you get new kind of works in environments you have not been in before you challenge yourself a lot. I think the most fun part is that you are never fully learned, you can always ”be better” and develop. You get to know new parts of yourself by expressing yourself in different ways in the photography.
If you could change something in the modeling world, what would it be?
I think you can see modeling from two perspectives. One perspective is the beautiful perspective to get the huge opportunity to create, express yourself, develop your confidence and self-love. Also the opportunity to from a young age learn to create something meaningful and be the center of something big and get the feeling of being seen and important.
But there is also one perspective that we need to work with in the society, that today has already come a far way. That is the mental illness that modeling can contribute to on young girls and boys. The feeling of the opposite of the beautiful perspective. The feeling of not being enough or not being in the ideal of what is expected.
As the modeling industry now has change their ideals and norms we also help the mental illness of young people around the world and help the society to be a more realistic and healthy place.
What fuels your imagination and provides you with inspiration?
My inspiration comes from other inspiring people and role models for me. Women who has created big achievements before me. I am also sure that beauty comes from inside, self love, self-respect and respect to others. Also by creating the life and the routines that you deserve is a part of it. To keep this up I listen to other peoples stories and lessons in life which educates me in my thinking and develop me to be a more understanding and transparent person. I always see a new day as a new opportunity to make difference and create beauty in all categories.
What keeps you excited about life in general?
What keeps me excited is my driving force to always create new things in life. I always want to develop and I never see myself as done. I think that life is a beautiful opportunity you have been given and that the meaning with life is to enjoy the road. On that road I want to create so much meaning I can by doing what I love and do what makes me happy.
Looking back how has modeling experience changed your personal/professional life? Have you grown more comfortable with yourself since you have started?
If I could talk with little self when I was younger I would say don’t care what other people say about your success and don’t listen to people telling you that you can’t. Because when someone says that things are impossible, it means that it is impossible for them, not for you. I think the modeling has not changed me so much as a person. Whatever success I achieve doesn’t change the importance of the people around me or who I am or what I value. But the modeling has given me the chance to be able to work with what I love and it has made me really happy. I can’t explain with words how happy and thankful I am for the opportunities that has been given to me and I would recommend everyone to take the chance in life to do what they love, and not listen to other peoples advice.
What kind of life would you like to have?
In the future I see myself as a successful, strong and independent woman. I see myself still working for my own development and I see myself create huge things with the power I get from the things I choose to do in life. My dream would be to still have my own companies and also be able to do what I love. I want to keep up with the modeling and creative part of myself as that makes me genuinely happy. I also would love to help other young women to be brave to go for their goals in life and help young women understand their value and potential in life.
What are the achievements you are proud of most of today?
I am proud of all that I have achieved later years as I have followed my own instincts and my own happiness. I am very proud of my titel Miss Earth Sweden 2020 but also all model works that I have got the opportunity to do. I am also very proud of the education I got in Business administration and finance. I think over all I am proud of be able to live in both worlds. Both to compete in the male-dominated finance world and at the same time being a model. I think my biggest personal quality is to create meaning in life from so many different perspectives. It gives me the development I need everyday. Within auditing on one of the biggest audit firms worldwide I each day learn new things and get new perspectives, and as a model I get the power of creativity and expression. I also think one quality I have is the big respect for inequalities and the respect of other people. You don’t have to act or be just one kind of person to create meaning, change and have an impact on others and the society.
Where can our readers keep up with your work and get connected with you?
If you want to get in touch with me and keep up on my work and life I would say follow me on my instagram @gabriellalommmann . I always post what I am up to there, when I am aloud. As well as my everyday life.