Frühjahr/Sommer Doppelausgabe, fotografiert von Franklin Liranzo , Creative Detail von Molly Cohen , gestylt von Lisa K. Stephenson 2021
NANDI
SUMMERS
VON HARVARD BIS EDITORIAL, VICTORIA IST NAH UND PERSÖNLICH
Jeder wird in diese große weite Welt hineingeboren, aber wir werden nicht alle gleich geboren. Der Mensch wird geboren, eingebettet in seine ganz eigenen Träume und Wünsche. Am Anfang haben wir ein Gespür dafür, wer oder was wir werden wollen. Manche träumen davon, Arzt, Anwalt, Lehrer oder Bäcker zu werden. Andere träumen davon, Olympioniken, CEOs oder wegweisende Unternehmer zu werden. Aber mit der Zeit und dem Übergang von der Kindheit zum Erwachsenenalter beginnen sich diese anfänglichen Träume zu verschieben. Langsam aber sicher verfolgen wir einen „verantwortungsvolleren“ Ansatz, um unser bestes Leben zu führen. Mit anderen Worten, wir wachsen aus dem Leben in einer Fantasie heraus und fangen an, in der realen Welt zu leben. Bei Victoria Lutsiv, einem Model und einer Schauspielerin, war dies jedoch nie der Fall.
„Ich erinnere mich, als ich in der ersten Klasse war und die Lehrerin alle in der Klasse fragte: ‚Was willst du werden, wenn du erwachsen bist?' Ich habe sofort geantwortet: ‚Ich möchte ein Topmodel werden!'“, erinnert sie sich, wie sie mit ihrer blauen Brille und dem gelben Pullover strahlend durch Zoom lächelte.
“I started modeling at the age of four and it’s kind of a funny story…my mother had been scouted at the mall—she is gorgeous. But for me, I was young and unfiltered therefore envious of her at the time. I told her that I wanted to be a model and that’s how it all started. I did stop modeling when I moved to the United States but started again in 2018 when my eldest cousin—who I am very close with—told me that I should give it a try again and contact some agencies. I did it and after a few calls, Boss Models asked me to take a meeting and I was signed the same day.”
Once Sommers accepted this wonderful opportunity it was upward from there. “One of the biggest and most memorable gigs for me was for Vivianne Westwood. This took place in London and changed my perspective on how I viewed myself as a model. I remember going into the casting and automatically being doubtful that I would not get the job since there were so many other beautiful people there,” Nandi said smiling as she recounts the story. “I did end up getting the job and I was shocked. The experience taught me that I just needed to push whatever self-doubt I was having aside—realize that I am capable of working with anyone I want to in this industry. Additionally, the team treated me so well and I am thankful and blessed that I was able to work alongside such a great crew.”
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Sommers is proud of where she is now and the journey it has taken to get here. While some girls know from a very young age that modeling is their passion, others, not so much. Since the early seasons of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, we see a young Kendell Jenner taking it upon herself to speak to her mother about her passion for the occupation. Although, yes, many models may have taken the same course and shown the same ambitions, we’ve seen Jenner’s play out for the world. As Nandi grew and her passion for modeling along with it, we couldn’t help but wonder, what would she be doing if not this?
“If I was not modeling, I would either be doing television broadcasting—because I went to school for communications and journalism—or I would be teaching. I teach and coach kids when it comes to modeling and would love to continue doing so in the future because it makes me happy.” But that’s not all, Sommers has a hidden talent, “But I must say, a lofty dream of mine is to become a signed singer because singing and songwriting brings me much happiness.”
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Transitioning from one career to the next is not impossible. We’ve seen past supermodels do this—for example, Cara Delevingne who went from walking in Victoria’s Secret show in 2012 and 2013 to starring in breakout roles including Suicide Squad, Paper Towns, Carnival Row, Valerian, and more. The British actress is no stranger to versatility as is Sommers. From her portfolio we see that Nandi can thrive in any environment where she is comfortable, this confidence in change started from a young age. She’s SINGLE asked Nandi about the decision to shave her head once her career began to blossom, “At the age of sixteen, I started losing my hair due to alopecia and for the longest time I was afraid to cut my hair because it was the first thing people would compliment me on,” she smiled.
“In 2018 when I reentered the modeling industry, I would wear a lot of hair extensions and wigs to cover any bald spots. Eventually, the maintenance of trying to keep that up just became way too much for me. I then decided it was best to shave my head. Shaving my head has been one of the scariest decisions that I have made in my life, but at the same time liberating. Having alopecia was a blessing in disguise for me and my career. My condition before and after the big chop has allowed me to become more versatile when it comes to my hairstyles and work, I can now do both high fashion modeling and commercial modeling.”
High fashion modeling is an art form of fashion. The photographer photographs the model in artistic themes that relate to the clothing promoted—we can see this reflected through Nandi’s Adidas campaign. This, according to Sommers wasn’t too dissimilar from her style, saying, “I would describe my fashion style as grunge, tomboy and classy/chic when I need to be.” But as a model who is all about adaptability, Sommers does have a passion for both runway and posing.
When you’re a model who enjoys both print and runway work, things can become quite hectic as work demand increases and where there is demand, there must be time for rest. On her days off from work Nandi shares that she enjoys writing, singing, running/walking, or skateboarding. But that’s not all, diligently working on your passions and goals can wreak havoc on your skin if you’re not careful. “My skincare routine consists of using the iS Clinical Cleansing Complex gel face wash, and once or twice per week using Dr. Dennis Gross peeling intense wipes. My skin is very sensitive and I always think less is more when it comes to skincare.”
When asked, Nandi describes herself as being reserved which falls in line with her aforementioned beliefs. As a Taurus sun, Sommers, while “not very knowledgeable when it comes to the topic of astrology” does believe that she emulates minimal traits that have been used to describe her sign. “Some traits that I’ve heard of Taurus where others say I can relate are dependable, enjoying routine/stability, and being hardworking.”
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