5 Questions with Naki Depass

It’s cancer season and Naki Depass just celebrated her 26th this past Wednesday. The SAINT International star made the most of the big day with a boozy brunch date in Manhattan at the American brasserie, The Smith, ahead of a subway ride across town for a model casting. Forging ahead to land the next major fashion client, there’s indeed much to toast, as she glances in the rear-view mirror. From advertising campaigns for Michael Kors, Helmut Lang, and Thom Browne, to magazine covers with Harper’s Bazaar, runway shows for Armani, Burberry, Chloe, Hermes, and more, plus editorials for Vogue, Elle, and Dazed, Depass continues to make her mark! Taking a breather from planning her weekend itinerary for a birthday fest with loved ones, The Gleaner got a chance to catch up with the accomplished model and university graduate in 5 Questions With ... .

1 You’ve had a successful eight-year career as an international model and it’s still going strong. What would you pinpoint as the three most significant moments of your career?

Eight years ago I never dreamt of being where I am today as an international model. Three moments that will forever be special to me is, first and foremost my début into the world of fashion. Walking my first runway show as a Burberry exclusive in 2016 was truly so surreal. I had no prior experience of the fashion industry but with the guidance and continued encouragement from Deiwght Peters I quickly understood how huge this was for me. The energy backstage was sensational, and I was able to feel comfortable and confident despite feeling so nervous. Two of my other most significant moments, which I just so happened to achieve in the same year were my first ever magazine cover for Harper’s Bazaar Brasil and my first beauty campaign for NARS Cosmetics. When I got my Harper’s Bazaar cover, one of the first things I remembered was my Edwin Allen High School teacher, Miss Newman asking me if I wouldn’t like to see myself on the cover of a magazine as she encouraged me to give modelling a try. And my response[then] was ‘Yes ,but I don’t want to be a model’. I had no idea that it would make me so happy to be able to actually see myself on a magazine cover and feeling so grateful for all the things I’ve been able to accomplish so far. Two months after the cover, my beauty campaign for NARS Cosmetics was out and I couldn’t be more proud to have my friends, family and everyone that support me, all being so proud and happy whenever they see my picture in the beauty stores.

2 Globetrotting is part and parcel of your business. Does it ever get exhausting being on a plane?

I love travelling and being able to explore all these amazing places I travel to for work. Sometimes it’s a super busy season and I’m travelling between multiple different time zones within a short time, so I do get a little jet lagged, and need to adjust my sleep schedule. I’ve also had times where I had to leave from a job straight to the airport, but lucky for me, I have no problem sleeping on a plane.

3 Tertiary education was of critical importance as you read for a Bachelor of Science in accounting at the University of the West Indies, Mona. Will you ever put your university education into practice, and do you believe a model should always have a back-up plan?

I do intend to use my degree in accounting at some point. Being an accountant is still something I would love to explore, and who knows, maybe I’ll even have my own accounting firm one day all while still being a model of course (laughs). I think anything we do in life, it’s always good to have a back-up plan. Plan B doesn’t have to be as though you’re expecting the first plan to fail, but more so of an additional path to explore or venture into. The sky is the limit, right?

4 What positive changes have you observed in the fashion industry since débuting as a 17-year-old exclusive face for Burberry, a direct booking made by your SAINT boss, Deiwght Peters?

Since my début in 2016, I have seen a positive change in terms of how inclusive the industry is becoming. Of course, a lot had already started to transition even before my time in comparison to how it was many years ago. But I love how the industry continues to push towards more inclusivity whether it’s for people of colour, different body types, or otherwise.

5 If you could time-travel to any time or place, where would be it be?

Definitely to Athens, Greece, of the past. During my recent trip to Greece, I visited the ancient structural remains of the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum, I thought how cool would it be to actually see all these amazing architectural works of art when it was first built. I was extremely fascinated with not only the beauty there was, but the whole history of it all.

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