Ruth Crilly Interview "I thought that anything could be possible..."
4/26/2013
Interview:
Is
modelling a job for mindless woman who only have beauty for themselves? Well,
not so fast. Ruth Crilly, a professional model for more than ten years, proves
us the opposite.
Ruth,
32, is an international model who works for famous brands such as Swatch, Olay,
and has posed for magazines like Elle or the renowned Vogue. After such
incredible experiences, it would be only too easy to think that Ruth would have
grown arrogant and far away from real life. But in fact, she is exactly the
opposite of this cliché image which so many people tend to have about models.
Ruth
started modelling at the age of 21 although it wasn’t really in her plans: “I was in my second year at law school and
had entered a Models 1 scouting event by sending a picture of myself”. She
didn’t force herself into the industry, but the industry came back to her to
offer her a contract. “Maybe because of
the unusual gap between my teeth?!” she added laughing.
Quitting
University to start modelling was the decision which changed Ruth’s life and
led her to what she does now.
“I would have had a totally different life had
I not started modelling. I’d say that it definitely took my life down a very
different path”
Indeed, Ruth decided to quit University because she hadn’t “clicked” with it. Her parents were rather worried about this
turning point in her early life, but nothing could stop Ruth: “I am always quite determined when I set my
mind to something!”
Modelling
brought many opportunities to her, but it also shaped her personality: “It has widened my horizons to the point
where I thought that anything could be possible!” She insisted about the
benefits which travelling brought to her
“There’s something about travelling a lot that gives you a different view on
life”. She remembers some of her shootings even more vividly than others: “There was one in the ocean in the Maldives.
There were five of us on this tiny trip of sand out of the sea, surreal!!”
She never forgets how lucky she is to have this career, and is down to earth
about it.
It has
also forged her character while facing her clients: “Learning to say NO when I felt that I was being demeaned» was
probably the most important lesson she learned. She told me about what happened
during a casting in Milan, during which “someone
wanted to measure me in front of a whole office full of people, in my
underwear”. It is all about having the right mental attitude according to
her, or you will always be confronted to lowering situations.
Ruth
talks very freely about her profession, and in a positive way. She herself feel
“a lot more positive because of it”,
showing that modelling is not all about dark stories.
“I see very good things in the industry now,
especially in the USA and in the UK.” She explained that issues such as anorexia or
eating disorders are picked up a lot by the press, so that agencies are forced
to be careful about it.
As Ruth
explained, she has quit University when she was 21, but this doesn’t mean that
she didn’t enjoy having a hobby next to her modelling activity. She stands out not
only as a model, but also as an inspirational Blogger and You Tuber.
Ruth explains
why she started her blog: “I wanted to
write about my life, beauty, fashion and behind-the-scene anecdotes”. Her blog, intelligently called “A Model Recommends”, quickly kicked
off. Her profession, which “seems to hold this strange mystery”
has she describes it, was definitely an asset contributing to its success.
Indeed, very few people were posting this kind of content on the internet, so
that it rapidly became a reference to know what sort of products a model was
using!! “It allows me to create very
unique content, at least unique in its point of view” she added.
Ruth
soon decided to create her YouTube channel alongside her blog: “I originally used videos just to demo
products - they were very short reviews. I didn’t really know that it would
grow so much!” She rapidly reached with both platforms an incredible
audience level, which brought her success on the web on top of her success as a
model.
How far did her social media development
contribute to change her life? Maybe not as much as her modelling career, but
it definitely broadened her horizon and led her to meet other creative people
working in this area. Plus, she says “A
Model Recommends has allowed me to form my own career in a way, I’ve shaped it
the way I want it, the way it suits me and for that I feel incredibly lucky”.
In this way, Blogging and YouTube strongly contributed to her leading a more
independent life and making an extra living from it.
Her
action in the social media scene is also a way for Ruth to escape her modelling
engagements from time to time, even if she gets more and more involved on it: “I can work on it as much as I please.
Often up to 60 or 70 hours a week!”
She
added laughing: “My friends think I’m
slightly bonkers!” talking about the amount of time she now spends behind
her computer screen.
Her web platforms
have without a doubt opened to her new opportunities, as she is now writing and
vlogging for The Telegraph, and started collaboration with other heavy weights of
the industry. Indeed, she is modelling
but also writing for the Chapman sisters (UK’s famous makeup artists) magazine,
called TWO Magazine.
Ruth
Crilly still has a great model career ahead and she enjoys it a lot. But it now
mainly represents a life accelerator which, combined with her bubbly
personality, makes her stand out from others and go for a new career in the
social media. Good luck Ruth, and thank you for being so enthusiastic..!
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