in this blog, bonnie talks with imogen wilson who although very young, has completely transformed the modelling industry in new zealand over the past few years. she has been a big player in creating more diversity and non-traditional casting for models.
imogen's work
imogen is extremely creative and has a beautiful eye - which is easy to see in her work. she is a super hard worker, pushing boundaries across managing ‘the others’, photography, creative consulting and directing and more. but she also knows what is important to her and makes time to enjoy life too.
it has been a pleasure getting to know imogen better, after admiring her from a distance for a long time.
what is your full name?
imogen mary wilson
how old are you?
25!
where did you grow up and what was it like?
i grew up in the eastern suburbs of wellington. i lived close to the beach, snorkelling spots and coastal walking tracks. it was a 40 minute bus ride to the city, so there was a lot of time spent locally, outdoors and near the ocean.
young imogen
when you were a little girl, what did you want to be when you grew up?
i grew up in the 90’s, fame and sexuality was at an all time high. so i’d definitely say a celebrity of some sort.
what do you do now?
a lot. for work i spend my time split between photography, styling, casting, talent management and creative consultation. outside of that, i spend a lot of time with my small handful of close friends eating, drinking, swimming, and going to our friends art shows and music gigs.
what are you most proud of in your personal life and your work to date?
i’m really happy with being a huge part of the shift into alternative and non-conventional casting in new zealand over the last few years. primarily this has been through the talent i manage and offer to the local industry through ‘the others agency’, but also my decision to stick to alternative and street-casting through my own photo and styling work.
it’s been amazing to have made a recognisable shift on the modelling industry in new zealand. ‘the others’ has helped kick down so many barriers previously held up by old school ideas and traditional modelling ideals.
imogen's work
how are you different than people perceive you?
i guess a lot of people think things have happened over night for me. i see this happen a lot and it’s totally fine. naturally, people discover others when they reach a certain point in their career or success, without realising that person has been grinding and working and slowly establishing themselves over many years to get to that point. for me i started writing really young, moved into styling, then marketing, then picked up a camera which shortly followed the launch of ‘the others’. i’m working across four roles currently but i can say it won’t be forever.
what was the happiest moment of your life?
this is a hard one. i can’t say i have a certain point. maybe falling in love for the first time. who knows.
what are you most excited for right now?
moving to the beach for the summer.
what is your biggest fear right now?
being heaps lonely when i move to the beach. being homesick sucks!
who was the most influential person in your life and how did they influence you?
for someone to be influential to me they have to alter and change the way i think, expand my mind and teach me something really valuable. my parents are two of the most supportive people i know, and continue to help me daily with whatever i have going on in my work or personal life. they always have the best advice. all the kids i manage at ‘the others’, helped me grow up a bit, grow into my older self and become a really good mentor, sharing advice from my own mistakes etc.
imogen & her family
what does beauty mean to you?
beauty to me is a mix of my most admired qualities creating a special energy that radiates from within - authenticity, confidence and compassion. being kind, self-aware, open hearted and inclusive.
want to learn more about imogen, here are her deats:
www.instagram.com/imogenwilson_
https://www.imogenwilson.com/
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