Lana, a classical beauty from Latvia, has made her fame into the Scandinavian modeling stage. Her beauty, grace, and powerful presence have caught our attention during the Scandinavian International Fashion Week. We are curious about how she started her modeling career and how she made it in Sweden. During a coffee break in the famous downtown Sturegallerain in Stockholm, we chatted with her. 

What’s the background, share your modeling journey?

When I was 18 years old and worked in a newspaper in Latvia, one of the photographers usually was asking me to be a model for some articles, when they needed some woman characters. That photographer has also introduced me to different Latvian Fashion Designers, who needed models for their collections. So, I really loved posing, and knowing that my pictures will be printed in different Fashion magazines, made me feel over the moon. Being a student, it was an amazing extra job for me and of course ‘easy money’. This is when everything has started and I could never drop that idea of being a model. Many years have passed until I have got more free time for myself and started to leave again my ‘dream modeling life’. 

What are the biggest challenges you feel in modeling?

I’m a typical introvert, which makes me very shy and not confident in myself. The whole my life I was trying to overcome this insecurity and learning how to get out of my comfort zone. So, the biggest challenge was to believe in me, to feel free in front of the camera, look and behave confidently. I’m very critical to myself and being a model, I had very high standards and everything had to look perfect. I knew that good photography depends a lot on me, so I really had to perform and deliver the result with great confidence and professionalism.

What’s the proudest moment of your modeling career? 

I will not say that the proudest moments are connected to any of the Fashion Shows or photoshoots. For me, the most important is, that all these photographers and Designers see and feel the real professional in me. They like my personality, they really love working with me. Many of them say, how easy and fun them is to work with me. I’m an extremely responsible person and I always keep my promises. I never give up, I learn, listen and improve, always try to be better than I was yesterday. I’m really grateful, that I have this chance to work with all these great creative people, and the thing, that they see a nice person in me, makes me, even more, appreciate the things I love to do and do that on the highest level.

Please give some advice to the model aspirants?

Confidence and professionalism do not come easily or instantly, that is why, if you feel that modeling is your thing and this is something you really love to do – give yourself in. Learn from professionals and watch the professionals. Take photos/videos, look at yourself from aside. Find your best poses, find your so-called ‘working side’. Pretend already now that you are a professional model, believe in yourself, do everything with great confidence. Love yourself and enjoy whatever you do.

Follow Lana Schalander on her IG