When I look at auburn- haired gazelle Jessica Luostarinen, she has a natural, ethereal beauty reminiscent of a heroine in a fairytale or Elizabethan-inspired play. Jessica also has that unfussy ‘take it or leave it’ essence, which reminds me of striking English supermodels like Lily Cole. I had the pleasure of meeting her during Berlin Fashion Week S/S 14 and found her tomboyish flair and loud chanting of ‘ginger power!!’ very charming indeed. So I decided to catch up with her to find out more about the pre-Raphaelite Finnish beauty.
Hi Jessica, it was great to see you walk for the Augustin Teboul S/S 14 show. Who were your favourite designers that showed during Berlin Fashion Week?
I really liked Marcel Ostertag; it was so cool that he opened the show. He looked gorgeous in his dress and heels! I also liked the Perret Schaad collection for its fluid, ultra-feminine designs. Très chic!
Kids can be cruel when you look different. Growing up, did you get teased or bullied at school for being a fair-skinned redhead?
Yes I was teased for having very pale skin and red hair. My classmates would call me horrible names like, ‘orange ghost’ or ‘carrot girl’. The teasing got so bad that I used to beg my mum to dye my hair blond or give me blond highlights, because I thought that was what boys liked. But my mum always refused, now I am so happy she did because looking the way I do is what got me signed with Viva Models.
How do you think modeling has made you more accepting of your unique looks?
Modeling has made me more confident because it exposed me to a lot of talented and creative people, who are inspired by my looks and personality. And now I get a kick from standing out and want to show the fashion world that gingers rock harder!
Do you show your freckles or use cover up?
As a child I hated my freckles; I read books and searched the internet for any kind of medicine or treatment to get rid of them. Now I love my freckles, and it’s great when I get pimples because you don’t really notice them!
Now the weather is so hot (finally!!) what’s your makeup regimen for those glam summer evenings?
The most important part of makeup is the base, so I start with Skin Illusion from Clarins (a fantastic mineral powder), which covers your skin but let’s it breathe—great for those balmy summer nights. For the evenings, I love to wear metallic eye shadows—Dior do great golden and brown shades. Then I frame my eyes with black mascara. To finish off my look, I use a glow stick which I apply on my cheek bones, eyebrows and top upper lip. Over all, I like to have a light and natural summer look. What are your beauty secrets for redheads during the summer? Summer is really hard for me because I burn so easily. I use SPF 50 and always wear a hat. To stop my hair from drying out in the heat, I use natural hair oils like Moroccan Oil. Clarins Daily Energizer is also one of my favourite moisturizers. It may sound cliché, but the best skin care product really is water and I make sure I drink lots to keep my skin glowing.
What are your favourite summer foods?
Sushi, spicy papaya salad, seaweed salad and avocados. I like to keep it as fresh and healthy as possible.
Jessica Rabbit, Lucille Ball, Ginger Spice, Christina Hendricks, Julianne Moore, Elizabeth I, Ariel…it’s clear to see it takes a fierce lady to pull of this fiery shade. Who is your favourite red head celebrity or personality?
Ariel from the Little Mermaid for sure! I love the old Disney movies and Ariel was always one of my favourites. Speaking of celebrities, I always find it amusing when they dye their hair red like Blake Lively did recently. It gives me a kind of ‘patriotic’, proud feeling!
You’ve been featured in InStyle.co.uk for your personal style. If you were given an unlimited amount of money to spend on clothes, which brands would you buy?
I would fill my wardrobe with Parisian labels like Sandro and German labels like Isabell de Hillerin, MALAIKRAISS and my personal favourite, Kaviar Gauche. I also love the handmade sunglasses from Berlin label Mykita and would buy a pair in every different colour and style!
Got any exciting fashion projects coming up you want to share with ΠStories or is everything hush hush?
I’m actually heading to New York any moment now, and I’m super excited!
How will you know when you have ‘made it’ as a model?
Well there are the obvious moments that tell a model when they’ve made it, like landing a Vogue cover or doing a campaign for a power brand like Dior. However, I’ll know I’ve made it when I go to sleep and wake up with the feeling that the ‘model world’ is giving me the happiness and pleasure I deserve.
Photos courtesy of VIVA Models
