LIFESTYLE

Joan Smalls Kicks Off 2014 With An ELLE Cover

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After being named the model of the year, Joan has now snagged the cover of ELLE Magazine for their first issue of 2014, wearing a stunning Givenchy creation straight off the Paris runways (if you can remember, Kim Kardashian was the first to wear a custom version of this styled by Riccardo himself).

Excerpts from her interview below:

Her motivations to eventually get into acting
“I want to be clear that I don’t want to act just because it’s the typical move for a model. My desire comes from a place of wanting to entertain people on a different level.”

How her modeling career started:
“I came to New York with a dream. I came to do what I saw girls doing in campaigns, in editorials—great things, challenging things.”

On the fashion industry’s lack of diversity:

“People hide behind the word aesthetic. They say, ‘Well, it’s just that designer’s aesthetic.’ But when you see 18 seasons in a row and not one single model outside a certain skin color…? There are people in the industry who are advocates, who support diversity. And there are people who do not. I don’t get it. Beauty is universal. These doors have to open.”