ight back in the (relatively)
early days of social media,
model and influencer
Jasmine Sanders sat with
her sister playing around
with various monikers.
“We were trying to figure
one out, because I wanted
to create an Instagram
handle,” she tells us when we
speak on the phone ahead of
her HFM cover shoot in LA, where she is now based.
“I started remembering how people at school
would say I looked like a Barbie doll, and they’d
also call me Goldilocks, so we put the two together
and came up with ‘@golden_barbie’.
“I’m really happy that we picked something
cute because it really did stick,” she says, laughing
with relief. “I’m so glad that it wasn’t something
too crazy, although it is slightly annoying,
because it has the underscore, but I think everybody
kind of deals with that.”
Pretty much overnight
her Instagram account,
which currently has 3.4
million followers, catapulted
her from child model to
international star, with a
myriad of celebrity friends- she holidays with Kim and
Kanye, takes exercise advice
from Kelly Rowland (more
later), counts Naomi
Campbell as a mate and
parties with Lottie Moss.
In 2016, Jasmine became
one of Bulgari’s first
digital global ambassadors.
“But even more amazingly,
I was one of the first
black women asked to represent them, which was
really huge,” she says, of the Italian luxury brand.
“They are such an amazing company and a real
family business – and obviously what girl doesn’t
like beautiful diamonds?”
Jasmine has also appeared in campaigns for
fashion labels Moschino and Miu Miu and was chosen
to be the face of Jeremy Scott’s (another friend)
Ugg collaboration, with musician Lil Yachty.
Now 27, Jasmine was discovered aged 13, when
she accompanied her make-up artist mum to a
fashion shoot. “An assistant walked into the room
and said, ‘Hey, would your daughter consider
modelling?’. But my mum told her I was a tomboy
and wouldn’t be interested,” she says.
However, it wasn’t long before Jasmine was flying
from her hometown – Columbia, South Carolina –
to New York on a monthly basis for magazine shoots.
“I was shooting for Glamour and 17 , so I’d be 14
years old, leaving school, running up to New York
and appearing in magazines. I’d then have to make
sure I’d done all my homework. I was very blessed
that I had a great principle [headteacher], teachers
and also my parents – who were all very supportive
and allowed me to pursue the opportunity.”
Typically, it’s not just social media that has trolls
(and, yes, she does remove some negative comments)- the school playground also had them, before
the word was even coined for that definition.
“I had a lot of friends that thought my modelling was
extremely cool, but there were also people that
weren’t exactly supportive and excited about what
I was doing. I think they were more jealous that
I was travelling to New York and being in Times
Square with my mum, but also being shot for
magazines that were sent to their house,” she says.
“Now I’m older, I get it, it’s fine, but it was
harder when I was growing up, being proud of
the things I was doing but knowing there were
some people who were not as excited as I was.”
Two people that were very supportive are still her
best friends. “I still have my two friends from when I
was 11 years old, they have literally stuck by me since
middle school, and have seen it all – they’ve seen me
cry, they’ve seen the fight, they’ve seen everything
from day one until now.” (To
reflect this, the trio now has
matching eternity tattoos).
“It’s really nice to have
people that understand that
my job can be really crazy,
but the friendship never
changes,” she tells us of
Philip, who is now part of
her team (“He helps me run
everything, he travels with me,
goes to every meeting and
helps around the household”)
and Vanessa, who is a nurse,
still living in South Carolina.
“I don’t see her as much
as I wish, but she gets to
pop up now and then and
I see her when I go home.”
Jasmine was born in Germany and moved to
the US when she was two years old. Her dad is
American and was in the military in Germany at
the time he met her mum.
“It’s fun because I have the best of both worlds.
I have this very nice country in Europe to be a part
of and get to be American at the same time – also,
there’s amazing food in both places,” she laughs.
“As a child I would travel back to visit family,
but now I’m able to go to Germany and Europe
way more.” She tells us that her German heritage
is very important to her.
“It’s really big for me to remind people that
I’m half-German. I’m still learning the language,
which is hard to do when you’re not around it
all day long – I understand a good bit of it, but
unfortunately, I speak very, very little.
“I recently did a shoot in Berlin for Escada and
it was amazing to be around so many Germans.
But also, when I’m at home I’ll try to sit down
with my mum in the kitchen and learn different
national meals from her.”
We ask what the Germans make of the ‘Made
in Germany’ tattoo she has on her upper arm. (^)
‘IT WAS HARDER
WHEN I WAS
GROWING UP, BEING
PROUD OF THE
THINGS I WAS DOING
BUT KNOWING
THERE WERE SOME
PEOPLE WHO
WERE NOT AS
EXCITED AS I WAS’
hfm COVERSTORY
32 HELLOFASHION.COM
R
ightbackinthe(relatively)
earlydaysofsocialmedia,
modelandinfluencer
JasmineSanderssatwith
hersisterplayingaround
withvariousmonikers.
“Weweretryingtofigure
oneout,becauseI wanted
tocreateanInstagram
handle,”shetellsuswhenwe
speakonthephoneaheadof
herHFMcovershootinLA,wheresheis nowbased.
“Istartedrememberinghowpeopleatschool
wouldsayI lookedlikea Barbiedoll,andthey’d
alsocallmeGoldilocks,soweputthetwo together
andcameupwith‘@golden_barbie’.
“I’mreallyhappythatwepickedsomething
cutebecauseit reallydidstick,”shesays,laughing
withrelief.“I’msogladthatit wasn’tsomething
toocrazy,althoughit is slightlyannoying,
becauseit hastheunderscore, but I think everybody
kindofdealswiththat.”
Prettymuchovernight
herInstagramaccount,
whichcurrentlyhas3.4
millionfollowers,catapulted
herfromchildmodelto
internationalstar,witha
myriadofcelebrityfriends
- sheholidayswithKimand
Kanye,takesexerciseadvice
fromKellyRowland(more
later),countsNaomi
Campbellasa mateand
partieswithLottieMoss.
In2016,Jasminebecame
oneofBulgari’sfirst
digitalglobalambassadors.
“Butevenmoreamazingly,
I wasoneofthefirst
blackwomenaskedtorepresentthem,whichwas
reallyhuge,”shesays,oftheItalianluxurybrand.
“Theyaresuchanamazingcompanyanda real
familybusiness– andobviously what girl doesn’t
likebeautifuldiamonds?”
Jasminehasalsoappearedincampaignsfor
fashionlabelsMoschinoandMiuMiuandwaschosen
tobethefaceofJeremyScott’s(anotherfriend)
Uggcollaboration,withmusicianLilYachty.
Now27,Jasminewasdiscoveredaged13,when
sheaccompaniedhermake-upartistmumtoa
fashionshoot.“Anassistantwalkedintotheroom
andsaid,‘Hey,wouldyourdaughterconsider
modelling?’.ButmymumtoldherI wasa tomboy
andwouldn’tbeinterested,”shesays.
However,it wasn’tlongbeforeJasminewasflying
fromherhometown– Columbia,SouthCarolina–
toNewYorkona monthlybasisformagazineshoots.
“I wasshootingforGlamourand 17 , soI’dbe 14
yearsold,leavingschool,runninguptoNewYork
andappearinginmagazines.I’dthenhavetomake
sureI’ddoneallmyhomework.I wasveryblessed
thatI hada greatprinciple[headteacher],teachers
and also my parents – who were all very supportive
andallowedmetopursuetheopportunity.”
Typically,it’snotjustsocialmediathathastrolls
(and,yes,shedoesremovesomenegativecomments)- theschoolplaygroundalsohadthem,before
thewordwasevencoinedforthatdefinition.
“I hada lotoffriendsthatthoughtmymodellingwas
extremelycool,buttherewerealsopeoplethat
weren’texactlysupportiveandexcitedaboutwhat
I wasdoing.I thinktheyweremorejealousthat
I wastravellingtoNewYorkandbeinginTimes
Squarewithmymum,butalsobeingshotfor
magazinesthatweresenttotheirhouse,”shesays.
“NowI’molder,I getit,it’sfine,butit was
harderwhenI wasgrowingup,beingproudof
thethingsI wasdoingbutknowingtherewere
somepeoplewhowerenotasexcitedasI was.”
Twopeoplethatwereverysupportivearestillher
bestfriends.“I stillhavemytwofriendsfromwhenI
was 11 yearsold,theyhaveliterallystuckbymesince
middleschool,andhaveseenit all– they’veseenme
cry, they’ve seen thefight,they’veseeneverything
fromdayoneuntilnow.”(To
reflectthis,thetrionowhas
matchingeternitytattoos).
“It’sreallynicetohave
peoplethatunderstandthat
myjobcanbereallycrazy,
butthefriendshipnever
changes,”shetellsusof
Philip,whois nowpartof
herteam(“Hehelpsmerun
everything,hetravelswithme,
goestoeverymeetingand
helpsaroundthehousehold”)
andVanessa,whois a nurse,
stilllivinginSouthCarolina.
“Idon’tseeherasmuch
asI wish,butshegetsto
popupnowandthenand
I seeherwhenI gohome.”
JasminewasborninGermanyandmovedto
theUSwhenshewastwoyearsold.Herdadis
Americanandwasinthemilitary in Germany at
thetimehemethermum.
“It’sfunbecauseI havethebestofbothworlds.
I havethisverynicecountryinEuropetobea part
ofandgettobeAmericanatthesametime– also,
there’samazingfoodinbothplaces,”shelaughs.
“Asa childI wouldtravelbacktovisitfamily,
butnowI’mabletogotoGermanyandEurope
waymore.”Shetellsusthather German heritage
is veryimportanttoher.
“It’sreallybigformetoremindpeoplethat
I’mhalf-German.I’mstilllearningthelanguage,
whichis hardtodowhenyou’renotaroundit
alldaylong– I understanda goodbitofit, but
unfortunately,I speakvery,verylittle.
“I recentlydida shootinBerlinforEscadaand
it wasamazingtobearoundsomanyGermans.
Butalso,whenI’mathomeI’lltrytositdown
withmymuminthekitchenand learn different
nationalmealsfromher.”
WeaskwhattheGermansmakeofthe‘Made
in Germany’ tattoo she has on her upper arm.
‘IT WAS HARDER
WHEN I WAS
GROWING UP,BEING
PROUDOF THE
THINGSI WAS DOING
BUT KNOWING
THERE WERE SOME
PEOPLE WHO
WERE NOT AS
EXCITED AS I WAS’hfmCOVERSTORY
32 HELLOFASHION.COM
R