HELLOFASHION.COM 31hfm COVERSTORY
‘I WAS A
REALIST.
I ALWAYS
WANTED TO
BE A MODEL
BUT “STUFFED
IT DOWN”’has them right now, so I just thought, why not?”
Within a few days of the now famous Coachella
picture going viral, Charlotte went from around
16,000 Instagram followers to over 750,000, she
dropped out of school and began a home tutoring
scheme called West River Academy.
“That’s when I first actually realised that modelling
is a career that people could see me doing. It was
never something I thought I could do, so that was
really interesting.”
When we tell her it’s hard to believe that no-one
mentioned the possibility of her becoming a model
while she was growing up, she laughs evasively.
“I was hard on myself as a kid. I could see what
models looked like, they are so much more this,
or so much more that. I was a realist. I always
wanted to be a model but ‘stuffed it down’ thinking
it’s not going to happen for me.”
Having a fairly international upbringing, Charlotte
grew up with her commercial producer mum,
Christina Ford, and elder sister Samantha in Toronto,
Canada. (She also has two younger sisters that live
with her dad in Thailand.)
“Toronto is a really fun place.
The people are very sweet, and
I actually now think sometimes
that that’s where I want to raise
my kids, especially now that I have
seen so many other places.
“The priorities are good, it’s
safe and also very multicultural,
it’s actually one of the most
ethnically diverse cities in the
world. It’s a mecca for every type
of person, so it’s a really fascinating
way to grow up.” While she was
there, Charlotte attended circus school and
specialised in “climbing the silks” and the trapeze.
“My dad was quite eccentric,” she laughs. “But
it was really fun and consumed my day-to-day life.
I loved gymnastics. The whole flexible thing of
moving your body – I thought that was really fun.”
Does it help with modelling, getting into
positions and staying there? “Definitely, and I also
did dance. I think both activities really helped in
terms of knowing how to move your body more
fluidly – that has helped me be graceful in life. Or
more graceful,” she adds bashfully. “I do believe
that doing it back then has helped my body today.”
She loves to travel. “It makes you richer as a
person. It’s such a privilege that my job allows me
to do this,” she says. And her dad is Italian, so she
especially enjoys seeing different parts of Italy.
It wasn’t long before she was “discovered” at
Coachella that her mum and dad both left Canada.
“It was a bit of a gamble,” says Charlotte. “I was
moving to a different country regardless of who
I went with because my mom was going to London
and my dad was moving to Los Angeles.”
Ironically, along with the weather, she had
chosen to go with LA for its universities. “I reallyWhen Charlotte
D’Alessio attended
the Coachella music
festival in 2015, she
was scouted three
times: twice by two
different model
agencies and once
(most crucially) by
social media – the latter changing her world overnight.
The 16-year-old Beverly Hills High student had
attended the event with best friend Josie Canseco,
daughter of major league baseball player José
Canseco and his former wife, model Jessica.
It was while the duo were dancing; wearing
cut-off denim shorts, flash tattoos, bracelets layered
up theirs arms and pink vest tops, that photographer
Bryant Eslava, who is acclaimed for his pictures of
photogenic festival and party-goers, spotted them.
He uploaded a sun-drenched hippy-inspired
shot of the girls to his Instagram feed, which
had just under a million followers at the time;
but now has four million, it instantly went viral with
tens of thousands of likes piling in.
Subsequently the image appeared
on Instagram’s trending page and
the festival’s official Twitter account;
plus, photographer The Cobrasnake
also uploaded it, as did musician
The Weeknd – exposing the friends
to his two million followers.
“To this day, Coachella and that
side of my modelling still gets
brought up,” she says, when we meet
at her west London agency Storm
Management. She is staying with her
mum who now lives in London for a few months;
and arrived a couple of days before her covershoot.
“It was such a fun experience. Afterwards, I saw
all the photos come out and things kind of blew
up,” she continues. “Josie and I were really confused,
like, what’s happening? It was so random. I owe so
much to Coachella. I remember my mum and my
dad saying, ‘What the hell is this, what’s going on?’.
They just didn’t really get it. They don’t even know
what social media really is and the power it has –
that was until they saw it all go down.”
Charlotte is extremely friendly and jovial; and when
she walks into our interview opts for a hug, rather
than handshake. She is casual, wearing dark jeans
and loose woollen jumper; and her striking green
hazel eyes peek through her newly-cut choppy fringe
(“bangs”) that were inspired by the 70s, she tells us.
“I kept doing hair styles with little curtain bangs
and I loved it. I just felt cuter,” she says, folding
her fringe between her fore and middle finger.
“So, then I thought, why don’t I just get some cut
and stop faking it? Iconic French actress Brigitte
Bardot inspired them. That’s how I described what
I wanted to the stylist. I just love the messiness and
how it made her hair look thicker. Also, no-one else HELLOFASHION.COM 31hfmCOVERSTORY‘I WASA
REALIST.
I ALWAYS
WANTED TO
BE A MODEL
BUT“STUFFED
IT DOWN”’hasthemrightnow,soI justthought,whynot?”
Withina fewdaysofthenowfamousCoachella
picturegoingviral,Charlottewentfromaround
16,000Instagramfollowerstoover750,000,she
droppedoutofschoolandbegana home tutoring
schemecalledWestRiverAcademy.
“That’swhenI firstactuallyrealisedthatmodelling
is a careerthatpeoplecouldseemedoing.It was
neversomethingI thought I could do, so that was
reallyinteresting.”
Whenwetellherit’shardtobelievethatno-one
mentionedthepossibilityofherbecominga model
whileshewasgrowingup,shelaughsevasively.
“Iwashardonmyselfasa kid.I couldseewhat
modelslookedlike,theyaresomuchmorethis,
orsomuchmorethat.I wasa realist.I always
wantedtobea modelbut‘stuffedit down’ thinking
it’snotgoingtohappenforme.”
Havinga fairlyinternationalupbringing,Charlotte
grewupwithhercommercialproducermum,
ChristinaFord,andeldersisterSamanthainToronto,
Canada.(Shealsohastwoyounger sisters that live
with her dad in Thailand.)
“Torontois a reallyfunplace.
Thepeopleareverysweet,and
I actuallynowthinksometimes
thatthat’swhereI wanttoraise
mykids,especiallynowthatI have
seensomanyotherplaces.
“Theprioritiesaregood,it’s
safeandalsoverymulticultural,
it’sactuallyoneofthemost
ethnicallydiversecitiesinthe
world.It’sa meccaforeverytype
ofperson,soit’sa reallyfascinating
waytogrowup.”Whileshewas
there,Charlotteattendedcircusschooland
specialisedin“climbingthesilks”andthetrapeze.
“Mydadwasquiteeccentric,”shelaughs.“But
it wasreallyfunandconsumedmyday-to-daylife.
I lovedgymnastics.Thewholeflexiblethingof
movingyourbody– I thoughtthatwasreallyfun.”
Doesit helpwithmodelling,gettinginto
positionsandstayingthere?“Definitely,andI also
diddance.I thinkbothactivitiesreallyhelpedin
termsofknowinghowtomoveyourbodymore
fluidly– thathashelpedmebegracefulinlife.Or
moregraceful,”sheaddsbashfully.“I dobelieve
thatdoingit backthenhashelpedmybodytoday.”
Shelovestotravel.“Itmakesyouricherasa
person.It’ssucha privilegethatmyjoballowsme
todothis,”shesays.Andherdadis Italian,soshe
especiallyenjoysseeingdifferentpartsofItaly.
It wasn’tlongbeforeshewas“discovered”at
CoachellathathermumanddadbothleftCanada.
“Itwasa bitofa gamble,”saysCharlotte.“Iwas
movingtoa differentcountryregardlessofwho
I wentwithbecausemymomwasgoingtoLondon
andmydadwasmovingtoLosAngeles.”
Ironically,alongwiththeweather,shehad
chosen to go with LA for its universities. “I reallyW
henCharlotte
D’Alessioattended
theCoachellamusic
festivalin2015,she
wasscoutedthree
times:twicebytwo
differentmodel
agenciesandonce
(mostcrucially)by
socialmedia– thelatterchangingherworldovernight.
The16-year-oldBeverlyHillsHighstudenthad
attendedtheeventwithbestfriendJosieCanseco,
daughterofmajorleaguebaseballplayerJosé
Cansecoandhisformerwife,modelJessica.
It waswhiletheduoweredancing;wearing
cut-offdenimshorts,flashtattoos,braceletslayered
uptheirsarmsandpinkvesttops,thatphotographer
BryantEslava,whois acclaimedforhispicturesof
photogenicfestivalandparty-goers,spottedthem.
Heuploadeda sun-drenchedhippy-inspired
shotofthegirlstohisInstagramfeed,which
hadjustundera millionfollowersatthetime;
butnowhasfourmillion,it instantlywent viral with
tensofthousandsoflikespilingin.
Subsequentlytheimageappeared
onInstagram’strendingpageand
thefestival’sofficialTwitteraccount;
plus,photographerTheCobrasnake
alsouploadedit,asdidmusician
TheWeeknd– exposingthefriends
tohistwomillionfollowers.
“Tothisday,Coachellaandthat
sideofmymodellingstillgets
broughtup,”shesays,whenwemeet
atherwestLondonagencyStorm
Management.Sheis stayingwithher
mumwhonowlivesinLondonfora fewmonths;
andarriveda coupleofdaysbeforehercovershoot.
“Itwassucha funexperience.Afterwards,I saw
allthephotoscomeoutandthingskindofblew
up,”shecontinues.“JosieandI werereallyconfused,
like,what’shappening?It wassorandom.I oweso
muchtoCoachella.I remembermymumandmy
dadsaying,‘Whatthehellis this,what’sgoingon?’.
Theyjustdidn’treallygetit.Theydon’tevenknow
whatsocialmediareallyis andthepowerit has –
thatwasuntiltheysawit allgodown.”
Charlotteis extremelyfriendlyandjovial;andwhen
shewalksintoourinterviewoptsfora hug,rather
thanhandshake.Sheis casual,wearingdarkjeans
andloosewoollenjumper;andherstrikinggreen
hazeleyespeekthroughhernewly-cutchoppyfringe
(“bangs”)thatwereinspiredbythe70s,shetellsus.
“Ikeptdoinghairstyleswithlittlecurtainbangs
andI lovedit.I justfeltcuter,”shesays,folding
herfringebetweenherforeandmiddlefinger.
“So,thenI thought,whydon’tI justgetsomecut
andstopfakingit?IconicFrenchactressBrigitte
Bardotinspiredthem.That’showI describedwhat
I wantedtothestylist.I justlovethemessinessand
how it made her hair look thicker. Also, no-one else