ALEWYA DEMMISSE
Back when Demmisse was a university-bound
teenager working three jobs in London, the
self-proclaimed maths nerd had no plans to
become a model—and then Cara Delevingne
came into the picture. “I was working as an
extra in one of her movies [the 2016 flick Kids
in Love], and she said, ‘You need to come into
my agency,’ ” says Demmisse. “I didn’t think
I could do it, but when I was sacked from
my position in a supermarket, my mum
suggested I give the agency a call. The rest
is history!” Another unexpected twist to her
story? The doodles she’d make during long
flights for work evolved into a passion for
drawing and painting, and she already has one
exhibition under her belt. “Because my family
came to Europe as Ethiopian refugees, there
was a pressure to follow the financially secure
path of becoming a doctor or lawyer. But I’ve
realised that forcing an idea of what I should
be never seems to work out,” she says. Her
attitude is reflected in her wardrobe, which is
filled with matching tracksuits, hoop earrings,
and drugstore sunglasses that remind her
of a Gigli-era JLo. “I think it’s cooler not to
follow trends. Designers take inspiration
from people who don’t look at fashion
anyway.” – ALISON SYRETT
ALEWYA DEMMISSE
Dolce & Gabbana
nylon-cotton top and
appliqué leather skirt.
Dolce & Gabbana
Limited Edition
Mambo Masterpiece
metal sunglasses