develop your own identity.
And, yeah, be authentic,
because everybody has their
own way,” she elaborates
further. “All you have to do
is give 110 percent and do
everything wholeheartedly.
As long as you have passion
and really aim for it, the
universe will help you.”
Gani also remembered
about landing her first job
after doing nothing but going
to castings for three months.
“Usually, I would have to call
my agency at exactly 5PM
in the afternoon, going like,
‘Hi, this is Gani checking in,
what’s my job for tomorrow?’
etc. And apparently, that one
day, they called me first and
went, ‘Hi Gani, you’ve been
booked on a job for MAC
cosmetics tomorrow. We’ll
send the details by email,
okay?’ When I received the
call, I didn’t catch a lot of
what was said because I was
on a bus after wrapping up
a casting session. All I heard
was that I got a job for the
next day,” she recalled. “And
by the time I received the
email and read the details
that it was for a big global
campaign, I was like, ‘Holy
moly s—t!’”Our conversation then
veered to the differences
between the modeling
industry in Europe and
Indonesia. “I think that if you
want to be a model, it’s a lot
easier in Indonesia. If you
look good, if you look pretty,
just like that, you can be a
model,” Gani said. “On the
contrary, it’s a lot harder to
become a model in Europe.
First of all, you need to have
an agency representing you.
After that, you need a mother
agency. And after that, you
have to go to castings and
that takes a lot of time. That’s
why people in Europe really
appreciate it when they
learn that you’re a model.
They know that you’ve been
through a lot to become one.
I think that’s the difference.
Here, in Indonesia, people
don’t see that.”
As the interview
approaches its end and we
started to chat about her
personal side, the sprightly
model excitedly talked
about what she was working
outside of the modeling and
fashion. “Well, right now,
I have my own business. I
created an e-commerce site
called GaneGani & Co.,” she“THAT’S WHY PEOPLE IN EUROPE
REALLY APPRECIATE IT WHEN THEY
LEARN THAT YOU’RE A MODEL. THEY
KNOW THAT YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH
A LOT TO BECOME ONE”
passionately replies. “I built
it from scratch with a new
concept, since I previously
got scammed by my old
business partners. But yeah,
maybe that’s how business
goes. Lesson learned. It’s
never good to mix friendship
and money.”
Slipping out of her cozy
sneakers and into a sexy
gown for the photoshoot,
the multi-talented model is
looks more than ready for
any challenge the world has
to throw in her way.
Poised and posed for the
first click of the camera,
Gani casually adds: “After
all that I’ve been through,
I’m proud of who I am right
now. It’s been a one-of-a-
kind journey, one of self-
discovery. I have moved on
from the struggles and the
rest of it. At 27 years of age
and I already have my own
business. I’ve walked for
almost all of the international
fashion weeks. I’m standing
on my own two feet and
I’m entirely financially
independent,” she concludes
with an adorable smile on her
face. For sure, we’re still far
away from the final chapters
of Ayu Gani’s story.