Now Casting: Marta Dyks

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When Polish model Marta Dyks isn’t modeling couture or working on set of fashion’s most high-end editorials, she is running her own tech business based out of Warsaw. Meet Marta—you’ll love her as much as we do:

How were you first discovered?

“My story is long and complicated because I’ve been in the business for ten years on and off. I had a few breaks in between. The first time I broke into modeling was when I was 16. I entered a competition for new faces in a teenage magazine in Poland and I won. After a year or two I decided to quit because I didn’t like it at all. I came back for a few years and I was out of the business again after I found something else to do. I was working in T.V. production. Then, I came back again to sign a contract with Next [Management]. So, I’m here right now. It’s my ten year anniversary this year!”

What made you decide to go back after you left to work in production?

“It was an impulse, because I was sure that I’d never come back. When I was working in Poland I met Joel [Wilkenfeld], the head of Next New York, and he pushed me to come back.”

Are you happy that he pushed you to do it?

“Yes, everything has changed in my life. It’s been completely turned upside-down. I’m so happy.”

What was your big break in fashion?

“One of the first show’s that I walked in was Dior couture. I didn’t have one big break. It was more small steps that happened really quickly.”

What are some of your favorite shoots that you’ve worked on?

“I remember one of my first time shooting was with Alasdair McLellan. We were away in Glasgow with Christopher Kane because it [the editorial] was about his collection. We were at a high school canteen eating lunch. It was so funny!

Another favorite shoot was for Elle Italia. We shot the story in Montauk during a big storm. Everything smelled like fish and was a little bit dirty. I have so many memories from my childhood of being by the ocean. I spent my childhood in places like this. I was freezing, but it was so lovely.”

Where are you based now?

“It’s hard to say where I’m based because I travel a lot. I rent an apartment here in Greenwich Village [New York City]. My home is wherever my fiancé is. We travel together because he is a model too, so it’s easy for us. That’s my home. My second—or first home, I don’t even know—is in Warsaw.”

When are you getting married?

“We’re getting married this summer in July, but don’t ask me anything about the wedding because we have nothing yet!”

No dress yet?

“No! I only have a fiancé! And we have a date and a place. This is it for the moment.”

Any idea which dress or designer you’ll wear?

“I don’t really care because I’ve never been the kind of girl who makes a big deal about the wedding. It’s about spending time with family and friends and having fun. My dress will be easy, sexy, boho, but simple. It won’t be a traditional wedding dress. I can go anywhere to buy this.”

Do you care about fashion apart from your work as a model?

“I’m trying to exist outside of fashion, because I have enough at work. I love Balmain and Céline. I also love Givenchy and Gucci, but it’s hard to choose one because every season can be different.”

Do you have any mentors in the industry?

“I made it on my own. No one told me what I was supposed to do. My favorite model is Malgosia Bela—also Polish. She’s super smart, very beautiful, and she’s a mother. In my opinion she has everything and she didn’t lose herself along the way, which is so easy to do in this business. There’s one image of her that comes to mind by Peter Lindberg who is also a big icon. He can make every woman so beautiful and it just looks so easy for him.

I had to give myself my own advice. My parents are supportive, but they never pushed me into this business. They are just next to me, watching my back.”

What do you do when you’re not modeling?

“I have my own company, so I have a lot of work to do when I’m not modeling. It’s totally different. I have a website that’s an IT business. I’m not sure if it’s popular in the US, but in Europe it is. It’s carpooling and car-sharing. It’s not like Uber. My company is for people who are looking for someone who is going in the same direction as you and then you can share the costs. I have an App for the smartphone. It’s called VroomVroom, like the noise from a car. I opened it in 2012, but it takes a lot of time, especially in Poland because people are not that open. It’s about trying to make people more trusting and getting them used to the idea that sharing cars is safe and you don’t need to worry about anything.

The idea behind this being that it’s better for the environment to share?

“Exactly. This is why I got the grant from the European Union. I convinced them that the traffic would be less and it’s better for the environment. At the moment I have five employees working for me. It’s difficult to balance, but I believe in it. Modeling isn’t forever. I think that’s the best advice that I could give about modeling: It’s good to have something else to clear your mind and you’ll always have something for the future.”

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