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Model Amina Blue Talks Veganism and Kanye
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In a short time, 25 year-old Queens-native Amina Blue went from a music video regular to becoming one of New York’s most popular new models, period. To her loyal following, the outspoken vegan is best known for her gigs with Kanye West on his exalted Yeezy collections, but to us here at CR Fashion Book, she’s simply one of the most interesting collaborators that we’ve ever worked with. In this Q&A we talk to Amina about everything from life as an activist to what makes Kanye so great—keep reading:
Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like?“I grew up in Brooklyn, New York. I had a happy childhood for the most part up until my older brother passed away when I was in middle school. Life definitely taught me a lot at a young age.”
You’re vocal about being vegan—how did you make that choice and why do you stand behind it?“I forced myself to watch a slaughterhouse video from start to finish. From that day on I couldn’t stomach eating any meat and soon after any animal product. I stand behind my choice simply because no animal deserves to die for a meal, especially when there are so many delicious alternatives to meat/dairy products.”
Do you think everyone should adopt a vegan lifestyle?“I do think everyone should adopt a vegan lifestyle or at least become aware of the effects that eating animals has on both our health and the environment.”
How did you start working with Kanye and what is that experience like? Do you think he’s misunderstood?“I began working with Kanye as a fit model through Session Cruz at Face Time Agency. From there, I grew into one of the main faces for the Yeezy brand. Kanye and the whole Yeezy team are great, awesome people and great to work with. They are more like my family now. That should speak for itself. I definitely think he is misunderstood. He, like many of us, has a vision that we want to make into a reality. There should be no judgement when someone is doing everything they can to be great.”
How did you start modeling?“I started with doing some urban modeling. I was cast in a few music videos. I started there because of my body shape and all my tattoos; I didn’t think it was possible for me to do any other type of modeling because of that.”
I heard from the team you’re working on your own line. Can you talk about it yet?“I am working on my own line. I will only say that it is a woman’s vegan shoe line. Everyone will have to stay tuned for the rest!”
Tell me about your experiences working with Carine.“I absolutely love Carine! From the first day I met her, we kind of just clicked. Her team is amazing; they made me feel so comfortable. She’s extremely warm, loving and obviously beautiful. I enjoy working with her. I remember at a shoot she remembered I was a vegan and had some vegan friendly shoes for me to wear. The fact that she remembered and took my lifestyle into consideration meant the most to me. She is definitely one of my favorite people to work with.”
How are you using your newfound fame as a platform for what you believe in?“I want to show everyone that a model can be much more than a pretty face and a nice body. I have things I am passionate about and I want to share that with all the fans I have, especially if it is beneficial to them and the way they live. I feel like I am the voice for the voiceless and it’s definitely worth listening to.”
What else are you interested in outside of your activist efforts?“I am also interested in real estate. I always had a dream to have beautiful homes all over the world. Even if I can’t live in every single one of them there are always people in need of a home, maybe I can help give them that.”
Who is your biggest supporter?“My mom is definitely my biggest supporter. She has supported me in everything I do, even before I started modeling. I send her all of my pictures and she loves every one of them.”
What are your goals?“My goals are to be successful in everything I do. I want to be able to help both people and animals all over the world. That is really important to me. I couldn’t imagine any better feeling then to help those in need, especially when no one else will step up.”
How would you describe your overall philosophy when it comes to work and life?“I once read a quote that read, “Beyoncé has the same 24 hours in a day that everyone else has”. I always keep this quote in the back of my mind. I like to be as positive as I can be all the time, so my philosophy would be to make everything you do count, work hard and you will be great at whatever you do.”
What are the positives and negatives to Internet culture?“A few positives to Internet culture, in my opinion, are better communication (people from all over the world can communicate), cultural exploration (we can explore different cultures with a click of a button), we are more up to date with current events, and the Internet is now, simply put, a “go to” for just about anything. Some negatives are Internet bullying; saying horrible things about others that they wouldn’t dare to say in person, which can affect a lot of people—youth especially. People spend all day on the Internet and forget about life itself or how to read an actual book.”
Name one thing about yourself that your fans may not already know?“I may not smile in my pictures, but in person I am a very happy and extremely positive person. You would have to get to know me to see that side of me.”
If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?“I would change the world’s willingness to give rather than to take. Most people only want things in life; not so often do we come across people that want to give and make it better place. In a perfect world, for me, people would help those in need without expecting anything in return.”
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