Arnelle Jessamy

Model, Artist & Esthetician

My age? How rude! No but seriously, it's not like I'm old or anything. But unless I really have to...

I live between Miami and Barbados, mostly live in Miami nowadays.

How would you respond to an outsider judging you on what you're wearing?

I mean, I pretty much get that from the outside and the inside, my whole life because I like to wear a lot of weird stuff, I'm pretty used to it by now and I kinda just brush it off. Be unique. Be yourself. You only have one life. I have not experienced my past life, if there's such a thing and I cannot experience my future life, I can only experience the life I'm in right now.

Of what heritage are you?

I was born in Barbados, my mother is St. Lucian and my father is from Barbados. But I know there's a lot of mix in my background and since my father passed away recently, I have been digging deeper into that.

What is the Aura Experiene about?

It's a Crop Over band in Barbados, Crop Over is Barbados' version of Caribana and that is one of the bands that is within the festival parade. It includes parties, your costumes etc.

What is an esthetician?

An esthetician is someone who is able to take care of your skin, so I can do facial peels, waxing, I can recommend skincare as well as makeup, I can do special effects makeup. It basically means that I went to school and I can take care of your skin as well as beautify it through natural or what other means.

Why do you consider yourself artistic or to be an artist?

I consider myself artistic because I love everything about art. Art is just what makes me live.

How is the exchange between Miami and Barbados?

It's not hectic on me at all. I love it.

Why go into modelling?

I went into modelling because I'm artistic , modelling is one of those things where you can be art and be immersed in art all at the same time. You're like the canvas for somebody's design or you're the art for somebody's photography and I just love that.

Describe the vibe in Miami and Barbados?

The vibe in Miami is chilled but it's also more... It's America so it's more uptight, whereas in Barbados we're more laid back. The weather is similar, the beaches are similar.

Where do you feel the most at home?

Being that I grew up in Barbados and that is where most of my friends and family are. It's where I went to school. Where most of my memories are. Barbados.

Favorite music genres?

Music is art and I love everything art. I love all music, from Country, to Soca, to Hip Hop, to Pop, to Jazz, I just love it all.

Your style icon?

Can I say myself? Cause I mean, I pull inspiration from everwhere, it's not really one person that I can say inspires me so much that they're like my one style icon. It can be what someone is wearing, it can be a vibe that I got when I saw a picture, it can be a building or textile. It can be anything. My feelings. That all makes my style.

Do you feel any pressure at all from social media, keeping up with certain standards and all?

I mean, I feel like everybody puts on a face for social media. I mean, I could say I fall into that a little bit? But for the most part, If I'm sad, I'll post that I'm sad, same thing when I'm happy. If I'm wearing a bomb outfit, I'm goung to post me in a bomb outfit. Sometimes I'll post me in sweats. But I'm not going to post that I'm super duper happy about this product if someone wants me to promote it and I'm like in a horrible mood, then I'm going to tell them in the background, through email or something, like, right now I don't want to force it, but at the same time... it's work, so I have to do it.

Most upsetting thing to recently happen to you?

I don't want to say my dads passing, but it was. But as well, after that, recently I was in plane coming to Miami from Barbados and I thought, on my whole life, the plane was going to crash, we were picking up a lot of speed and descending rapidly and my pilot nor the stewart were making any announcements. And this one guy from way back in the plane started walking, amidst of all the turbulence and the dropping of the plane and I'm here like 'OH pleases don't tell me something happened to my pilot, cause this guy he looked like one of those older 'I used to fly planes for like the army kinda guy, but he was like an older gentleman, so he probably knew like what to do. Come to think of it, that guy never came back from walking towards the front of the plane. But I'm glad I landed safely.

A cormy question, what inspires you?

I get inspiration from EVERYTHING. I could literally be standing in the shower and I could just pull inspiration from that like... whew!

Was being a model always in the forefront?

Yeah, well... When I was younger, until T turned maybe thirtheen, I was a tomboy and I could never see myself like wearing dresses, makeup , all that stuff but then when I got into it, I got into it. And then I was like, 'oooh girl yasss! You can do this.' and it just stayed with me.

How do you decided which jobs to go for?

I'm one of those people who do a ton of research and after I do my research, I just apply for the job.

Do you have any beauty routines you follow?

Uhm, I basically use natural products, I use black soap and I drink about a gallon and a half of water a day.

Do you have any specific diets?

I have been a vegetarian since ten and a half years old and I mean, I don't really need cheat days. If I were to be stricter than I am, cause I really don't like a lot of foods outside of being vegetarian, I'd be like a stick.

Ideal holiday destination?

You know, a cabin, quiet, water, trees, lovely view. Something really mellow, I'm not much of a city person.

Are you more comfortable working with female or male photographers?

I've worked with a lot of male photographers, quite a bit female photographers. But there's more male photographers in the business that make you into a professional but obviously as a female, you would feel more comfortable working with a femaile photographer, espicially nowadays when you hear about all the sexual misconduct in the industry. You just want to protect yourself. If I had a choice, I'd work with female photographers.

Favorite meal of all time?

I'm such a picky eater, I can't even... So I don't know.

Five words that describe you in 2018?

Focused, on getting school work done, on my career, I'm just focused on a lot if things this year. I want to stay fit. I'm always about fitness, but this year I want to be FIT. Love, because when my dad passed last year, I closed off on a lot of people, so I want to try bring back more love. Five words is a lot of words.

Funniest thing to happen to you recently?

I forgot. But I'll get back to that. Sometime.

Arnelle Jessamy( @bellamammielly)

by

Sinqobile Sibiya

JANUARY, 2018