Selfmade STAR maker
She grew up in a town with 3 traffic lights; now Lisa Benson represents some of the top names in the industry like Chanel Iman, Chrissy Teigen and Kelly Rohrbach. I met up with the IMG model manager to talk about the art of persistence and the importance of dreaming big. “I always trust my instinct.”
Marlies: My motto is ‘dare to dream, dare to grow, dare to be’. Lisa, you are an amazing example of a woman who did just that.
Lisa: Thank you! Yes, I grew up the smallest town ever in Pennsylvania: Punxsutawney, from the movie Groundhog Day.
Marlies: We’re both small town girls!
Lisa: Can you imagine, there were only 3 stop lights! But at 5 years old, I started dreaming of a different life. And then I discovered Vogue. I would devour the fabulous photo shoots and glamorous stories. My prom dress was a knockoff of a dress supermodel Shalom Harlow wore on one of the covers. Fast forward to IMG, when I actually worked with Shalom! If I could have known then…
Marlies: How did you nurture your dream of a different life?
Lisa: I was really good with numbers, so I went to Penn State to study financial business. But what I really wanted was an internship at a big fashion company. So one day I just called the Saks catalogue and said: “I shop a lot at Saks, do you guys have internships?” To which they replied: “Ehm, we sell catalogues.”
Marlies: I love this story! Hey, you have to start somewhere!
Lisa: I was very persistent, and eventually they got me someone on the phone about an internship! So there I was at Saks, doing buying and management for the summer. It wasn’t glamorous, but I didn’t care: I was in New York! Then, September 11th happened. The job market collapsed, especially in finance; I couldn’t even get a hostess job.
Marlies: It’s when you hit rock bottom that you really get to know yourself, isn’t it?
Lisa: Yes, at that point I was ready to accept advice from my father. My family was really into sports; I played golf for Penn State and my father was a big golfer, too. Arnold Palmer, the legendary golfer who started IMG, was a family friend, and he suggested that I apply for a job at IMG because they had just started a fashion division: IMG Models. I sent in my resume, got invited for an informational interview and met president of IMG Models Ivan Bart who represented supermodels like Stephanie Seymour and Milla Jovovich. Wow, suddenly, everything made sense. A combination of multitasking, finance, glamour, sports; I found my dream job!
Marlies: This was your moment!
Lisa: Yes, except there was no job opening. And so I just started calling Ivan every single day. Literally!
Finally, they offered me a job as a receptionist and I thought: “Watch out, I will be the best receptionist you’ve ever seen!”
Marlies: Isn’t it great when you activate that killer instinct?
Lisa: Absolutely! As soon as Ivan’s assistant left, I took her job.
Marlies: And now you are an extremely successful model manager yourself! What makes you so good at what you do?
Lisa: I always trust my instinct. For example, when Chrissy Teigen walked in -this was when she just started dating John Legend- I thought she was so witty and amazing!
Marlies: Your persistence is incredibly inspiring! Thank you for sharing your story! Do you have any final advice for my readers?
Lisa: Wake up every day and be happy about what you are doing with your life. Be grateful for every moment given to you, work hard and enjoy the journey. And if you’re not happy, change it! Dare to dream big, always. Hey, if I did it…
Marlies Says
fall|winter 20 preview
In January, I presented my newest FW20 collection during a show full of dance and entertainment in Rotterdam. All my work as a feminist designer is inspired by muses, powerful female icons from past and present. And for FW20, my muse will be crime writer Agatha Christie. A few months from now, you will get to discover the collections, and see how they tell stories like Agatha’s thrilling books do..
MD Friends
Running for your life
Dr. Bram Bakker is a psychiatrist, a writer, a runner and a provocateur. With his many bestselling books and columns – and yes, even his own theatre show – he urges us to think outside the box when it comes to our mental health. Not crazy about popping pills? Bram shared some interesting alternatives with me, from throwing out our phones to running ‘till we puke’.
MD Friends
Peas & peppers instead of pills
General practitioner Tamara de Weijer believes that we would feel a lot better if we hit the produce stand before we visited the pharmacy. “On a massive scale, we have been putting the wrong kind of fuel in our bodies.”
Marlies Says
Singles Day – You’ve Got this!
All the single ladies, listen up! With single women rapidly becoming the majority, it is high time to stop feeling singled out. This Singles Day, let’s celebrate our freedom and independence by sharing all those solo milestones that make us go: ‚You’ve got this!‘.
dessous
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Maison Marlies
In unserem Maison Marlies Blog kannst du alles über das Leben hinter und um die Kulissen erfahren. Sei es ob du herausfinden möchtest, woher sie ihre Inspirationen für das Designen der neuen Kollektionen findet, oder sei es Infos über ihren Lifestyle, Infos über gesunde Ernährung, oder ihren Geschmack für besondere Kunst.Diese Business Frau schafft es Zeit zu finden um über ihre Business Trips zu schreiben oder auch über ihre Shopping Ideen und ihren Urlaub. Und auch wenn sie im Urlaub ist, wird sie euch nicht hängen lassen. Wenn du dich Verloren fühlst um deine richtige BH Größe zu finden, Maison Marlies bietet eine Reihe von Guidlines an, sodass du weiter deine Brüste schütteln kannst so viel du willst, ohne dass diese rausfallen. Du möchtest bestimmt keine Probleme in deinem Kleiderschrank, welchen natürlich durch high Quality Dessous vorgebeugt werden kann. Und wenn deine Brüste an ihrem richtigen Platz sind, dann kannst du ausgediegen deine Weiblichkeit feiern! Der Blog bietet dir Vorschläge an, wie du deine Dessous kombinieren und deine eigenen Fashion Sinne inspirieren kannst, damit du auch ja mit den neuesten Fashion Trends mitgehen kannst.
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