Supermodel Coco Rocha Reveals The Best And Worst Parts Of Her Job - Exclusive
Coco Rocha has made quite a name for herself in the modeling industry. Considered the "world's first digital supermodel," the brunette beauty has graced the cover of Vogue nearly 20 times with her signature edgy and dramatic style. Additional accolades include her being honored by Marie Claire as one of 15 supermodels of the millennium who changed the face of fashion and taking home the award for Best Model at Elle's Style Awards. And let's not forget one of the other impressive feats on her resume — being chosen to mentor Kylie and Kendall Jenner on an episode of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians."
In an exclusive interview, Nicki Swift sat down with the fashion and beauty icon over Zoom to celebrate her partnership with the popular condiment label Frank's RedHot for its inaugural hand modeling contest. And when we asked about the best and worst parts of the life of a supermodel — a life that would seem ultra-alluring to many — the now 33-year-old dished that her job has not always been as glamorous as it appears. However, now that she is fully established in her career, the wife and mom of three explained that she has gained a silver lining to all her work.
Coco Rocha said that life as a model can be 'very lonely'
Coco Rocha was just 14 when she was scouted at a dance competition, began working at 15, and then moved to New York at 16, per the Telegraph. Therefore, it makes sense that things were often difficult for the then-fledgling talent. In fact, the first thing she mentioned when asked about the best and worst aspects of her profession was the fact that it is "very lonely." She began, "People might think that models, wow, you get to live these crazy lives where you get to travel the world, meet so many people, and have many fantastic friends."
But, as she went on to explain, it was especially hard for her early on in her career to arrive on a new set, sometimes face language barriers, and be away from family and friends for long periods of time — and then have to do that over and over again. "I do remember feeling very low, very sad," she said. " ...You feel like you're on your own with all these feelings and kind of drained."
Coco Rocha changed the worst part of her job to the best part
In 2010, Coco Rocha took a break from strutting down the runway to walk down the aisle, tying the knot with James Conran, a British muralist, in a dress made by her friend Zac Posen. Since then, the lovebirds, who "work together 24/7," have welcomed three children to their brood. Suddenly, the excessive travel didn't feel as bad for the seasoned supermodel, since her husband and children travel with her whenever possible. "I think it's funny how the thing that was the worst, I made sure I changed that in my life, and it is the best," she mused.
Besides her supportive family, Rocha also mentioned all of her colleagues in the business who've taught and inspired her along the way. "I get to also work with the best of the best in this industry, learn from them, cultivate relationships with them, observe them," she said. "It's almost like my mini school of fashion that I've had all these years."
@franksredhot and @cocorocha posted content and calls for submissions throughout the hand modeling contest. Submissions can be viewed in the #frankssweepstakes hashtag, and the winner was announced on Coco Rocha's TikTok on October 17, 2021.