Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marina Romashina. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Marina , thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I was born in a small town in Siberia. Since childhood, I loved being photographed, I remember when my mother went to work, my grandmother took the camera and I gladly ran to my mother’s closet to choose outfits. We had very cool photo sessions with grandma. But this part of my life did not develop at all, as I was focused on my studies. After graduating from school with a gold medal, I entered the university in the nearest big city. There I also continued to study with excellent marks at the Industrial Management in construction, but at some point I began to understand that I also wanted something different, I wanted to develop in something that gave me pleasure. And of course it was modeling. Scouts approached me several times and offered to sign a contract with an agency, but I was always afraid, because I didn’t understand at all how this business works and I didn’t want to take risks. But then the day came when I finally decided. I knew absolutely nothing about this industry, and I had no acquaintances either. So I started to Googled model agencies in my city. It was not easy to find agency as my height is 5’7. When I started it was much more difficult if you didn’t fit into the standards. I remember when I called the first agency I chose, they didn’t even want to talk to me when I said how tall I am

After sometime I finally managed to find a mother agency that was interested in me and that I liked. This is how my adventure began. I started going to test shoots. Time passed but no offers from other markets were received. I started shooting with local clients. I took on everything that was offered, never refused and tried my best to combine study and modeling. I also didn’t tell anyone that I started modeling. I think I was afraid that no one will support. So when I posted a photo from my first shoot it was a shock to everyone. I remember my mother called me and said “what’s this all about, why don’t you tell me anything and then said that she is so happy and I look great!” Dad was also very happy, since he had been saying since childhood that I am special and so beautiful and I need try modeling. All my friends and of course my grandmother were delighted. Their support gave me strength

Then one day my agency called me and said: Roma, you are invited to Milan. I agreed without hesitation and flew off on my first trip in the summer. It was difficult because I practically didn’t speak English. I lived with eight girls in model apartment and went to 8-10 castings every day. I had no money, so I survived on 50 euros a week. I went to gym every single day because I understood that my appearance did not meet the standards, so I had to be as professional and in good shape as possible. The competition is very high and this is my chance to prove to everyone that I can!

I ended up doing a couple of shoots for magazines and clothing brands. I even managed to shoot for L’officiel

On the same trip, I remember I, so confident in myself, approached the booker in Milan and asked, what do you think, where is the best place for me to go to work, will I have a career? She looked at me and said that with my height, I shouldn’t think about any career. It was very unpleasant, because I really wanted her support, but this did not happen. But I felt that I had to follow my dream even if I had no savings and no one gives me any guarantee. Then I went to Asia.

Asia is for sure not the easiest market. There the girls work long hours, often there is no time to sleep, so they have to sleep on the train or in a taxi on the way to the shoot or casting. But those who worked there know exactly how to pose well and work hard

After a while I realized that I needed to move on and build a career. So I started looking for new mother agency who would be interested in me and can give me this opportunity. I am very grateful to my mother agent, who helped me to succeed. It is really important to have agent on your side who believe in you

I started getting invited to good agencies in Europe and I started shooting for well known magazines and brands. For several years, the list of magazines and brands with whom I worked already included such names as Harper’s Bazaar, Instyle, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Chanel, L’Oréal, Ted Baker, Patrizia Pepe and others

I traveled all over Europe and modeling began my main thing, and most importantly, I really like it. I love every shoot I take part in and every country I’ve been to. I want you to know that modeling is not easy. You are not at home for a very long time, you have to live in an apartment with a lot of people. They always point out external flaws to you: you are too short, you are too tall etc. I’ve heard a lot of rejections in life, they always told me you’re short or my hair is too thin etc. I remember even on the first trip I had complexes, wore heels on the highest platform and was still shorter than others, but then the complexes disappeared. Because when you do what you love and don’t give up, everything always works out.

Soon after several years I was offered a contract in Los Angeles. Here I shot for numbers of local brands including Bcbg, Bebe, Hourglass, did campaign for Puma and others. Just recently, I fulfilled another dream of mine and worked with YSL

Now I understand that if I had not decided to go to the model agency then, if I had listened to other people who did not believe in me or who think that I am not “good enough”, if I had not gone to my first contract, I would never have been able to make my dream come true

This is my story. Story of girl who never fitted modeling standards but no matter what she succeed. I hope my story will inspired more people. Because everyone should know that if you follow your dreams and believe in yourself, everything will definitely work out!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Well, as you know my name is Marina Romashina, model name Roma. I have been traveling as a model for years all over the world. My photos have been published in Harper’s Bazaar, Instyle, L’officiel, Basic magazine, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Vogue, Ok magazine

I worked for such brands as YSL, Chanel, L’Oréal, BCBG, Bebe, Hourglass, Puma, Ted Baker, Sergio Rossi, Patrizia Pepe, Stradivarius, Mango, Bata, Hogan, Storets and others

Currently, I am in Los Angeles, where I not only successfully pursue my career but also extend a helping hand to aspiring models. Using my industry reputation, I offer guidance and support to models seeking direction. Throughout my journey, empowering young models has become a central focus. Witnessing their growth and success has been immensely rewarding. Several of the models I’ve mentored have graced prestigious fashion weeks in Milan, London, New York, and Paris, and have secured campaigns with renowned brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Revlon, Uniqlo and others. Notably, one of my mentees recently walked the runway for esteemed fashion houses including Saint Laurent, Acne, and Valentino.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

As I mentioned earlier, my journey began in a small town in Siberia. I was very lucky to be born there and born into my family. People in Siberia are very strong. Since childhood, I have been accustomed to achieving my goals and always following my dreams. Therefore, I was always the best at school and university, and when I decided to try myself in modeling, which I dreamed of and loved since childhood, nothing could stop me. My story is not about someone finding me and suddenly my life turned upside down, my story is about the fact that I always took the first step. And when I did it, I never stopped. I didn’t care what other people said about me or how many hours I had to work. I always gave 100%. And no matter how scary it was: going to a new country, changing agencies, losing stability, I still risked it. It’s not scary to work 18 hours a day, it’s not scary to lose what people call the comfort zone, it’s not scary to get rejected. It’s scary to be afraid to move forward and take an action.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Our world is filled with routine, which also has something beautiful. The job of creatives is to bring bright colors to life, to give people art that would inspire them. We create another world that fills our everyday life with aesthetics. Creatives are those people who go beyond the boundaries and this is wonderful. And I will not tire of repeating, the opportunity to inspire those who are just starting their journey and also want to go beyond the ordinary, that’s so wonderful. One shoot, one success story, one article can help at least one person take an action.

Image Credits
Personal main photo Photographer: Mikhail Shapalov #2 Cosmopolitan May 2019 Issue #5 For Puma Photograther: Thomas Henriksen HMUA: Alix Youngblood Production: StillMaxMedia Art Direction: Nele Liedel #6 For BCBG Maxazria Photograther: Neil Sharum