Featured Header Image: Photographer @Capture_Edit_Repeat / Model Anais_Le_Delice

When did you first start your Instagram page? What inspired you to start it? 

I started my page on Feb 2020, during the first Covid-19 lockdown, nearly 3 years ago. At that time, I was attending a course for Burlesque in Milan, and I decided to create a secret Instagram account where I could post my pics and videos while wearing Burlesque costumes and performing teasing dances. After that, I was contacted by a photographer to arrange a remote shoot, and after publishing his pictures on Instagram, a talented artist asked me if it was possible to draw one of these photos. And that was the beginning of everything! 

I can see that you are at 10K followers, which is a fantastic achievement. What has been the most challenging part of getting where you are now?

Yes, it’s an awesome achievement for me; as a matter of fact, at the very beginning, I wasn’t expecting anything from Instagram, just posting my Burlesque pictures, taking a few self-portraits, etc. But things changed when I started collaborating with talented photographers and artists. In that period, we were all in lockdown, so many photographers and models started using specific apps for remote shootings. That was a very interesting, challenging and enriching experience since I could collaborate with photographers from all over the world, just staying at home and photo shooting in the safety of my house during the pandemic. 

Do you have any advice for anyone wanting to increase their follower count?

For anyone trying to increase their followers, I recommend being authentic and as honest as possible in creating interesting content. Plus, try and avoid copying others. Creating a unique identity, being different from others and standing out from the crowd is a way to reach your goal on Instagram and gain more and more followers.

I see some fantastic artists have captured you. Was it a case that they captured you from your photographs, or have you ever posed for an artist live? 

Yes, I have been painted and drawn by many amazing artists from all over the world (Hawaii, USA, India, UK, Australia, etc.) in these last few years. Up to now, the only way to capture me was to use my photos, but one of my many dreams is to pose for a live drawing session in an art studio. Maybe sooner or later, it will happen.

Can you tell me about a photoshoot you did where you had so much fun and forgot that you were working? 

If there is a good connection with the photographer, I usually have fun, laugh and enjoy every moment of the photo shoot, as it is a way to enrich myself and experiment with new styles and moods. Maybe, I should mention the first photo shoot I had with a female photographer from Germany, who became also a good friend. We started laughing from the beginning of the session, and the result was a lot of very vivid and joyful captures.

Ever considered changing roles and becoming a photographer? 

Not a real photographer, for sure! I will leave this job to more skilled people, but I really like taking self-portraits using my cellphone, a tripod and remote control. It is the best way to better know myself and show my inner sensuality to my followers and friends.

Have you ever modelled for an artist/photographer and hated the work they produced? If so, how did you deal with it? 

Usually, I collaborate with very talented artists and photographers I know personally to reduce the risks. But, it happened a couple of times to collaborate with someone who was not exactly what I expected. In these cases, if it was a photographer, I chose the best 3 pictures of the entire photo shoot (usually among over 200 pics taken, at least 3 good ones can be found) and posted just them. In case it was an artist, I published his/her artwork as well but only in a story that lasts 24 hours 🙂. 

In your view, do social media sites restrict content creators or make them more creative in finding different ways to express themselves? 

Unfortunately, social media sites, like Instagram, have become more and more restrictive with content from models, photographers and artists. I don’t think they make content creators more creative; on the contrary, I know many artists and photographers who decided to leave that social media to join new platforms that are less strict with publishing artistic nudes, etc.

How do you handle the attention (Good or Bad) your profile brings? As I hear, attention can come from pushy men or random people. 

My profile on Instagram is private, so I can ‘choose’ the people I wish to have as followers. I’m usually very polite with everyone, and I ask the same of the people who send me direct messages to collaborate on new projects. In these years, I have been fortunate and have rarely found pushy people, but If someone becomes disrespectful, I will block him/her immediately, as respect is the most important thing to me.

What do you like to get up to when you are not in front of the camera? 

Modelling it’s just a hobby for me, so I usually spend time with my family or watching a movie, reading a book or attending different kinds of courses, as I am an inquisitive person and I love to experiment and learn new things. For example, the last one I attended was a 2-day course in Holistic massage to learn this interesting technique.

Do you have any goals you want to achieve in the next 2 years? 

In less than 3 years, I achieved all the goals I was hoping to reach, but the most important thing has been recovering my self-esteem as a woman, mother and wife. In the next 2 years, I will probably go on with my Holistic massage courses and start drawing again since art has always been my passion.