ALEXANDRIA YAMAZAKI
Photography: IRVIN RIVERA
Styling: KRISTINA HULEN
Makeup: BETHANY GARITA
Hair: DAVID HARRINGTON
Photo Asst: PHIL LIMPRASERTWONG
Production: VICTORIA INNOCENZI
Agency/Agencies: LA Models, MSA Models NY, Image Tokyo
Hometown: Seattle
Current Location: New York / Tokyo
Nickname: Freckles
Instagram: @alexandriayamazaki
Tell us your story? Who is Alexandria?
“She was fierce, she was strong, she wasn’t simple. She was crazy and sometimes she barely slept. She always had something to say. She had flaws and that was ok. And when she was down, she got right back up. She was a beast in her own way, but one idea described her best. She was unstoppable and she took anything she wanted with a smile.” – r.m. drake
What's your ethnic background?
I am Japanese American.
My Father is full Japanese while my Mom is mixed with Irish, Swedish, English and German descent. To be honest, I’m not even sure what the percentages are regarding my Mom’s side. I guess you can say I truly am a mutt.
Where are you from originally?
I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. For the greater part of my upbringing I grew up in Kirkland. Which is about twenty minutes east of Seattle.
Tell us about your hometown.
Kirkland is very much a cozy town. There’s a certain familiarity about it. It’s not small enough where you run into people you know all the time but it almost has that liveliness. I really appreciated growing up there and it will always hold tremendous value to me.
Where are you based now? You think you would stay there for a while?
Currently, I’m kind of bouncing back and forth from New York, Tokyo, and occasionally making pit stops in Los Angeles. I’m very much in travel mode right now as I took a big break from traveling a couple years ago. Once I decided to start it up again it hasn’t really stopped. I have an instantaneous attachment to New York and Tokyo. In many ways they intersect each other in terms of similarities. The energy, the sleepless nights, and overall how it makes me feel is something to be savored.
What inspired you to be a model?
I have always loved fashion but it wasn’t so much fashion that drew me to modeling. I was always fascinated with how photographs could make you feel something. It can literally be anything, as long as it’s an actual emotion of some sort. I think it’s astoundingly beautiful that someone can evoke a feeling, a mood, or transcend one to a completely different place (even if it’s just for a moment). If I can do that with whatever I’m shooting at the moment, then I did my job correctly. To me, it’s more or an art form and I think there’s something to be said about the raw, quiet, candid moments that are captured in the outtakes.
How long have you been modeling?
Seven years. However, I didn’t make it my full time job until five years ago.
Tell us about your earliest modeling gig. Can you still remember it?
One of my earliest modeling jobs was walking for Project Runway’s Gordana Gehlhausen for a charity event.
What’s your favorite part in being a model?
There’s an art in letting go and too often people get stuck in their own heads and deny themselves the ability to feel whatever it is that they feel. I love being able to delve into the spontaneity of what I’m shooting. I’m essentially partaking in an unspoken dance with my photographer and one of my favorite aspects of my job is being able to adapt and move freely (within reason) to whatever possibilities may occur.
Tell us about your most memorable experience in modeling so far.
Any form of humanitarian work is something that I hold very close to my heart. Looking back, I’d have to say that being an award presenter to one of Japan’s charity concerts for the tsunami that hit Fukushima in 2011 was really rewarding. I specifically remember getting job details for this and it really touched me more than the client will ever know. Not only did I get to present an award for this relief but I also got to sign the guitar in addition to the band that was putting on the performance. Later, this guitar was auctioned off and was received by an affected family in Fukushima.
How do you manage your time as a model?
I’ve always been one who has needed personal time to myself. I’m a very private person and when you’re juggling multiple schedules it gets hard. I’m constantly on the go and in the process of finishing college, working for my Father’s company whilst modeling full time. I try and not burn the candle at both ends but sometimes it’s inevitable. I try and organize my time accordingly to what the most pressing thing I have to complete is and kind of go from there. Spending quality time with my friends (and family if I’m lucky) is a must. They help keep me sane in a very insane world.
If you can compare your modeling experiences with your favorite movie, what would it be?
Slogan directed by Pierre Grimblat, starring the non other, Jane Birkin.
Your favorite food
This is a though one…I love sushi (I like to think it’s engrained in my blood) and as “model-y” as this sounds, I love a great salad. I mean have you seen Whole Foods’ salad bar? Besides that I love Asian food and comfort foods like soups, fries, and mac & cheese will always have a place in my heart.
Book that you’re currently reading.
The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
What else keeps you busy aside from modeling?
I’m lucky enough where I have found a couple passions in my life. Besides modeling, sustainable nutrition (including beauty) is something that I enjoy. I think it’s abundantly important to take care of your body (emphasizing on skin) without harsh pollutants and toxins that so many household companies have slyly put into their products. Nature provides enough and some of the best skincare regimes I’ve found haven’t been sold to me by a high-end esthetician, but I’ve found in my kitchen. My Father’s company TOTAL Workout in Tokyo has launched their lifestyle brand TOTAL Foods and they have asked me to be the face of that. So aside from modeling I do countless things for them and am thrilled to be provided an established platform to explore this other passion of mine.
What comes next after modeling?
For me, it’s not “what comes next after modeling”… It’s more like “How can I keep doing this forever”? My end goal is to brand myself so I can keep doing what I love for however long I want. Nevertheless, I would like to get into more humanitarian work when I’m a bit older and have more free time on my hands.
Any advice you can give to any aspiring models out there?
Remember to just be yourself. Nothing is as important as individuality. I think being different should be sought after and embraced rather than trying to fit societies ideology of beauty.
Dream project?
This is an impossible question to answer. Life gives you so many opportunities to work with such incredible people it’s hard to know what may come your way. What might be your dream now could not be your dream later down the road.
Dream Client?
Louis Vuitton
Tell us a secret.
I was in band for seven years.
Currently binge watching
How To Get Away With Murder
If you’re gonna have a book what title would it be?
The Best Is Yet To Come
If you will be given the chance and opportunity to help a specific charity, what would it be and why?
My Mom has Cystic Fibrosis (CF). She was diagnosed in her early adolescence and it’s a genetic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestines resulting in respiratory infections and eventually death. My entire upbringing I’ve been raised to be self sufficient in the chance that she passes. She was supposed to die when I was three; however I’ve been blessed in the sense that she is still very much alive and kicking. The nuisance about CF is that to the naked eye she looks completely normal and healthy. This can ultimately be a great thing but she faces a significant amount of discrimination because her disease isn’t necessarily visible. With that being said, I would love to work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in any way that I can.