Isabella Moore, Model 01.07.25

From Aotearoa to NYC! What shifts have you noticed between the modelling scene back home and over there?

Being a new model on the scene in New York has been a little scary but also very exciting. No one knows me, so I’m a fresh face, which is a good thing as no one is sick of me yet (haha!) but it also means I have to hustle a bit harder; going to castings, go-sees and making sure I make a good impression on potential clients (brands). They need to see in those first, and often very short, meetings that they can trust that I know what I’m doing and can deliver the goods. So far in New York, I’ve found that brands tend to stick with the models they know and trust, so sometimes it’s hard as the new model in town to get in with companies, which I can understand. Luckily, my kiwi charm goes a long way and I’ve managed to book a few jobs since I’ve been here already. I can’t take all the credit though, I have a great agency, State, here in New York that have been working hard for me since I arrived! Models are often warned by their mother agency that the New York modelling scene can be a bit tough at first, and you may not get work in the first month or so of being in town.

The amount of work in comparison to back home is huge. In Aotearoa, I’ve found you can’t just work as a model even if you are in high demand. It’s not sustainable as a full-time career - the money just isn’t enough to live off. Unlike in New York, where if you have a couple of regular clients and the odd campaign, you could definitely live off that income. Not saying that’s an easy thing to accomplish though. The industry is forever changing and so you really can’t predict whether that’s going to happen for you or not.

The fashion industry in Aotearoa may not be as big or have the money or resources as the other large international industries, but I must say, of all the countries/cities I’ve worked in abroad, Aotearoa seems to be where size and cultural diversity in fashion haven’t been treated as ‘just trends’. In my experience, it’s one of the only places where lasting changes seem to be occurring and where indigenous voices, creatives, fashion and artists are being heard and recognised. It makes me so proud to see the way the fashion industry in Aotearoa has begun to celebrate what makes our diverse country unique by embracing ALL different kinds of beauty.

You're passionate about size representation in fashion ~ where did that passion start for you and what changes are you most hopeful to see in the industry?

During my teenage years and into my early twenties, I blindly believed the narrow beauty standards I was exposed to through media and advertising. I believed that if you’re not white or skinny, you ain’t IT or you’re not allowed to participate in fashion or be a model. Unfortunately, I bought into it, and had very low esteem. I believed fashion and even a certain quality of life wasn’t for me until I was scouted, signed, and brands and companies began booking me as a model. I finally felt seen and accepted. Once I got the outside validation from the modelling industry, I guess it kickstarted my own self-acceptance journey, which has been bumpy. I would prefer to say that it started internally but that wouldn’t be authentic - it wasn’t until I was told by the industry that once rejected bodies like mine were now acceptable that I began to believe it.

My passion grew after working in the industry and I realised how unfair women in bigger bodies have had it. I started to reflect on my own experience and the wonderful women in my life who have spent so much time worrying about how their weight and the size label in their clothes would dictate their happiness. Why should your measurements determine your worth in this one precious life you’ve been given?

It made me angry. I feel like women have been tricked into putting so much value into the size of their bodies and it’s aesthetic to distract us from our power and the things that truly make us beautiful. Not to mention wahine from the pacific who are generally genetically ‘blessed’ with big, strong, tall bodies who would be considered ‘cursed’ and irrelevant in the mainstream media if we’re going with the typical “Western” definition of what is beautiful. This revelation was what fuelled my passion. Modelling was never a dream of mine, but now that I’m here, working in the industry, being seen and taking up space as a bigger body, it has helped heal some part of me and I hope my presence helps other women heal their own relationship with their body.

In terms of what I hope to see in the industry, it’s sometimes hard to keep that hope alive when it feels like so many great changes WERE happening and then weight loss drugs come along and all the hard work that was put into size inclusivity gets classed as a trend. These drugs that were designed to be used for health purposes are now being used for aesthetics and we’re back to praising people for being skinny regardless of the havoc their body is going through. I’m hopeful for open-mindedness in the industry. If we could all challenge what we know, the rules we live by and ask ourselves why and reflect, I think we’d find there’s room enough for everyone, and in terms of size representation in fashion, everyBODY.

I hope that people who value people make it into positions of power in the fashion industry. People who are obsessed with the art of fashion and remember that it’s about creativity, expression and celebration. Aotearoa makes me hopeful. And what is happening with NZ Fashion Week, with Maori and Pacific people taking space, stepping into leadership roles and sharing their talents and knowledge. The way indigenous people celebrate the art of fashion and what makes us unique is beautiful and what the world desperately needs, in my opinion.

You were part of our recent RUBY Blink 2025 shoot. What was that experience like for you? Any favourite pieces from the collection?

I’ve been a fan of RUBY for a while now, so I loved getting to model for Blink. It was a wonderful experience! The team was all super welcoming, warm and friendly. And, it’s always nice to model clothes that, 1. I can actually fit and that fit well, and 2. that I actually like and want to wear. I’m not gonna lie, I really did like most of the pieces I wore for the shoot. The colour palette of this collection was calling to me! But, if I had to choose a few favourites, then they would have to be: the Trulli Maxi Dress - the burgundy orange tartan combined with a dropped waist and full skirt! Stunning! And the Matilda Cardigan, please don’t ask me to choose a colour way! I love the burgundy & aqua stripe as well as the pink cherry stripe. It’s cozy but also a statement piece. And, last but not least, the Annie Trench Coat in deep plum, because who doesn’t love a trench?

I’d been wanting to work with Apela Bell (photographer) for a while, but hadn’t had the opportunity until this shoot, so I was stoked about that. And, Raeesah Sacha (hmua) is a gem and very talented.

Although more brands have slowly embraced inclusivity and now offer extended sizing, more could still follow in RUBY’s footsteps. Even if a brand stocks your size, if all you’re offered are poorly fitting garments or boring af basics, then you’re still not being included. I love how the clothes from RUBY have considered the curves of a woman’s body. You can tell that time and effort were put into the making of each piece so that the wearer's experience is an empowering one, which I think is how fashion and styling should feel.

How do you define confidence right now? Has your idea of it changed over time?

Confidence to me is self-acceptance. Showing that kindness and grace you show to others to yourself so you can thrive as your full authentic self. Not needing external validation to know just how amazing you are.

My idea of confidence has definitely changed. I thought that confidence was linked to perfectionism. That if I perfected something (whether that’s in the way I look or a skill), I would feel unshakeably confident. But, there’s no such thing as perfect. My notion was based on external ‘doings’, which would make confidence conditional; I must look like this to feel like that or I must do this to get that. I used to think it was something external that you needed to earn or find outside yourself. Now I know it’s very much internal and can never be lost because it’s something that you always possess and just need to remember how to tap into. I also thought confidence was something you could just ‘fake (it) til you make (it),' but I slowly learnt that that is most definitely not the case. It may be blissful to live in ignorance for a while but you’re just prolonging the journey to self-acceptance. Wearing a mask for that long doesn’t do anything for your self-esteem and only makes it harder in the long run. Not to mention, people can tell you’re faking it.

True confidence to me now is being grounded in grace for yourself and being able to face whatever life throws at you; failure or success, without getting sucked into external chaos. In other words, being your own best friend.

Written by Isabella Moore