From being teased as an alien as a kid in Northern California to walking the runways of Milan for global powerhouses like Sunnei and Alberto Ferretti, Bosè’s journey is anything but a straight line. A proud Nigerian-American, a former college athlete, and a self-described free spirit, Bosè’ has navigated the trenches of the fashion industry by trading a cookie-cutter image for radical authenticity.
In this exclusive Herstory interview, the fierce and joyous model and creative opens up about shedding the insecurities of her teenage years, the realities of the modelling industry and why she’s finally betting on herself.
Hi Bosè ! Can You Introduce Yourself And Share Three Words That Describe You Best?
Hello, good morning from California! I am Bosè. I am an African woman born in California. I have roots in Nigeria—my dad is Nigerian and my mom is from California. We don’t know what part of Africa my mom is from because of slavery, still, I’m so proud to be Nigerian. I’m proud to be an African woman paving my own way in this society. I love animals, cooking, reading, the beach and the peace of nature. I’m an introvert, but I also love being around and meeting new people.
Three words that describe me best are “free spirit”, “compassionate” and “creative.”
Growing Up, Did You Always See Yourself As A Model Or Was It Something That Snuck Up On You?
When I was growing up, people always told me—because I was stick-thin and always the tallest—that I was either an alien or a model. There was no in-between. I fell in love with fashion and models of the 2000s like Chanel Iman and Joan Smalls, but because I was getting bullied for my looks and still never saw women who looked like me portrayed in the media in a positive light, my confidence for modeling died. At the time, the beauty standard was primarily light-skinned women. So, I didn’t fit the beauty standard and it made me feel like I wasn’t beautiful enough. All that led me to put my all basketball and track, and it’s through sports I was able to go to college.
One day, I got a message on Instagram from a modelling agency in Canada. They were like, “We want to meet with you.” But I’m very suspicious, I’m thinking, “Has to be a scam.” I eventually had a conversation with them and they were super nice. They asked me to come to Canada because they wanted to prepare me for New York Fashion Week.
So I went to Toronto to meet with the agency and they say to me “We don’t think you have enough confidence to go to New York City. If you go, they’re going to chew you up and spit you out.” I understood them because at the time we met, I literally didn’t have any confidence in the way I looked, I didn’t know how to move my body and I didn’t know who I was as a woman. I also have a sweet voice, so imagine having my voice with no maturity or confidence—people will literally take you for a ride. But to be fair, I was only 18 years old.
Anyways, after the experience, I resumed college sports, but eventually had a really bad injury which made me quit. When I quit, I moved to Los Angeles to be open to creative opportunities and also to be able to express my individuality freely. Before I moved to LA, I felt I had to fit this cookie-cutter image. I grew up in primarily white spaces so I couldn’t even do things like wearing my natural hair out without feeling uncomfortable.
In LA, I started to wear my natural hair, different color earrings, crazy skirts and whatever appealed to me as a free spirit. Being more in tune with myself, I began to attract so many different opportunities. Literally the first month that I moved to LA a lady walks up to me and she’s like, “I’m a fashion designer, I’m showing at LA Fashion Week. Come model for me” From that day, I just kept getting modelling opportunities and I’ve just been working and working and slowly building myself up.
2022 came, I took a risk and went to Milan to look for work. Off the bat, I got my first international modelling gig—I worked with Sunnei and Alberto Ferretti. It was an enjoyable experience but also tough enough it made me ask myself “Whoa, is modelling actually for me?”
So, At What Point Or What Moment Did You Realize That “Oh Wow, This Is Becoming Real, Modelling Is Becoming My Real Career”
I feel like that moment began when I started traveling for work. I’m from Northern California, over there, residents have a small-town mindset. Ain’t nobody really thinking, “Oh, Bosè is going to go to Milan and Paris and London for work.” Just for work! That’s mind-boggling to me.
I used to take it for granted, but now I don’t. I really tell myself now, “Girl, this could end tomorrow and you may never ever get the opportunity to go to Paris, so take it in.” I don’t care how many times I’ve been to Paris, I don’t care what I book or what I don’t book—I have the opportunity to travel and I have the opportunity to be in a new country. I’m not going to take it for granted and I’m not going to let anything stop me from having fun.
Love That For You Bosè ! When People See The Final Glossy Campaign Or They See You All Dressed Up On The Runway, They Rarely See The Work Behind It. So What Does A Not-So-Glamorous Day In Your Job Actually Look Like?
Oh man, modeling is not glamorous. I always say modeling is the trenches. Everything about modelling is ghetto until the final photo or when you’re strutting on the runway.
First of all, I am a woman, I have my period, I get hormonal acne, I gain weight, I lose weight. On days these things happen, I tell myself “you got to accept where you’re at today.” So that’s one thing about the modelling industry—just being a woman and then having to always be perfect. It is so much pressure. Not healthy at all.
A typical non-glamorous day in my life is one full of castings and the long waits involved. I’ve been to castings in Milan where I’ve waited five hours to be seen only for 30 seconds, and it was freezing outside—I mean, your hands are turning blue, your ears are perked up and you can’t feel your hands. Crazy thing is, no one is paying you for that! You can even leave there without getting the job. That’s super unglamorous.
The most fulfilling part though is the fun you have on set and the cool people you meet who have similar dreams as you.
So On The Not-So-Glamorous Days, How Do You Protect Your Mental Health And Your Sense Of Self In An Industry That Primarily Tries To Define You?
My experience as a model has made me strengthen my relationship with God and myself. Before I step out for a job, I read my bible, I pray and I really affirm myself. Why? Because you never know what you’re walking into. You could walk into a casting and they’re like, “Why is this Black girl here?” You could walk into a show and they’ll be like, “Cut your hair.” You don’t know what you’re going to be up against.
So on the not-so-glamorous days again, I just try to be open. If a novel is bringing me peace, I am going to carry it with me for a job and I’m going to find joy reading it while I am working. If I met some cool people at a job, trust that I am going to find joy being there with them. If all I have is music, then I’m going to listen to music. I think it’s just about finding joy in whatever you have in the moment and then just doing the important work behind the scenes. For me that will include affirming yourself, being in touch with your spirituality, and understanding that life is a fleeting moment. In ten years, you’re not going to remember the specific details…you’re just going to remember how everything came together for your greater good.
Years Later, All You Will Remember Is That Everything Came Together For Your Greater Good. I Like That!
Okay, So As A Model, You Are The Business. You Are The Product, You’re The CEO, You’re The Marketing Team. How Do You Handle The Business Side of Modeling—Contracts, Negotiations, Branding?
I was really, really bad at that. I made so many mistakes. I let people take advantage of me because I didn’t want to talk about money or I didn’t want to make it uncomfortable. But it’s just like you said: I’m the product. So I have a great publicist, lawyers and great people around me. who help with the business aspect of my job. I have a great colleague who works in finance, so I often send things to her for review. With time, I have learnt to say no to certain jobs whether or not it pays well. Once I feel like the job is not properly representing me and my bloodline in the best way possible, I pass it. Legacy is quite important to me.
Okay. So, What Five Tips Can You Give To Women Who Want To Start Modeling?
I always say this: Don’t start. (Laughs). The industry is so toxic that I really don’t think I would recommend it. But obviously, I know that Black women are so freaking tea so they need us in the fashion industry. My advice will now be, start your own thing, be authentic and the big brands will jump on it.
So if you want to be a model:
1. Create your own lane and invest in yourself.
Don’t be scared to spend some money to improve a portfolio that feels true to you. If it’s really your goal and your dream to be on Vogue, work with a photographer or build yourself up so that you can get to that level. If you want to be in a magazine, create your own magazine. Contact the local people in your network, like, ‘Hey, I want to get this going.’ Remember you can just do stuff for yourself and create your own lane.
2. Affirm yourself
I’ve had to shed parts of my natural spirit and do things that drain me to fit into this small box they have for Black women, and it’s just not fair. I remember being made to cut my hair for a shoot and I did not like that at all. So I’ll say: Affirm yourself and love yourself to the point that you take jobs that align with who you are. Modelling or not, you’re still a queen. Tell yourself: ‘If I never ever touch a runway again, if I never ever get booked again, I’m still going to be happy.’ You can’t give people the power to define you.
3. Always be a student.
Be humble. I’m always studying; I’m always reading. Whenever I have an editorial come out, I’ll look at it and say, ‘Yeah, I like them, but I feel like my facial expressions could be stronger.’ In that sense, I am always learning and trying to see things from other people’s point of view.
4. Do your due diligence and bet on yourself.
Nothing beats hard work and consistency. You have to keep going. I get a ‘no’ probably every single day of my life, but I would rather get a ‘no’ and put myself out there than not. Don’t look at rejection as something to define you. Even the ‘top girls’ didn’t happen overnight. You have to bet on yourself and work hard. You naturally attract who you’re supposed to connect with.
5. Find your “flow state.”
Don’t be so serious, because modelling is supposed to be natural. Clients and photographers really want that ‘flow state.’ It’s when you know where you’re supposed to be, you’re confident in who you are, and you’re just feeling yourself. Try to stay calm and present in your body. That’s when that energy aligns and the things that aren’t supposed to be in your energy go away.
We Have To Talk About Your Powerful Essay On Substack, “Becoming Bosè .” I Was So Touched By It. You Opened Up About Growing Up In A Primarily White Space And Wishing You Were Light-Skinned. Today, You Are A Dark-Skinned Woman Modeling For Global Powerhouses Like Sunnei. If You Could Stand In Front Of Teenage Bosè Right Now—The One Feeling Inadequate And Praying For A Lighter Skin—What Is The One Thing You Would Look Her In The Eye And Say?
Oh my goodness. I would say, “Girl, you’re a baddie and a queen. You’re just in the wrong space with some small-minded people and that has nothing to do with you.”
Whenever I’m in a space where white beauty is celebrated at the expense of other diverse beauty types, I call it out and tell myself I need to leave.
How Do You Still Deal With Microaggressions As A Darker-Skinned Woman In These Predominantly White Spaces?
God is working on me because I talked to my therapist about this exact thing the other day. I’m like, “I don’t think this is going to get better, I just have to get stronger.” I’m an extremely passionate person so when people say things to me that are ignorant, I get confrontational, not in a negative way, but in a way that demands them to explain what thier utterance and reflect on their bias.
I try to address micro aggressions at that very moment. I don’t have a script. But I would say this one thing: sometimes you gotta be angry and you gotta tell them “No, you’re not going to talk to me like that.” This may not be the healthiest approach, but it will prevent you from going home at night and internalizing other people’s mess. In the past, instead of telling people to leave me alone, I just internalized everything and made everyone else’s opinion my opinion. So, have a shield that protects your energy, so no matter what people say, you’re just like, “Okay, bye.”
I’m Sorry For The Bigotry You’ve Had To Deal With. And I Wish You The Best On Your Journey.
To Wrap Things Up, If Your Modeling Career Had A Soundtrack, Which Song Would Play During Your Most Dramatic Runway Walk?
My chosen soundtrack is “Me, Myself and I” by Beyoncé. It’s my anthem because it reminds me that I am all I got at the end of the day. It reminds me that I belong here and I’m going to keep going.
