The story of Lea Davogic at Ice Models Milan

The View Magazine hooked up with Lea Davogic of Ice Models Milan, and talked about her playing piano, how she rolled into the industry, what she does to keep learning, her love for theater, and much more.

TV: Hi Lea, how are you? What have you been up to?

LD: Hello. I’m great, thank you. This week I have been practicing piano. Trying to get back in form after 2 years without active playing. My dear friend and composer Aleksandar Simic is going to be a guest on National TV show, about classical music, and he asked me to record one of his compositions for piano in four hands. I gladly agreed, but now I have some catching up to do since I haven’t been practicing for a while.

TV: Tell us a bit about you.

LD: As you might have figured it out already from the previous answer, I have finished music academy, and I play the piano. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to play since I started modeling. Full time modeling takes a lot of your time, there is a lot of traveling involved, sharing rooms, models apartments, castings, running around the town, so definitely no possibility of having a piano with me (maybe if I could walk around with a piano on my back like Bruno Mars in Granade video :). Aside from music I love studying languages, reading, going to theater. I must admit I might be addicted to working out. I have tried various types of workouts, from yoga, Pilates, running, box , spinning to Tae Bo, and even pole dancing.

TV: When was the first time you get in touch with fashion?

LD: I come from a “film family “. My mom is tv editor and grandpa was movie director, so I grew up watching movies, and let’s face it fashion holds a big place in movie industry. My grandma was a pretty good seamstress and she used to make clothes that I used to draw for my barbies. She was collecting Burda magazines, so that might explain my obsession with collecting Vogue magazines.

TV: How did you became a model?

LD: My modeling career started spontaneously. While still studying I started doing some modeling jobs in Belgrade. Then when I finished academy I wanted to travel a bit, and modeling seemed like the easiest way to do it.

TV: How was your first experiences?

LD: My first and still one of my favorite jobs was Jovana Markovic’s show on Belgrade fashion week. This was the first show I opened and Jovana became my very good friend afterwords, so that’s why it holds a special place in my heart. Apart from this, I’m very glad I did a music video for the song ‘Fade out line’ by Phoebe Killdeer and short straws. The song is the main theme of the movie Colombiana with beautiful badass Zoe Saldana.

TV: Who is your agent at ICE and what vision does he/she sees for you?

LD: I’m not sure who I would call my booker at ICE. I started in the RUN devision and then moved to main board, but still kept working with previous bookers. So I guess I have to mention all of them: Ricciarda, Benedetta, Alessandro and Luigi. Their vision of me would be I guess a more commercial model. Let’s face it I’m not the tallest model, so runway is not my thing. I’m much better on photo shoots and in TV commercials. I love runway but the moment passes to fast. Whereas on shoots you have more time to enjoy your job. And the best part is you get to play a role or get into a character, so it gives u a bit of acting vibe.

TV: What are the brands that you see yourself working for?

LD: My dream would be to play the piano on some of Karl Lagerfeld shows. Because he is amazing in making connections between art and fashion. I would also love to work for Balmain. I think Olivier is an amazing stylist and not obsessed with too skinny models. He has more of a whole life style approach and celebrity cult, with real woman body shapes.

TV: What do you do to develop yourself as a model?

LD: I try to eat healthy and I workout a lot. Apart from that I read and collect books about fashion and Vogue magazines. Every single piece of clothing that we love or own has its own history, and it is usually an interesting one. The easiest way of keeping in touch with relevant subjects and styles today is Instagram. I follow some of my favorite photographers and stylists.

TV: How do you see yourself in 5 years?

LD: Me in 5 years, wow that’s a question I keep asking myself. Well I guess model by day and pianist in a piano bar in New York by night 🙂

TV: What kind of model would you describe yourself? And how would you like to be perceived by people in the business (agents, clients, colleagues, etc)?

LD: I love to think that I’m one of the models that gets booked not because of my looks but personality. I love making people comfortable while working, and I do enjoy my job, so I try to give back the good energy to other people on set. I’m always on time and I give my 100 percent . No matter how my day was going before that, once on set nothing else matters .

TV: What would be your absolute dreamteam?

LD: My absolute dream team would be: Mario Testino, Patrick Demarchelier, Karl Lagerfeld, Olivier Rousteing, Tom Ford, Kate Moss, Carine Roitfeld, Christine Centenera… And the list goes on, but it would be one really long interview if I continued 🙂

TV: Finally, if your not working, what do you do to enjoy spare time?

LD: In my spear time I workout, read, watch movies (at least one movie in two days). I love going to theatre (sometimes I go 3 times per week), and since most of my friends are actors and actresses, if I wanna keep track of their career I should maybe think of renting a bed in the theater :). I spend time with my family, although not as much as I would like to, since I’m rarely home. My brother is 9 years old, so in one month that I’m away from home, many new things happen in his life, which I’m not a part of, and it makes me a bit sad. But I’m lucky that I have such a cool family that understands me and tries to help as much as they can.

TV: Thanks Lea!

Interview minimally edited to keep authenticity.

Images are copyright to their respective owners.

Check out her portfolio on the ICE website.

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