4 DAYS IN MILAN 4 MODELS FROM EASTERN EUROPE PHOTOS: Leonardo Corallini STYLING: Sarah-Jane Fowers PHOTO ASSISTANT: Barbara Quaini MAKE-UP: Rita Fiorentino COORDINATION: Tim Small

Marina, 22, from Serbia-Montenegro, has been working as a model for 2 and a half years. “I did Nivea in Paris. I had 4 reflectors in my eyes. The photographer was shouting, “Move! Move!” and when I did he shouted “Don’t move! Stay still!” This went on for like a whole day, it was really hard. But it helps me to climb up in my modelling career. Even if I’m always quarelling with my agency. They ask me to have fake boobs, to be trashy and be in TV. I always say no.” All by Carhartt

Erika, 22, Lithuania, has been working for 4 years. “You can’t do modeling and nothing else—you have to read, travel and find some other funny jobs! Do something! Modeling is cool because it offers so much, it’s not cool because modeling is modeling. You have to use what it offers. Otherwise it’s fucking boring.” Earrings by Atelier VM, pullover by Etnies and jacket by OBEY

Aurelija, 19, Lithuania. “I started working when I was 14. Summertime work, every year from then to now, which is my first all year working. My summers were always weird. Now I finished school, I’m taking a year off, next year I’ll go to university. I don’t know what yet, maybe I’ll stay in fashion, but I don’t want to do fashion forever, there must be something that I really like.” All by Fornarina

Zane, 25, Latvia. “I started when I was 19. I was very shy at the start, so the first few months I didn’t get jobs because I was blushing all the time. It doesn’t really work for portraits, you know? Then I got used to it, and it was ok. [actually she’s blushing as we speak –Ed] I came to Milan after about a year, and I signed up at university to do Fine Arts. I’ve been here for 5 years.” Jacket by Linda E., top and scarf by Almaplena

It’s the first day of our 4 day project, and we meet with Marina, who is absolutely stunning. She takes us outside, to show us her main form of exercise: skipping rope. “ I also swim, and dance. But most of my exercise comes from squishing empty plastic bottles, I’m obsessed by it, it’s my modest contribution to recycling.” Sweater by Linda E., trousers by Carhartt

We spend the afternoon together, and then follow her in doing what most models do: partying. We end up in this place that serves fresh seafood and champagne. It seems like Marina can’t really hold her drink, and her boyfriend, Philip, gets nervous and asks us to leave. He wants to take her home to sober up. Shirt by Emily the Strange, sweatervest by Stussy, skirt by Firetrap

Later that night, after Marina sobers up, we take a cab and go to pick up her friend, Jelena, from Croatia. So there goes another stereotype: Croats and Serbs can be friends. “Being a model allows me to meet new people, cultures, to go to concerts of bands I like that don’t come to Serbia, earning money, travelling, learning new languages. You also get to see pictures of yourself which are very different from your self image, so it’s really exiciting, but then sometimes I ask myself “Is that me or is that Joan Collins in Dynasty?”… In some catalogs we look like a 40 year old with a stupid face.” Marina wears a jacket by Fornarina, dress by Fornarina, collar by Atelier VM, tights by Les Chaussures Mon Amour; Jelena wears jacket and top by SILAS

At the club we got a chance to talk to Jelena about the insane amount of time off these girls get. “When I have 3 months free I’m trying to not be at home. Last two years I was in Thailand, you should go there, to see all the pussy shows.” Once everybody got drunk we headed back home, leaving the girls at the club.

It’s the second day. In the morning we head to Erika’s house, a Lithuanian model, who lives in Milan only during the autumn. “I have 2 apartments in Lithuania, but it doesn't feel like home anymore. I just travel like crazy, full time. This year I didn’t spend more than 7 weeks at home—and only because of my university. But I spent 5 months in Milan.” Dress by Etnies, bra by Fornarina

Once again, Erika lives with another model. We caught her as she came out of the shower. “Sometimes I have qualms about earning a living the way I do, but who doesn’t? Sometimes I think I could make it bigger concentrating on my studies or working somewhere else, but then again, I am traveling so much, and every city with its people are helping more and more to answer what is the thing I would love to do next.” Sweater by Firetrap, underwear by Fornarina

In the afternoon we head to Ticinese, to hang out. Everybody is looking at us. One old lady called them “bitches”. It was fun to watch. “Italy is nothing without Italians. I love this mentality. These barbarians make me feel like home. Its all about passion and love and friendship. A lot of talking, not that much action. Lazy people. Italian men live the moment without realizing that. It’s great, all about the present. But it gets heavy.” Felpa Carhartt, Camicia Stussy, Catena Stussy

Later that afternoon we head to the market behind Erika’s house, where we observed once again the special treatment Italians give to a tall Blonda accompanied by a guy with a camera. “I was working as a model in Lithuania but I didn’t want to leave my country until I finished High School and got to university. When it all happened I found a manager and went to Milan.” Sweater by Etnies, Jacket by OBEY

On the third day we met with Aurelija, who is totally normal and yet has been a model for 5 years. That means she got her first job when she was 14. Setting aside any thoughts we had, we asked her what it was like to be so young and working away from home. “In the beginning I hated Milan. It’s dirty, and the men are awful. I have to wear a hoody or they’ll shout at me. And I really didn’t see what was so special about it. But now I have friends here, so it’s better.” These girls are really lonely for most of the time. Sweater by We, earrings by Atelier VM

That afternoon we went to Aurelija’s agency, Elite. Another thing these girls do all the time is consult maps to get to castings. They sometimes have up to 5 or 6 castings a day in different parts of town. “The only exercise I get is walking to castings”, said Aurelija. Shirt by Fornarina

The agency looks into a courtyard where another 2 agencies have their offices. It’s like their own little world in there. Helene came over, and the girls smoked countless cigarettes while waiting for a call from some casting director. Aurelija and Helene: all by Fornairna

After leaving the agency we went to meet with Zane to go to a concert. Zane works in videos and is taking acting lessons, and, at 25, she was the oldest girl we’d talked to. “Normally I don’t get recognised in the street. When you work you change a lot. It’s like having two lives, two images. They always ask for a certain interpretation, so in that sense it’s like acting.” Jacket by 55dsl, t-shirt by OBEY, belt Etnies, skirt by 55dsl

The day after we hooked up with Zane and her other Latvian model friend, Julia. We watched Tom & Jerry cartoons. “The image of ‘being a model’ is not very positive. They all think all we do is party. But I study, I’m writing my dissertation, and I have a part-time job in a jewelry store. Often people think we’re just girls with long legs who party all the time.” Julia wears underwear by GRP Firenze and a pullover by Firetrap Zane wears a polo by GRP Firenze and trousers by SILAS Donna

Later on, we followed Zane to go shopping, and she got a casting call. “I don’t even tell people I’m a model. I don’t like their assumptions about it. But I’m not ashamed of it. It allows me to study and to travel to India, to go home to Latvia 3 times a year. I’m happy about that, but people don’t realize there’s so much more going on in our lives.” Jacket by Linda E., mobile by Nokia