Do not judge a book by its cover, or in this case, do not judge a model by her looks. We had a fun chat with Luanna aka @princexxlu. Checkout my exclusive interview with Luanna.
Who is Luanna?
LK: Hey everyone, my name is Luanna and I am honoured to be doing this interview for Taste the Dram! My followers tend to know me as Princess Lu, a freelance model based in Vancouver of Vietnamese descent. I have modeled for 4 years, focusing in boudoir and street photography. I’ve done a few music videos shoots as an extra and some fashion photography as well.
How did you develop an interest in fashion, modelling, and travel respectively?
LK: My interest in modeling started in the beauty industry; my mom had signed me up for makeup classes at a community centre. I was taught by a makeup artist who did several movies and Netflix T.V. shows. After obtaining my certification in makeup artistry, I wanted to pursue it as a career but being in front of the camera had caught my interest. My brother had a friend who always posted her pictures of photoshoots and I thought they always looked so much fun! I started modelling for students’ final projects at a local makeup institute and built my portfolio from then on. I was confident enough to apply for other types of shoots which brought me to where I am today.
As for traveling, I love to go anywhere that has a beach. Living in Vancouver, you tend to either love the rain or hate it – I absolutely hate the cold and the rain. I like to travel to California or Maui to escape it whenever I can, although it doesn’t tend to happen a lot.
How would you describe your philosophy on health and fitness?
LK: Mental, emotional and physical health are all super important to me as they all go hand in hand. There are a lot of times where my mental health is not at it’s best which causes my physical health to deteriorate, resulting in my emotions to fall low as well. When times are tough, it is always important for me to take a step back and reset. Working out is one of my favourite things to do when I am overwhelmed with an emotion like anger; just being able to sweat it out for an hour or two makes a big difference. When I feel sad or less motivated to do work, I tend to read my poetry books, meditate or write down my thoughts in my journal to vent. After I’m done, I like to recoup my thoughts with positive thoughts like what I am thankful for.
Being part of an industry, whose only emphasis is on the outside characteristics of a person, how have you stayed grounded?
LK: You would think that for someone who is in this industry, I would be super confident about my appearance. On some days, I am 100% confident about the way I look but on other days I tend to point out every single thing that’s wrong about me. There are a lot of times where I apply to model for a shoot and don’t get chosen for it. I always must remember to not take it personally and to always stay positive. Every creative has a different vision and I am not always the ideal one, which is totally fine! There are other roles and shoots that are always needed to be filled.
Of all the places you’ve lived and visited, is there anywhere particular that has the most appeal to you?
LK: I don’t travel often but my favourite place that I have visited was Vietnam. I went to go visit my family that I haven’t met before, so it was very memorable. My favourite dishes are authentic ones made by my mom but having them made by my grandma made it a whole difference experience (sorry mom!). It’s true when they say that cuisines taste really different when it’s enjoyed in their home country.
Your Instagram feed is flawless and aesthetically please. Do you like to curate your feed or keep it as close as possible to your authentic self?
LK: I have curated my feed to post mostly my modelling photos as it is my main portfolio. I used to only stick with my professional photos but recently started posting photos I’ve taken of myself or with friends. I felt that it wasn’t my authentic self until I started doing so, it’s really important for me not to be “fake” to my audience.
General words of wisdom you live by…
LK: My general words of wisdom to live by are:
“Still I rise” – Maya Angelou. Maya Angelou wrote this empowering poem of self respect and confidence, rising to any occasion that is faced. I have this tattoo’d on my hand as a reminder that I have, can and will rise above anything life throws at me.
“Have Courage and Be Kind” – Brittany Candau said in Cinderella. Being able to show kindness, even after someone has wronged you is extremely courageous. Learning to let go of negativity allows happier thoughts.
“Progression not perfection” – I find that worrying about being perfect will distract me from making progress. Nobody’s perfect, everyone makes mistakes and mistakes creates a lesson that is learned.
What’s your favourite thing to do in your down time?
LK: I love spending time with my cats, Bubble and Boots, whenever I have time. Boots is still a kitten so he requires A LOT of attention especially when I am at home.
I also make sure that I clean up my apartment and meal prep for the week on my off days. My schedule is usually jammed back with work, meetings, or photoshoots so I have to always stay on top of things.
Spending time with family, usually having dinner with them, or having my friends come over for dinner so I can cook for them.
(Now that I think about it…I usually don’t like to have “down time.” I like to always be on the move!)
What is your stance on influencers being paid to post about brands? Should influencers be transparent regarding payment for posts?
LK: I feel that influencers should be encouraged to be paid to post about brands that they are passionate about. I understand that influencers make part of their income from posting brands but to promote something that they’re not really interested in would just misinterpret them as an influencer of the certain product.
How do you stay full of energy throughout the day?
LK: It’s usually base on pure adrenaline! I can’t drink too much coffee as I have really bad anxiety. If I am desperate, I will drink coffee and suffer the consequences. Another thing I usually like to do is eat a lot of food for energy and make sure I take my vitamins.
Best memory/moment of 2019
LK: 2019 was such a roller coaster, I had so many good memories. If I had to choose one, it would be walking in my first fashion show. In Vancouver, there is an annual fashion show called Vancity Street. It showcases the underground street culture of Vancouver Creatives. It’s a 3 day show with local designers, talent, vendors and speakers. I would’ve never thought that I would walk in a runway because I felt that I am too short or didn’t have the look for it. When I got chosen to walk it, I couldn’t stop smiling about it but anxious at the same time. All I could think of during the walk was to not fall on my face (luckily I didn’t). My friends came to support me and even caught it on video so I can remember it forever.
If you best friend could tell us something embarrassing about you, what would it be?
LK: My friends always joke about how I should never go to a restaurant on a first date because my date would be petrified with the amount of food I can consume. I have an outrageous eating habit and am often found eating strenuous amounts of food. The most food I have consumed in one sitting was 6 rolls of sushi, a bowl of udon and a plate of gyoza for lunch. I still ate dinner that night.
