Interview with Chokelate Milk

Chokelate is the owner of Lockshop Wigs, a new Gothic Lolita and Gyaru wig brand located in Europe, she also works as a high fashion model and is currently working on setting up her own Gothic Lolita brand called Rosenrot. She has worked for magazines like Elle, Marie Claire, Glamour and Nylon.

Cholelate, it is a pleasure to meet you. How long have you been interested in the Gothic and lolita style and what first attracted you to it?

I discovered Gothic Lolita when I was about 16/17, it started with an interest in Visual-Kei and the amazing over the top styles that the artists in the V-Kei bands wore, that inspired me to look further into the various styles worn in Japan and eventually I discovered Gothic Lolita! Though it took me a while to actually wear it, since I didn’t have the money for it.

The Netherlands is not the first place one thinks of when thinking about this. How has it been received?

Actually The Netherlands has quite a big Japanese fashion following, considering that our country is so small!

I don’t go out that much when I’m wearing Gothic Lolita, but the reactions so far have been surprisingly positive, at first. I was so scared to leave the house in my frilly dresses, but I’ve only gotten very nice compliments and especially the elderly women seem to love it!

You have spent some time as an International fashion model in front of the camera as well. Can you tell us a little about your modeling experiences?

I started modelling when I was 18 and it’s really been a love/hate relationship for me. Most people only know about modelling through America’s Next Top Model but that’s definitely not what it’s really like. If you travel a lot it can get really lonely, you’re constantly surrounded by strange people that you’ve never met before and I’ve had to share tiny bedrooms with sometimes 3 girls and you never really have time that you’re alone.

I really need that though, after a day of running around or having a shoot, I need some time alone and recharge, because for me it’s something that really drains me. I’m also considered “too fat” for a model actually, the standards are completely insane, and I have to go on really strict diets if I want to do fashion week. The hardest part though is that sometimes you work really really hard and it doesn’t pay off at all.

What was one of your more interesting assignments?

One of my first shoots for the French magazine Madame Figaro was a lot of fun, especially because the crew put the owner of the studio in a giant bunny costume and he looked really annoyed by that, I also had to do a couple shots with the French artist of Love Graffiti who was incredibly sweet and made a tag for me that I got to keep. The photographer is a lot of fun to work with too, I did another shoot with him at a sand excavation site, which was really interesting too.

Is modeling still something you want to pursue?

I’m still not sure, sometimes I want to continue and sometimes I want to stop.

In some of your photos you can be seen making faces and having fun. Do you feel modeling is a fun industry to be in and do people take it too seriously?

I think that people do take it too seriously, and I like to break that a bit because sometimes you have to wait for hours at a time. It can be incredibly boring, so I like to add a bit more fun to it by being a little goofy, usually the crews respond well to it, but other models sometimes find be odd because of it.

 What made you want to work in the fashion industry?

I never really aspired to be a model, especially since I never viewed myself as model material. It’s something that happened because I dropped out of high school and I was looking for something to do to earn a little money.

You also design your own clothing for your RosenRot brand. Were you trained as a designer or is it something you have always had a passion for?

I never had any training as a designer, but I’m always busy with drawing and imagining designs that I would like to wear, it’s a lot of fun to do actually, and it would be incredible if I could share them with other people someday.

 What advice would you have for young women starting out as models or in the fashion industry in general?

I honestly wouldn’t reccomend to start as a model right now, the economy is horrible and that reflects on the amount you will get paid and on the amount of jobs there are. When I started, I got paid about twice or sometimes three times as much and there were so many jobs, that all changed now. If you start now, there is a really big chance that you will only make a debt.

There is the public image of you that people see in the media and the more personal/private side. Can you tell us a little about this side of you?

I think most people see me as a really fun and outgoing person and I do my best to act that way when on a job or meeting clients, but actually I’m really shy and a loner. I prefer to be alone and play video games, draw, or read a book.

Where do you hope to be five years from now?

I hope that Lockshop and Rosenrot are going really well by then! Ofcourse I wouldn’t mind having a good career as a model by then, but for me Lockshop and Rosenrot are a lot more important right now.

Where can we find out more information about you and your work?

I have a blog where I post things about my hobbies, make-up and my work:

http://assortedchokelates.blogspot.com/

You can also follow me on my Facebook:

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