10 Minutes With Model & TV Presenter Idia Aisien
Idia Aisien is a Nigerian and Cameroonian model ready to take on the world. Her passion for traveling, “getting all dressed up” and volunteering to help underprivileged children grew from an early age. She and her sisters would visit an orphanage for disabled kids in Nigeria and spend their birthdays with the children. At 15, Idia finished high school and her first modeling job was a UNICEF charity fashion show in her home country. The proceeds that were generated from the show proved to Idia that she could spend her life doing the two things that she loved—giving back and modeling.
She has modeled for U.S. based designers like Alice + Olivia, J Brand, Cashhimi, Samantha Pleet, Jovani, Evelyn Lambert, Danny Nguyen, Sarah Bacchus, Undecillion by Rachel Walters, Nikki Angelique, An Alili, Maki Oh, Ituen Basi, Deola Sagoe and Lanre Da Silva.
She is currently the host of Spice TV’s ‘Style 101’ and ‘You got Issues’
tw Online caught up with the multi talented to chat with her on a variety of topics from her future goals to her style & much more!
tw: Tell us a bit about yourself and your background.
Idia Aisien: My dad is from Edo State, Nigeria. My mum is from Cameroon. I’m the last child in a big family, so I am very spoiled, and family-oriented. I studied Journalism at American University in Washington, DC, and then moved to New York to study International Public relations at New York University. I started modeling professionally in New York during my Masters, then got a job after school that brought me back to Nigeria. I now currently host two TV shows called You’ve Got Issues and Style 101, which is Nigeria’s version of Fashion Police, and one of the largest shows on Spice TV.
tw: Have you always wanted to be a model? How did you get started in modeling?
IA: I dreamed about walking on the runway since I was 15 years old, but I didn’t think it was possible. One day, I was at a job interview in Brooklyn, New York, when a friend called and asked me to come straight to Jovani Headquarters in Midtown; I explained where I was and she said to forget my interview. This friend of mine had told a buyer –who was one of Jovani’s biggest retailers in Nigeria—that a girl she knows wants to model more than anything in the world, and the buyer asked her to invite me. When I met the buyer, she asked me to try on a red dress, and I hesitated, but she insisted. A talent scout also objected, because I was not a professional model. When I walked out of the changing room with that dress on, I was hired on the spot. And the rest is history. I went on the model with them for over a year, and the amount of exposure I got allowed me to book a lot of other jobs concurrently.
tw: Share with us your most embarrassing modeling experience.
IA: I was at a callback for a Gap jeans commercial, and they randomly asked me on camera to describe my first kiss. I thought I would be asked about fashion or anything else, so I turned so completely pale and the whole team started laughing. I’ve also fallen twice on the runway, and people think it’s not that bad, but it really is the worst thing that could happen to a person.
tw: You have done some work in both Lagos and New York, are you still active in both cities or you’re currently based in one of them?
IA: I’ve spent the last few months carving a place for myself in the Nigerian market, but there’s no place like New York city, so I definitely have to go back to work there concurrently.
tw: What’s your experience shuffling between the two cities and how has it helped shaped your modeling career?
IA: It’s been very hard, but it adds a positive flair of multi-dimensions to how you are perceived, because people understand that you are experienced and you know what you’re doing.
tw: Take us through a typical day of yours?
IA: I start off my day with meditation, followed by music and hitting the treadmill to help me think. During the day, I am always busy and on the run, if I’m not shooting one of my shows, I’m doing interviews, fashion shoots or working on my own media and foundation projects. I love to unwind with a book in the evenings, watch a movie or go out for drinks with friends.
tw: How did you transition from being a model to a TV host?
IA: I was modeling in New York while completing my Master’s degree. I then started working for an investment bank in NYC for over a year before deciding to make a short trip to Lagos with my job. Within two weeks of being here, a TV producer approached me with an idea for a show, which I was extremely excited about, because I had never worked as a Talk Show Host before. Within days, we were filming You Got Issues – a show I really love, because it caters to working through people’s career, love and relationship issues—and within a month, I was asked to start hosting Style 101. Everything was surreal to me until people started asking me for tips and advice even off camera.
tw: Is TV part of your plan for the long haul or are you branching out?
IA: It’s definitely part of the plan, and I want to explore many more aspects of television before calling the quits anytime soon.
tw: How has it been, combining modeling with TV?
IA: It works out so seamlessly, because I like to handle more than one thing at once. Television has also been such a great outlet for many people in fashion, so people have been very supportive of me career wise, and been flexible with my schedule.
tw: How would you describe your style? And who would you say are your style icons?
IA: I get very bored quickly so I like anything that is daring and unusual but still very sexy. I also care a lot about experimenting with different textures of fabric. I would say my style is toned down a lot, because I have to adhere to the market I’m in. My style icons are Robyn Rihanna Fenty and Victoria Beckham—Sex and class.
tw: One of your passions is traveling, how has that influenced your person and your profession?
IA: Traveling opens your eyes to different ideas, perspectives and cultures. Meeting and living with people from various walks of life makes you well rounded and gives you so much insight. Its made me very empathetic, but strong. The world is so small and big at the same time; you have to be able to understand other people’s journeys, but be relentless to shine in your own calling.
tw: Volunteering is also a passion of yours, could you share why it is such a love for you?
IA: Children hold so much possibilities and given the right opportunities, whether it regards education or funds, they could make a huge difference in their societies and the world as a whole. Every time I look at a child or a person younger than me, I remember those different privileges I have been given, and it brings me fulfillment to know that if I work hard enough I can help the younger generation.
tw: Which designer would you absolutely love to model for, both locally and internationally?
IA: Balmain Paris; LDA in Nigeria.
tw: Jeans or dresses?
IA: Jeans
tw: Heels or Flats?
IA: Definitely heels.
tw: What’s your 5-year plan?
IA: Working more internationally in both fashion and TV. I’ll also be working a lot on commencing my foundation projects across Africa. Maybe settle down or be in a committed relationship.
tw: Tell us something no one knows about you.
IA: I am extremely shy, and I think I got into modeling and TV to try to overcome that fear.