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Vogue Williams
Ireland was completely shocked when they realized they were addicted to a new show about the lives of four 20-somethings in Dublin. It seemed like we had found our own version 'Hills', but why was the show so successful?
Many people have said that Vogue Williams had taken the place of Lauren Conrad in our reality TV hearts. Like Jennifer Aniston, Vogue soon became our favourite 'friend', and I'm here to find out why! Not only is she Ireland's favourite rising actress but she's also an extremely talented model and DJ, I'll be asking her which career she truly wants for herself and what's next in her life...
24-year-old Vogue started out her career wanting to work in construction, but with the current economic down-turn, the Dublin beauty had to go to Plan B, and little did she know, this plan would start her on the path to stardom.
After completing two degrees in Quantity Surveying and Construction Design, Vogue was faced with the fact that there were no jobs left and was forced to work as a waitress to support her blossoming modelling career. Vogue modelled part time whenever she could but one day a shoot she took part in changed her life.
The producers of Fade Street were looking for bright, good-looking women who would let a full crew and cameras in to their lives with no boundaries. Thankfully for Vogue, her good-looks were spotted a mile away, and that's when she was offered her first TV role:
"I actually got an email through Facebook, the producers of the show had seen me in Stellar magazine. I had done a shoot with The Blizzards lead singer Niall Breslin. So the producers told me they were filming a show about young people coming out of the recession and wanted to follow me around and wanted to record me at work. But obviously when I met up with them I realized it was something else."
It's obvious that the Irish beauty was not keen on the idea of re-creating The Hills in Ireland. Although the show seemed like fun, Vogue has always had a passion for acting and she didn't want her professional life to be ridiculed.
Even though most women would jump at the chance to star on TV and show off their talent, Vogue admits that she was very sceptical of becoming involved in a show that was trying to be like The Hills, the rising actress said that she didn't want the series to be an embarrassment:
"I thought it was going to be a bit like The Hills and that made me wary. I thought I would become an easy target, being on a show like that, and I really didn't want to come across like an idiot. I was really worried about it at first. But then I just thought if I didn't do it I would seriously regret it. It really was a big opportunity"Luckily for Vogue she actually had nothing to worry about as everyone fell in love with her the second she appeared on Fade Street. Although some critics claimed that the show was fake and that the girls were terrible at acting their scenes out, everyone had a soft spot for Vogue. Anyone I talked to about the 24-year-old said that she seemed like the most down-to-earth girl on the show, I asked her why does she think she's our favorite Fade Street gal:
"I was really worried about how I was going to come across but I was actually really happy with everyone's reaction. Honestly, I was just being myself. I really liked all the people I was working with. At the start I was a little bit uncomfortable, I mightn't have shown that on screen. Sometimes I'd go home and think 'Oh my God, I've no idea what I said today', because you do forget that the cameras are on you. But it was easy towards the end"
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| The photograph that caught RTE producers attention! |
There are so many questions to ask Vogue when it comes to the show. It's the first real reality show to hit our shores and our first glimpse into the Irish Magazine industry also. During the series Vogue got to work with Stellar magazine but eventually decided to focus on her acting career. We got to watch the model's career every step of the way, from following her to auditions to eagerly waiting with her to see if she had finally gotten her break-through role.
So what was it like having a crew of camera-men following her around?
"The cameras were around 3/4 days a week. You really do get used to having the cameras there because they're not right in your face they stay a good bit away from you and just zoom in for close ups. I really got to know the whole crew, they are all so nice. I still talk to them now! That's one of the things I really do miss about the show, it was always such a laugh. We had an amazing time when we went to Marbella, we ended up out on the piss the whole time. They all really became my friends."
The main discussion surrounding the hit RTE show was whether or not it was scripted. Critics wrote that some scenes looked awkward and set up. But how can we know for sure? I had to get to the truth when I was speaking with Vogue. Throughout the whole interview she was completely honest with me, almost too honest for a celeb, she definitely wasn't hiding anything.
So straight out I asked her to tell me the honest truth, was Fade Street scripted??:
"No, not at all! We would be told things like 'Okay you're all going to Lahinch for the weekend and you'll be doing this job for work' and all those sort of things. But we were never told to say certain things to people or start arguments."Some of you reading this right now might think that's total bull and every one was told what to say and how to say it but Vogue made a valid point. Apart from herself (who actually seemed the most natural and least fake on the show) none of the other girls had ever acted before. She told me the producers wanted it to be 100% real:
"I do acting myself but none of the other girls have acting experience, none of us were meant to be acting, we were just supposed to be ourselves. To be honest I wouldn't have even been able to learn a script at the time because I had so many other jobs on at the same time, I had three other jobs to keep up with during the show!"I have to admit, I had my suspicions at the beginning of the show but watching some of the arguments go on, it was just so believable I got completely sucked in, as did the rest of Ireland! All the girls got on so well on the show. And although they were all involved in the modelling industry, Vogue tells me she knew no-one on the show and met them for the very first time while shooting episode 1:
"I knew no-one! I had met Ci Ci once at a casting but I had never actually spoken to her and then Louise, I had never met her in my life. I actually only met her on the first day of shooting, they had Louise inside Stellar filming and they wouldn't let me in, I was getting really pissed off because it was freezing outside and I wanted to meet her, I think they had me all riled up to get a better reaction out of me!"
To everyone's serious misery Fade Street came to an end last month. After 12 episodes, we had all come to know and love Vogue and the girls and now it was all over. As sad as it was for the audience Vogue says it was even harder for her. The model said that she loves the episodes where they all want to Lahinch and Marbella because it reminds her of how much fun the show was and all the laughs the team had together.
The main question that us fans all want to know is will there be a second season? I was hoping that Vogue good give me a massive boost and tell me yes it will be back soon, but unfortunately she admits that while producers are still in talks with RTE they have got no word back that Fade Street will get the limelight for a second time. She told me:
"We are still waiting to find out if we will get a second series. I was in talking with producers today and they were saying they still hadn't heard from RTE whether we'd get another go. It's just a waiting game at the moment which is kind of annoying. I think the deadline is the end of March so we will no for sure then. I would definitely do another series if there was going to be one but it wouldn't be the end of the world either if there isn't."It's clear that the show isn't at the centre of Vogue's life (like it is in ours lol). Not only is she an aspiring actress but she is also a working DJ and model (and let's not forget her two degrees). Most recently Vogue has got her on radio show on Phantom FM and she tells me that she is loving it there. To top that off she has just found out she will be playing a really big part in an upcoming play in the UK, but wasn't allowed to reveal the show to me... just yet!
So with all these jobs and immense talent it seems that Vogue has barely anytime to breathe! But she tells me she's absolutely loving her life. I ask her where she wants to be in 5 years, and she admitted she's happy where she is right now:
"I really love modelling and DJing and at the moment I'm really happy because I can do them both. I'm honestly really happy with what I'm doing now. In 5 years time, I'd love to still be DJing and modelling. I would also love to have a house and own another dog!"
Apart from her hectic life as an actress, model and DJ, Vogue still manages to look absolutely stunning! From stunning casual day-today clothes to sparkling short outfits, she manages to shine no matter who she's with. So what's the big secret? Well, like me, the stylish model admits that she is absolutely addicted to The Ivory Closet .
Vogue admits she's slightly obsessed with the fashion boutique:
"I go on The Ivory Closet's Facebook page every single day, I am so obsessed! The girls there are so good to me they always send me amazing clothes"I hear ya Vogue! Even though she lives in Dublin she told me that the fashion shop sends her dresses and skirts to her house and she's been snapped wearing one of their outfits nearly everywhere she goes!
But it's hard to look so fashionable all the time, there are different trends every season, one day a certain style is in, the next day it's out, and no-one can really afford to keep up with that lifestyle. So how does she keep herself always looking so stylish without breaking the bank? Well she told me that it's not always about the current trends, it's really about what suits your personal style:
"For me, it really depends on how I'm feeling on the day. I love the classic look: a crisp white shirt and a pair of jeans with a camel coloured belt. When I go on a night out I don't get mental 'dressed up'. The skirt I wore from The Ivory Closet in Marbella was amazing, I loved that look. I prefer wearing something cute like that rather than a tiny dress. I love really classic clothes, I really like putting black and white together, I don't know why!"
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| Vogue wearing her favourite skirt from The Ivory Closet, while in Marbella |
Listening to her talk about fashion, I can't help but compare her look to my favourite celeb Jennifer Aniston. She definitely embodies that California Girl style! Even though it looks like Vogue gets it right every time, she admits that all girls have the same problem: they wear clothes that don't fit. We couldn't help laughing when Vogue said she looks like a "weirdo" when she wears dresses that are too short because she's constantly "tugging at herself all night". If you have problem, Vogue has some tips:
"I always say don't go out in a dress that's too short for you! You'll be pulling down all night and it will look weird! It's the same with everyday clothes, don't wear things that don't fit right, you need to be comfortable"
To wear all the amazing clothes Vogue wears you really have to have the body, and my god does she have THE body! Being a model, it obviously comes with the package; you have to be tall, slim and beautiful but looking at pictures of the 24-year-old in a bikini I can't help but wonder if it's easy to keep her figure like that. Has she been blessed by genetics? Laughing out loud, she tells me, she's not that lucky:
"It's definitely not genetic but I'm lucky in that I wouldn't be able to put on that much weight. I do have to work out though. I do work out and go to the gym but I also don't go overboard with food. I honestly don't think anyone should diet, it's just a bad idea. People just diet for a period of time and then they stop and put the weight all back on again. I believe you should exercise and obviously eat everything in moderation. You can't just eat anything you want, you do have to be healthy."Throughout the whole interview Vogue has been chatting away to me like we're girlfriends, laughing and even cursing now and then it's so evident that being on national television hasn't changed her one bit, and I think that's why we all love her so much. She's not simply a 'character' on a TV show, she's a real person with real problems!
It may seem that Vogue has had a really easy life, all the girls in the show are portrayed as upper class women living the high-life in Dublin city but the road to getting to where she is today has definitely not been easy. With so many other young people out there trying to achieve their dreams too, I asked Vogue what advice does she have to Ireland's rising stars:
"Just keep working at it. I wasn't working for ages and had other jobs to keep me going, I was waitressing the whole time to support myself. If you want to get into modelling, you have to keep going to 'go-sees'. With regards to acting just keep putting yourself out there, there are so many people that need actors for short films. You'll have to do loads of things for free at the start but it builds up your portfolio and you can create a show reel, because you'll need that for auditions"Sadly our interview was coming to an end, time had flown by taking to the Irish model. I was genuinely pleasantly surprised to how open and outgoing Vogue was throughout the whole interview. Even though we all fell head over heels for her you can never tell what someone on TV is going to be like in real-life, but she definitely exceeded all my expectations.
Unlike most celebs Vogue tells me that there's really nothing more she wants out of life. It's obvious that she genuinely loves modelling and it's not something she does just to pay the bills. Anytime I ask her about the photo shoots she has done a huge smile comes across her face and her eyes light up. She prefers to talk about her day-to-day work rather than her aspirations to get more out of life, and it's an extremely humble attitude to have.
When I ask her what's her favourite part about modelling she giggles and says:
"I love the randomness. Sometimes I'll get a call the day before a shoot. Like today I was posing on a motorbike outside The Hard rock cafe in Dublin. I think Press Calls are hilarious, because you are never going to know what you're going to be doing. That's what I love about modelling, everyday is different!"Even though starring in Fade Street was never her main goal, Vogue does admit that it has helped her career hugely. Although she was working three jobs at the time of filming the show, she admits that now she's alot busier thanks to the coverage she got:
"I get a lot more calls now to do photo shoots. I got them before but not as much as I do now thanks to being on the show."
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| Fade Street cast: Cici, Vogue, Louise and Danielle |
It was clear from the outset of the interview that Vogue's personality hasn't changed a single bit since the show aired on RTE 2. Even though she's becomes the nations favourite model and won over the hearts of so many, she tells me that the only thing that has changed is her work, and by changed she means expanded:
"Everything has changed in my working life. I'm insanely busy now, I've started doing a radio show on Phantom FM so I seem to be always doing something. Like the next night out I have planned is in June, I really don't have time to be hungover until then! I don't mind working so much. I have always said I would do the work if it was there. So having a little break in the summer will be fine. Despite work, everything else has stayed the same. I still go for walks every day and hang out with the same friends."Believe it or not, Vogue Williams is exactly what you would expect her to be. The 5ft 11inches model is truly "deadly"! It's no surprise that she shone through during the first, and maybe the only, series of Fade Street. Her humble attitude and bubbly personality is so lovable, and being beautiful? Well that's just a plus in her books.
One LAST thing I had to ask Vogue was how she felt about the constant comparisons to Cindy Crawford, photographers have made the comment along with fellow celebs and fans, but she thinks it's quite simple:
"I do get the Cindy Crawford thing a lot but I think its because I have the same mole above my lip!I wish I looked like her!"
So there you have it guys and gals. We may not be seeing her back on the cobbles of Fade Street but I can guarantee you we will be seeing a lot more of her over the next few years. Whether she's spinning some tunes in a nightclub, covering the top glossy magazines or playing a part in a play, Vogue Williams is here to stay... and let's face it, none of us want her to leave.
PS!!
You can add Vogue Williams on Facebook here: Vogue Williams
and you can follow her on Twitter here: @Vogue Williams
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