Vanessa Fuchs (23) was named "Germany's next top model" by Heidi Klum (46) in 2015. Around five years later, the successful model in an interview with the news agency spot on news draws an ambiguous conclusion about his casting show experience and explains why he did not follow the show after his victory. Fuchs also reveals how she uses Instagram for herself and in which city she wants to plan her future.
Almost five years have passed since your "GNTM" victory. How did the show shape you?
Vanessa Fuchs: The show changed my life. I used to go to school as normal, and overnight I travel around the world. And with strange girls and a strange crew in countries that I have never seen before. I definitely became more independent and mature in that time. Compared to many of my friends of the same age, I had just seen a lot more and developed a wider horizon.
Has victory opened all doors for you or has it ever brought you disadvantages in your job?
Fuchs: It was divided into two. On the one hand, they had struggled to find me as the new "GNTM" winner, on the other hand, the agency, which included a profit, took almost all the options. I quickly realized that the "GNTM" win was under the motto "Hate it or love it". Either a customer booked me, precisely because he thought the show was great and wanted to benefit from the current press hype. Or a customer liked me in a casting, for example, but didn't book me because he didn't want to deal with "GNTM" or the people behind the agency. I was just in a classic drawer.
Do you still have any contact with "GNTM" today, are you following the current season, for example, or are you still in contact with your former colleagues or Heidi Klum?
Fuchs: I think it was an eventful time, but the reality as a model is different. I did not follow the seasons after my victory, so there is hardly any time to turn on the television on Thursday evening. Nevertheless you get one or two things. On the whole, however, I have developed further and actually no longer have any connection to "GNTM" in my job.
Do you currently live in New York?
Fuchs: At the moment I'm still busy with travel – every day it goes from job to job. My 100% management agents ensure that it never gets boring. I am in New York very often, however, because I am also represented by a model management. The city is just a dream and I am pursuing the goal of making it my home in the near future.
Around 300,000 people follow you on Instagram. How do you use the platform?
Fuchs: I personally show what I like to see from others: shootings, outfits, funny things. I was never the type to film every day, every second of my life and to show my followers every toilet. A lot of people do that, which I find annoying myself and immediately click away. Here and there I also advertise for brands that convince me. Thank God I'm over "Fomo". In the meantime it no longer stresses me what I see in others or whether I post at least one picture per day on Instagram. I think almost all of us had to go through that.
Is it no longer possible for a model without social media?
Fuchs: Yes, it can be done without, but it can very often be an advantage to have a certain presence and reach on social media platforms. Even the agencies and customers are now asking you for your IG name and your number of followers and at best you will have a large community and a blue tick. It also combines very well as a model as a content creator, as some brands advertise online and on social media.
What would you like to achieve as a model?
Fuchs: Unfortunately, the time with my friends and family is no longer so easy to organize due to my many trips. So I personally want to compensate for this loss with my aspiration – I have the opportunity to visit many special places in the world and also get to know visionaries and designers. All of this gives me the opportunity to develop and secure myself both privately and professionally. After my career I would like to be able to say: I did my best and it was a great chapter in my life.