Hey Mimi, congrats on your first-ever MAXIM cover.
Thank you, I feel very excited. I’ve only ever appeared in MAXIM in bits and pieces so it’s great to be featured in a bigger way! I’m also pretty stoked to have my swimwear range recognised amongst different audiences.
Yes, you’re posing in some of your Cheeky Swim outfits here. How did the range come about?
Well, I’ve been working with Glue Store for a while now. Between social media, campaigns, collaborations, and events, I’ve been lucky enough to have taken such a big part and be involved closely with such a well recognised brand. When you love your job you’ll never work a day in your life — it’s like having good times and fun with friends.
How involved were you in the look and feel of Cheeky Swim?
I designed the entire range with the help of the Glue Store buying and marketing team — there were some outrageous designs. I’d already thought about designing swimwear a year ago, so I found my old sketch book and started to combine new and old ideas, gather inspiration from Pinterest, and then threw together a mood board of materials, patterns, shapes, colours and moods for the range.
Ever had a wardrobe malfunction in your swimwear?
Yes! I wore a crocheted one-piece, with no lining, to a pool party in Las Vegas and towards the end of the day the crotch split open. So, I proceeded to wear my skirt in the pool for the rest of the event.
What do you do when you’re not posing for MAXIM?
I live in Byron Bay and workout on the beach every morning, buy vegies from the farmer’s markets, making all my own food, cruise around op shops listening to the new Dr. Dre album or Mick Jenkins, and take many photos of friends on my old-school film cameras.
Tell us more about yourself.
Long story short, my mum is sixth generation Australian/Irish and my dad is Egyptian. I was born in Murwullimbah, just north of Byron Bay, and grew up in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. I’ve been a dancer since I was six and it’s the greatest passion in my life. In the 14 years of dancing six days a week, I was lucky enough to receive a dance scholarship to Reddam House, where my love of dancing was nurtured all through high school and in 2011 I was accepted into
the Joffrey Ballet school in New York but deferred to finish my HSC [Higher School Certificate].
How’d you get into modelling?
I used to love throwing myself from ridiculous heights and injured my back at Schoolies in Byron, jumping off the 22-metre jump at the Island Quarry. I could no longer dance so started to fill my time with blogging and modelling and now here I am.
Tell us about being rejected by the agencies in Australia.
I’ve been modelling since I was a baby and all my life everyone kept saying, “When you grow up you should be a model.” But when I’d go to agencies they’d all say, “You’re beautiful but…” It was very frustrating. My height was clearly not going to change but the world is changing, as a result of social media, and you dont have to be a six-beauty to have success.
What’s your favourite thing about social media?
I can share anything and everything that inspires me and that I’m passionate about, or even just things that make me laugh — like the hilarious photo I uploaded of my dog looking very stoned. To be able to share this with a passionate and engaging audience means I can help people whether it be from a perspective of marketing or friends who I feel are doing something special, creating brands or charity work. I just want to use the numbers I have to help other people and one day give back to this earth and all my fans, who I love, and thank so much.
Is there anything you dislike about it?
Well, it can be a full-time job just keeping up with everything. Social media is amazing and encourages individuality allowing people to be their own brand but it can consume some. For me, my life is my life and nothing will change this — I just love to share it with my audience. The number on my page doesn’t rule me and I don’t have a facade.
What’s the naughtiest thing you’ve ever uploaded on Instagram?
I don’t upload “naughty photos” but I guess the cheekiest thing was an amazing photo, by Harper Smith, of me running around butt-naked with her Donkeys in Austin, Texas.
For the full article grab the October 2015 issue of MAXIM, in stores from September 17 to October 22.
To grab a digital copy CLICK HERE. All past issues available for download.
To subscribe CLICK HERE. Australian residents only.
iPad Application also available. CLICK HERE. All past issues available for download.
