Kateryna Bespalova is an internationally popular fashion model from Kharkiv, Ukraine. I know her since she was 12 years old. Back then she won “Best Girl” beauty pageant, where I served as an art director and jury member. Now she’s studying at the law academy and making her first independent steps in adult life. Follow her Instagram.
AV: Hello, Kateryna!
KB: Greetings, Anatoly!
AV: Where are you now and what are you busy with?
KB: Since the beginning of the war, since February 24, I have been in Ukraine. I only changed the location, leaving for a safer area. But since August 1, I left abroad and I have no plans to return in the near future...
AV: How exactly did the war affect you and what changes did it bring to your life?
KB: Probably like with every Ukrainian, my life was divided into "before" and "after". With the beginning of a full-scale war, a revaluation of values took place. Some things have become really, well, not important at all. As an emotional person, it was difficult to control my emotions to not lose my mind from constant stress. And I actually learned to control myself. It wasn't easy and now I'm still learning how to do it. Spoiler: the results are in! My beloved Law Academy helped me in this. After all, studying occupied 85% of my time, despite the war. Which, of course, made it difficult to think about the terrible things committed by the army of the aggressor country.
AV: What can you tell us about the impact of the war on the modeling business in Ukraine and Europe? Has the number of contracts and commercial offers increased or decreased?
KB: My family and I moved from my hometown, Kharkiv. We changed our location to a smaller city in the Kirovohrad region. I, as a person who was actively working until February 24, was left without a job. For better or worse, modeling is not the best profession during martial law! And this is connected not only to the fact that I moved to a small town. In Kharkiv, for example, there are a lot of people who were "liberated" from their life's work by the Russian army. Entrepreneurs lost everything they had. The same with the "Barabashovo" market. When there was a fire, my regular customers lost almost all the things they had spent so much time creating. Therefore, what kind of work can we talk about? Unfortunately, it shrank, at least in our region. Although you can't say that about Kyiv and Western Ukraine.
In the international arena, Ukrainian girls are now supported by various modeling agencies around the world. Many "make room" and invite Ukrainian girls to work. This is, of course, a big plus. But the moment our Ukrainian models started looking for work, so did Russian and Belarusian girls. The number of models greatly increased in a short stretch of time and we know what happens when supply exceeds demand. As a result, we see lower wages in traditional modeling spots like Istanbul, because it is the easiest city to arrive in.
AV: Judging by your Instagram, you cooperate with the influential Kharkiv agent Anastasia Soldatova. I remember how she started by holding lectures on increasing women's self-confidence in Kharkiv. She has now grown to become a global figure in this niche and has many connections. In your opinion, what is the secret to her success and what good does she do for models in general?
KB: In my opinion, her formula for success is self-confidence, crazy persistence, and willingness to learn new things. After all, she is indeed a well-known figure, and in many issues, Anastasia does what none of the mother agencies do.
I remember the moment when our agent came to Ukraine from Austria (her country of residence) to meet her models. Just imagine: she rented apartments and hotel rooms for EVERY girl to accommodate them all. Shootings were done for each, and a huge collaboration was held, where models, photographers, and make-up artists were present. I think I have not met any comparable "mother" agents.
AV: As a model, you probably mostly fulfill the will of the customers when it comes to a visual representation of yourself. But if you were your own stylist, what would you look like? Would you choose modern thick eyebrows and plump lips, or perhaps thin ones, in the style of the 90s and the young Eva Herzigova? Long or short skirts? Red or nude lipstick?
KB: For me, the most comfortable image is when I roleplay myself. According to the mood, according to the style of clothing. I would definitely leave everything as it is in real life - thick eyebrows, plump lips, and nude lipstick. Like any young girl, I will choose a short skirt. I believe that accepting yourself as you are is something that everyone needs to learn. I think I'm 90% on target, so I don't want to change anything.
AV: You worked in Turkey. Although it is not a radical country, it is still an Islamic country. Was this somehow felt in the process of work and life there? Was the attitude towards you somehow different from the Slavic one?
KB: Yes, Turkey is a Muslim but secular country, which means that the government and religion do not influence each other and exist independently. This fact is really important because there a woman does not necessarily have to cover her head and wear long skirts. There are no prohibitions. But yes, indeed, a woman, in any case, feels the difference when she comes to Istanbul for a long period. First, it is attention to her because of her Slavic appearance. She will always be looked at more often than a Turkish woman. Secondly, the desire to get to know her will arise in many men, and yes, Turkish women are once again screwed. Thirdly, I would still not advise abusing fully revealing clothes, especially at night. Primarily for safety concerns. And no, I personally did not have any incidents, but the Turks are a very hot-tempered people. And fourthly, women in Turkey are treated with respect and care, and in general, Turks love guests very much. I feel at home there.
AV: As of now, what do you consider the peak of your modeling career? Where have you been published and what is your favorite photoshoot?
KB: It is difficult for me to say about the peak, because, in my opinion, I have always worked more or less stably. But at the moment, I think my peak was last summer when I had another contract in Istanbul. Why so? The concentration of work in a relatively short period of time was much greater than usual. This is not surprising, since all you do is constantly attend castings (and there may be 10 of them per day) and constantly work when there are no castings.
During the entire time of working as a model, my photos were decorating store showcases ("Bluzka", "Butigo", "Vienetta", evening dress boutique "Eldia Istanbul", silver jewelry "Umax", gold jewelry "Yakupgold"). I became the face of the Turkish brand "Alacati style"... Now I have about 7 publications in magazines, one of them is a cover. As for my favorite shooting - it's very difficult to say, I can't even imagine how many I've had in my life, but it's probably a creative shooting on the roof of a house in Kharkiv.
AV: Who is cooler, Anya Rubik or Bella Hadid, and why?
KB: You know, I'm not looking for idols. But I adore the posing goddess Coco Rocha. She is truly a TOP model who made herself and became an example to emulate. Coco, hey, if you're reading this, you're cool!
AV: What are your plans for the future in the near and longer term?
KB: Everything I planned before the war, and it seemed to me that I had everything planned well - at least I wanted to just "live" in Kharkiv with my relatives (this is already not an option) and acquire the profession of a lawyer at the best law university in the country, visiting lessons face-to-face (also not possible). Of course, my plans included working with clients in Kharkiv and 1-2 model trips a year.
A lot has changed at this stage. At the very least, I am currently in Poland and waiting for a visa to country X, to which I am going on a business trip soon. In addition, the 3rd year is starting soon - and it is the most difficult in the bachelor's program. I will somehow have to master both studies (until this moment I have been an excellent student) and work (let's not forget about the crazy time difference). Time presents challenges with which there is no other way but to prevail. Therefore, I have no choice!
AV: Thank you for your time!
KB: Thank you for paying attention to my modest personality!