Elise Crombez was born in Mouscron, Belgium. She is a Belgian fashion model. She grew up and went to school in Koksijde. She was discovered in 1999 when she decided to enter a fashion contest (Miss Mannequin) with a friend of hers. The contest was held in the Belgian town of Roeselaere.
Models.com rates Elise Crombez as modeling icon of fashion industry. It says about the her ” The fashion business is no cakewalk. For a model to gain the respect of designers, photographers, editors, and casting directors is no small feat; and when a girl is not only respected but also revered, she becomes a legend in her own right. The industry icons like Elise Crombez are models who have built stellar careers, they’ve snagged every cover, walked every show, booked every campaign, and lived to tell the tale. Before you can be a true supermodel, you have to become one of the industry’s preferred stars and these girls are all bona fide favorites. With at least 8+ years at blue chip level under her belt, and still currently working, she bring experience and professionalism to every of her job and never fail to elevate the image into the realm of art. She is the true model’s models and her endless stream of power bookings reflects that”.
She worked with Steven Meisel extensively throughout her career landing campaigns for Prada, H&M, Versace, Armani, Nina Ricci, Gianfranco Ferre, Lacoste, Eres, GAP, Jil Sander, Ralph Lauren, Escada, Pollini, and Valentino. Crombez also appeared on covers for W, British, Italian, Mexican, Japanese, German, and Turkish Vogue, and twice on the cover of French Elle and six times on the cover of Italian Vogue. She has appeared in editorials for French, Italian, German, Turkish, Mexican, and Japanese Vogue, British and American Harpers Bazaar, W, and Allure. Crombez has walked in numerous fashion shows, such as Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Versace, and Viktor & Rolf. She also appeared in the 2006 and 2007 Victoria’s Secret fashion shows. She is signed with DNA Models in New York. She resides in Los Angeles. She was on cover of ‘Style.com Print’ – Spring 2014.
All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2016 Women Fitness
Elise Crombez a supermodel and rated by Models.com as Icon of fashion industry. She is world leading model. She is in conversation with Namita Nayyar, President Women Fitness.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Your chance decision to enter a fashion contest (Miss Mannequin) in 1999 at Belgian town of Roeselaere took start your career in modeling. It later propelled your modelling career to the height where you have been at the top of the world of fashion and glamour modeling and has been featured as the cover model for W, British, Italian, Mexican, Japanese, German, and Turkish Vogue, and twice on the cover of French Elle and six times on the cover of Italian Vogue. Tell us something about this fairy tale journey?
Ms. Elise Crombez: The reason I participated in the contest was for fun, to feel a bit more feminine than I did at the time and to win to prizes to be honest. I walked on heels for the first time and had fun doing it. One of the prizes was a photo shoot and that was the beginning of my passion to be in front of the camera and portray different women.
I’ve had the great fortune to work with amazing photographers and it allowed me to grow as a woman, by discovering all kinds of facets in me. I used to be very shy and being on set gave me permission to push my limits.
So in a way it has been a fairy tale, not because I always dreamt of being a model or I love clothes and make-up. But because I became the person who always lived inside me, in my head, in my dreams.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You move from Belgium to other parts of Europe and to United States for your professional career. For a model adjusting to new countries with their own cultures it must be difficult and then to adjust with modeling career in the new foreign land, what advice you can give to fellow models in a similar situation?
Ms. Elise Crombez: When I moved to the States and I had to travel a lot, I could only keep in touch with my family over the phone. Not easy with time difference etc. Nowadays there is Skype, FaceTime, iPhones and email wherever you go… So my advice is to keep in touch with your home base and the people who know you and understand you even if they don’t understand the world you’re in. It kept me grounded to hear and see what my friends and family were doing. It’s all about keeping a perspective, that’s how you can appreciate and learn from other cultures. I would go home whenever I could.
Expand your view, go to museums, music, take dance classes, keep your hobbies… That’s a great way to meet people who are not in the business and you learn so much about the place you’re living in. It also makes you appreciate the chances you get as a model. Because sometimes the crazy traveling and the harsh rejection makes you forget the advantages of this job.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar: You had a nightmare experience when you fell at the Proenza Schouler Spring 2007 runway show due to sky-high heels, with immense confidence of a supermodel you took off your shoes and walked the rest of the runway barefoot. This episode took third spot on the “Top Five Runway Falls” list by New York Magazine. Tell us about this experience of yours and what lessons the new budding fashion model girls should learn if they experience a similar situation?
Ms. Elise Crombez: Actually, I don’t see it as a nightmare experience at all. I didn’t get hurt and I’m glad I fell at least once after 10 years of runway. I never felt nervous walking in front of people on the runway. I felt an adrenaline rush every time I went up because I imagined a story in my head. Who is she? Where is she walking? Who is she walking towards?
So my shoe fell off while I walked, I tried to get it back on in my strut and I twisted my ankle in the process of it. I fell down in a sprint departure pose. That’s it! This teaches me (and hope it teaches new girls) to not take yourself too seriously. One moment you are perfect, the next moment you’re flat on your face, you dust yourself off and keep your head up high. It is funny in a way. We’re all human. It is sad that this makes it to newspaper or a most-watched picture on the internet that day. There are far more important things happening.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you may wish to share? Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. Elise Crombez: What took me years to learn, is that it’s all about food, the nutrients you put into your body. You can work out every day, not eat according to what your body needs and not see a difference (even worse, you blow up!) I went to see a nutritionist to see how much protein, carbs and fat I needed in relation to how many times I worked out a week. And in 2 weeks, I ate more than before, worked out the same and lost weight!
I love to run, swim, do pilates and try something new every so often… Hot Yoga with my friends, Boxing, contemporary dance.
As a model you don’t always have the possibility to keep a routine in your work-out. But I would find ways. Run up and down the stairs of my little hotel in Greece, exercise in my hotel room, run wherever I could, or just eat healthy and postpone the work-out until I could. The most important thing is to not hate the exercising you have to do… Make it a celebration and know how good you will feel afterwards. Reward yourself with your favorite healthy lunch, a sauna or a massage…
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Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have glowing skin and gorgeous hairs. Do you take some kind of skin treatment to keep it young and glowing and secondly what you do to your hairs to make them look so stunning?
Ms. Elise Crombez: I’m very lucky with my skin, my hair too a beating during the shows and when I had it red. Now my hair feels thick and healthy because it is not being messed with 3 times a day! You have to do masks and treatments whenever you’re not working.
As for my skin, I take supplements for my skin, hair and use very basic, non-perfumed products. French drugstores are heaven to me. The most important thing to me is to clean my face at night and feel hydrated. I love the SKII cloth masks and get a facial when I need it.
There are no secrets, sleep, a lot of water, healthy diet and good juices will make your skin glow. But a glass of wine makes me happy and that will show as well. With moderation…
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Tell us about your experience of working at the prestigious Victoria’s Secret fashion shows in 2006 and 2007?
Ms. Elise Crombez: To be honest, being one of the models in that show was a confirmation for me at the time. I wanted to “be sexy” and “feminine”. The show was great and we were pampered, I got to meet Justin Timberlake and see the Spice Girls in real life just to make me realize once more I’m friggin’ tall!!! 🙂 But I don’t need to be in my underwear on stage to realize that I can be sexy and wanted. That comes with age, ironically enough.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have done bold photo shoots with W, Vogue, Elle, American Harpers Bazaar and Allure. How you are so body confident and advice to your compatriots?
Ms. Elise Crombez: I wasn’t confident about my body at all. But your imagination takes over and I always worked towards the best picture, it was like acting. The insecure Elise waited for me outside the studio and I did my job as a model. I was often stressed about not fitting the clothes and not being skinny enough but I always knew I could work towards a great picture. And we all have our days. I’m not perfect and especially not when I’m put under a microscope.
A bad experience of being sent away on a shoot because “you’re not right” or not getting a show being “you’re fat” is normal. I mean, it will happen and it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person or you can’t be a model. It is a bump in the road, that’s all. Go take care of yourself, do something for yourself and come back feeling good and radiant and make people regret what they said or did. But nothing or no one is more important than you.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for its visitors?
Ms. Elise Crombez: I think part of the reason I’ve done this job for so long, is because I’m passionate about women and young girls. Hope this doesn’t sound weird… Let me explain. I have gone through a lot of self-discovery in this job. I was a little girl when I started and was by myself for most of my realizations as a young woman. I think we should all help one another and be honest about the pitfalls and the secrets of feeling good in our skin and life.
I’ve talked to older women a lot. One of my favorite things to do. They know what matters and what doesn’t. They know what they are good at and what they want. I’m 32 now and my body, my face and my mind changes. And I love every moment of it. I love talking to younger girls and recognize mindsets I’ve been in and I’m happy that time passed as much as I remember the good moments of it. Being a woman is so fascinating and we need to take a minute to realize we are all powerhouses. Not in a man-crushing way, but just be proud of yourself and tell a woman you (don’t) know she is beautiful, compliment each other. We have a lot to learn from each other and to give to one another.
Women Fitness Team thanks Elise Crombez for giving her valuable time for this interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her and also wish to thank Marc Dochez from Dominiqu Models who made this interview happen.
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All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2016 Women Fitness