One day, after school, eighth-grader Alesia came across a short promotional message on social media: “Who wants to become a model, please put a plus (+) sign.” The girl responded. And imagine her surprise when a request came from a modeling agency in Minsk: “Please send your photos and body measurements.”
’Well, what do I know,’ I thought. I took a selfie on my phone and sent it to the provided address. And when an invitation to come for an interview arrived from the agency, I went to Minsk with my older sister. They looked me over and immediately offered me a contract. But I signed it later, when I turned 14,” Alesia recalled.
To verify the agency’s credibility, Alesia’s father visited their Minsk office, where he reviewed their official permits and certificates. Once reassured, Alesia signed a three-year contract and began her career with a basic portfolio shoot. Her parents then secured permission from her school for the two-month absence the new endeavor required.
The announcement that Alesia, at just 14, needed to fly to South Korea for a photo shoot sent the school into an uproar. The overwhelming question was: how could her parents possibly let her go to who-knows-where?
During my winter break, I embarked on my first modeling assignment abroad. The sprawling, bustling metropolis of Seoul was a world apart from my native village of Streshin and even the streets of Minsk. Seoul was so immense, noisy, and utterly foreign.
Designer clothes and socks as a gift
For her first show, Alesia modeled jewelry from a world-renowned brand for a wedding magazine.
“Clad in a breathtaking, long wedding dress, I felt like I was in a dream. The knowledge of the gown’s staggering cost, not to mention the luxury-brand jewelry and watch, made me intensely conscious of my every move,” Alesia recalled.
The work was demanding, requiring her to hold a single, elegant pose for extended periods, which was very tiring. The shoot was momentarily interrupted when her watch slipped from her wrist and clattered to the floor. The security guards assigned to protect the jewels rushed to pick them up, inspecting them and dusting them off. Fortunately, it didn’t break. The shoot continued. Next were some gorgeous little rings and earrings from this brand. And so, Alesia's first photos as a model ended up on the cover of a famous fashion magazine.
There was another job during this trip. Alesia was modeling jewelry for a different brand, showcasing the four seasons. That shoot lasted from 6 pm until 4 am!
“I was portraying a Slavic girl. That shoot also featured girls from America, Asia, and one from Africa. They wanted me to deliver a short monologue for the camera, in Russian by the way, about what I liked in the Republic of Korea,” Alesia shared.
Alesia wasn't left to fend for herself in Seoul; Russian-speaking managers were there to help. They drove her and the other models to castings and shoots. They didn't hover over them or bother them with excessive attention, allowing for maximum independence: they provided a daily allowance for expenses.
After two months, Alesia returned to Streshin. She went back to school and quickly caught up on what she had missed. In the end, she completed the ninth grade and passed her exams with good grades.
Already in the 10th grade, Alesia flew out on her second working trip, again in the winter.
“I've been to the Republic of Korea twice, three times to China, and twice to Japan. I worked with a wide variety of brands there. For instance, in Thailand, we shot in luxury-class clothing. The photos were published in two magazines. Of course, everything was magnificent. What I especially enjoyed was a photo shoot where I posed together with a young Asian girl in cute Bambi sweaters,” Alesia shared, recalling the gifts she received from the brands she promoted: a branded basketball hoodie, cardigan, sneakers, and socks.
Home wall of fame
Alesia can already be considered an experienced model. She has much to say about how this industry works, how demanding it is, and what it requires. Time in Japan left a particularly strong impression on her. There, models were transformed into teenage girls with minimal makeup and unusual hairstyles.
“When I was shooting for a wig magazine, my first look was with long blue hair. The second was a pink curly cut with coal‑black lips. At another shooting in Japan, they created a fantastic hairstyle on me, this time using my own hair. It was amusing and a little funny,” Alesia Gavrilenko said.
In Japan, the shooting locations were not limited to the studios. They went out to different districts of Tokyo. The shooting in China also impressed her. There, the models looked like sea nymphs. Alesia wore a long purple dress and striking makeup, resembling a mermaid who had just emerged from the sea. She walked on high heels on the grass, which of course sank into the ground.
“Dozens of cameras were pointed at us, their flashes blinding us. Looking back, I think the designers had planned a moment where a model would stumble onto the grass or fall off a bridge. That little incident would have become the highlight of the show. However, none of the models wanted to look ridiculous: we carried it off with dignity,” she noted.
Alesia and her family have preserved the memories of her work abroad in a symbolic “achievement corner” at home. The collection includes magazines with her photos and her access badges from photoshoots with her personal data and the name of the company headquarters.
“Here is a wig photoshoot. Here, of course, I don’t look like myself with this long blue and short pink hair,” Alesia said. “This is also from Japan. It was a shooting for an autumn collection. By the way, I worked with the team from this magazine several times. They were nice people, cool and laid-back. It was easy with them, and after we wrapped up, we could just hang out and talk together.”
'A place of power'
Alesia Gavrilenko sees her future in her homeland. However, she admits to having had various thoughts.
“I wouldn’t last more than a month or two abroad. I am always homesick. I can’t see myself in any other country but Belarus. I feel good and at peace here. Everything here is familiar; it is something you miss abroad. There, I often dream about coming back, sitting with my mom in the kitchen, drinking tea and talking. I especially love the times when the whole family gets together. It warms my heart,” the girl said, noting that Belarusians are different from others in a good way: “We are livelier, more sincere, and don’t chase only money and fame.”
With the first money she earned from modeling at the age of 14, Alesia bought... a cow.
“At that time, our family only had black-and-white cows, and my mom really wanted an Ayrshire - a brown one. I told her: ‘Mom, go ahead and buy it!’ and gave her the money,” the girl said proudly.
After the first cow, another one appeared. The Gavrilenko family now has a whole herd of animals. In addition to 12 dairy cows there are also bull calves for fattening and calves. Alesia’s mother, Galina Maryanovna, does not milk them by hand, but with the help of a milking machine. As a country girl Alesia also knows how to take care of animals.
