(Photo: Luis Mora)
With her inked flesh, signature buzz cut and general aversion to all things overtly “pretty,” Calgary-born Internet muse Alana Derksen epitomizes the new darling of the fashion world: the anti-model model. Having grown up in a strict suburban home, she spent her youth mining the web for inspiration (“I was obsessed with European street-style blogs”). Then, in 2014, she flew to Toronto to visit a friend…and never went home. Soon photographer buddies were asking to shoot her, and last year, the 22-year-old signed with DNS, a Toronto agency with a focus on non-traditional babes. Her big break: fronting the spring ’16 campaign for New York streetwear label MadeMe, a.k.a. the Supreme for girls. She’s since scored gigs with Gucci and Nylon, and even turned down a runway booking with Vetements. Why? She had exams.
Meet the New Wave:
Canadians You Need to Know: Kemal & Karla
Canadians You Need to Know: Brigitte Chartrand
Canadians You Need to Know: Reanna Evoy
Canadians You Need to Know Now: Petra Collins
Canadians You Need to Know Now: Devon Halfnight LeFlufy