Mariela IV | VIP Member | Verified Credits (21)
Where are you from? Where are you based now and do you travel for shoots?
I was born in Rexburg, Idaho, but I have lived in many places since I was a child, such as Bolivia, Houston, TX, and Denver, CO.
I have lived in Los Angeles, CA for 13 years now. In between, I have lived in Las Vegas and back and forth in Denver for the past couple of years but LA is my main home. I enjoy traveling so yes I do most definitely travel for shoots. I have traveled all over mainly the US and some foreign countries. I would like to travel more to foreign countries.
Who or what inspired you to become a model?
My mother put me into modeling since I was a child, just for fun in the beginning. I always enjoyed acting and the arts. I was a tomboy as a child but my mother would put my older sister and me in pageant shows, fashion shows, folk festivals where we were the main presenter, and modeling shoots for catalogs. I would just do the project but without really putting much attention to it. I didn’t like being judged and the competitions, but I grew into modeling as an adult and loved it. I’m a simple natural type and very business orientated, and as the saying goes, “Be your own kind of beautiful.”
How and when did you start modeling?
I started in Colorado at the age of 12 for catalog fashion department shoots.
What type of modeling do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy mainly the genre of fashion and beauty. Couture and artistic abstract creative shoots.
What do you look for when deciding to work with a photographer?
I review their images, social media, and website. I have worked with student photographers and photographers that enjoy photography as a hobby and I have always gotten great images. In these type of shoots, sometimes I’m the teacher, which I don’t mind because I enjoy helping someone that is trying to learn and give back my wisdom of experience.
Which models or other artists currently inspire you?
There is a lot of models that I think are amazing from the ’80s, and the ’90s models were the real supermodels, such as Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen, etc. I loved Mila Jovovich, Kate Moss, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington. Other awesome models are Devin Aoki, Adriana Lima, Miranda Kerr, Gisele Bundchen, Heidi Klum, Izabel Goulart, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Candice Swanepoel.
I also find many photographers and designers inspiring.
What would be your dream shoot?
My dream shoot would be for Vogue, across the board for China, Dubai, Japan, France, Brazil, and the USA. I was featured in Vogue Italia and many other magazines. Other publications I would love to work with would be Elle and Bazaar. I’d love to do billboard fashion campaigns or couture campaigns.
How important is social media in your success?
In the entertainment world to connect with the world and fans, you must have social media and be active. Your life goes live and everyone wants to see it, or at least what you want to share.
What else do you like to do outside of modeling?
I am also an actress, DJ, and producer. During Covid, it has been a calm but still productive year, and that enabled me to be more creative through social media.
I also am an artist and enjoy painting in my free time. I do yoga and play tennis. I also design various products, one has been my shirt and hat line for my DJ side, and I also have another product in development.
What’s the best career advice you can give to new models?
As with any entertainment career, it’s a business. Love what you do, be confident, share your beauty, be humble, and inspire.
Check out Mariela IV’s Model Mayhem portfolio to see more of her work. You can also follow her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and her website.