Feature: Alia Noree

Alia Noree's Site
Hi5
DeviantArt
Model Mayhem

	Chest	Waist	Hips	Height	Weight
Imperial	32"	26"	36"	5"4'	119lb
Metric	81cm	67cm	92cm	163cm	54kg

GGotW: What led you to the Gothic lifestyle?
AN: When I was little, I had a liking for dark things that I always repressed, thinking it was a bad thing. Back then, Romania was just recovering from the suppression of the Communism, so having an alternative lifestyle was something unthinkable. I also loved the perions gowns, with corsets and crinolines and felt somewhat sorry that no one wore them anymore. It was in 2005 that I started wearing dark colours, as 2 of my new school colleagues, that became my best friends, introduced me to heavier rock genres. Then in 2006 I took a trip to Holland and met a goth girl and was deeply impressed by her style and attitude. It was there that I had purchased my first gothic accessory, a pair of lace gloves. As I returned home, I became more and more interested in the style and so began to read about it and I quickly adopted it.

GGotW: What was it in Holland that caught your interest?
AN: It was the open-mindedness of the people. The lack of prejudice and their originality. To me, the possibility of having a different kind of lifestyle was something new, something I would never have thought about before.


GGotW: What led you to modeling?
AN: I was always a "cam girl". Whenever there was a photocamera around me, I would keep stalking the poor owner of the cam to take photos of me or give me the cam to take photos. I always considered it a fun thing, but it became more serious when I decided I want to study photography at university. So for practice, I was the easiest model to use and I started to really like what I could do by modeling.

GGotW: Do you get together with other goths in you area of Romania?
AN: The Romanian culture has always consisted of a melange of different cultures. The gothic style is a relatively new style in Romania. People would have probably got put in jail or even shot for such outrageous look and behavior during the Communism. So there aren't so many gothic people in Romania or gothic pubs. We just hang out with other rockers or people that know we are not some kind of dangerous psychos.

GGotW: Is there a large scene?
AN: I can't say it's very large, from what I've seen in other countries. It's a really small chance to bump into a goth while walking on the street. I'd say there are about 3 or 4 "active" gothic persons in each city and maybe about 20 in the capital. Well there are probably more, but most of them dress normal. There are few people here who accept us and we often get called "satanists", "witches" or "dead people" and we even risk getting beaten on the streets for being different. This is why some people chose to show their gothic side and outfits only on special occasions, like a gothic concert or party, which happen rarely anyway. But hopefully that will change in the years to come.

GGotW: Do you prefer to model or photograph?
AN: Mmm, I can't really chose one. I just like both very much. I'm used to taking pictures of me, but I also like to be the model for someone or take a photo of someone else. I can't imagine making a career only in modeling or only in photography. I guess I'll be always doing both. Right now my main focus is to improve my photography skills for university so I'm trying to take a wider range of photos, but I can't help not to put myself in front of the cam now and then.

GGotW: What do you do when you are not modeling?
AN: Many things. I study for my final exams, spend time with my boyfriend, go out on the weekends, play with my cat and dogs or chat with people on the internet or sometimes make accessories. I sometimes spend a lot of time on browsing through gothic clothing on ebay or sites of specialized shops, even though usually I won't buy anything. Or I'm looking on Deviantart to see what other photographers have done recently and for some new ideas.

Alia Noree is preparing for her first University interview which will take place in January 2009.

GGotW: What else have you been up to?
AN: I've started my account for crafts on Deviantart, and I'll be selling various pieces of hand-made unique accessories.

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