Feature: Vampiria33

Country	United States
Area	New York
Instagram	vampiria33
Height	5'5" (165cm)

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GGotW: When did you first realize you were Goth?
V33: I was first introduced to gothic music by a friend when I was 16/17, so this was when I first learned about the subculture. A couple years later I started attending goth events and parties in my city and met people whose entire lifestyles were goth - from the music to the fashion to their interests. I realized that for the first time I found something that felt like me, and I’ve been a part of the subculture ever since.

GGotW: What is it that attracts you to the subculture?
V33: I love everything dark — the subculture allows me to express this through music, literature, fashion, and lifestyle. I’m also attracted to the creativity and originality of the people in the subculture.

GGotW: What started you modeling?
V33: When I was younger I was interested in fashion, but I never really thought about photographing myself or modeling. About 4 years ago I was going through a very tough time in my life- I’d just been diagnosed with a chronic illness and was having a lot of health issues, and I was also dealing with a bad breakup. To distract myself, I started dressing up and taking photos of my daily outfits and posting them online. I kept doing this for a little while before I realized that I was very passionate about modeling and photography. Although my first photos honestly weren’t that good, creating these images gave me confidence and I really started to see myself as beautiful. It was also at this time that I was contacted by New Rock to model for them - I remember being so excited haha. As time progressed, I started working with more brands and learning more about the actual photographic process itself - I purchased a DSLR, started learning about lighting and composition of photos, and taught myself photoshop.

GGotW: Who or what inspires you?
V33: So many things! While I try to remain inspired by ideas in my own head a lot of the time to try to be original, there are definitely a few artists and models that I’d love to mention. The first artist that comes to mind when people ask about my inspirations is a Polish painter named Zdzisław Beksiński. I used to study painting and drawing, and he was always my biggest inspiration then and now. I actually have a plan to get a few of his pieces tattooed :) Beksiński is known for creating creepy, dystopian surrealistic works. While a lot of Beksiński’s themes aren’t immediately present in my photography, his work is incredibly meaningful to me and has been my biggest inspiration for years. I’m also inspired by a lot of the models and artists I follow, including Mahafsoun, Threnody In Velvet, The Black Metal Barbie, Obsidian Kerttu, and many others.

GGotW: What photographers do you tend to work with?
V33: I don’t usually work with photographers - I take all my own photos! While I have shot with a few photographers in the past, modeling and photography is a creative outlet for me so I prefer to do all aspects of the shoot myself, from photography and editing to makeup and styling.

GGotW: Do you ever model outside the Goth aesthetic?
V33: Not usually. Alternative and gothic modeling is who I am, so I tend to stick to what feels like me. Even if I do a shoot that isn’t completely gothic, I still have black hair and tattoos, so the photos still look pretty alternative anyway.

GGotW: Do you work with any particular brands?
V33: I do! As I mentioned earlier, the first brand I ever worked with was New Rock. Since then I’ve expanded over the years, collaborating with brands and companies such as Killstar, Punk Design Shop, Malefic Apparel, Dirtymind Cosmetics, and EvaHair.