Erin O'Connor
Erin O'Connor
Erin O'Connoris an English model...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionModel
Date of Birth9 February 1978
aged cycling school seven since taking
I've been cycling ever since I was a kid. I remember taking my cycling proficiency test aged seven - I got to school at 7:30 A.M. to practise, I was so nervous. After that, I always cycled to school.
accessible cosmetic form genuinely grown helped surgery
I worry about how accessible cosmetic surgery has become. Of course, if it has genuinely helped people, and their confidence has grown as a result; who am I to form an opinion?
embracing hiding
It's not about hiding your imperfections on a shoot; it's about embracing them and being unapologetic about them.
home intimate invite trust
It's a very intimate thing to invite someone into your home; there's a lot of trust involved.
cape favourite filled finds home markets mask outside piece voodoo
I have two curiosity cabinets at home filled with finds from jumble sales, markets and my travels. My favourite piece is a voodoo mask from just outside Cape Town.
activist becoming body both british chairman council fashion fertility garner held positive role taking vice victim weight
I've been on both sides: the victim and the villain. I was the victimised model, and everything from my weight to my fertility was held up for discussion. And then I was the person that could garner some kind of positive outcome, by taking on the role of vice chairman of the British Fashion Council and becoming an activist of body image.
aware bigger caution key liberated quite safe
Caution is the key to safe cycling. I'm aware that cars are bigger than me, but I feel quite safe. I'm in control, liberated and free, when I'm on my bike.
selling
It's like recycling: selling old clothes to help make new ones.
across along aware easy hope irony mean means media pose slum stuck whenever
I am aware it's easy and may be fashionable to pose with a slum child, and the irony of getting the media along means that it can come across as disingenuous. But you take these things on board, and you hope you mean it whenever you get stuck into something.
When you're physically growing up, you develop emotionally with that.
bodies borne chance legally lose medical model models pass proposed sanctuary various work
The model sanctuary was borne of a complex, political, societal debate. It was proposed to us from various bodies that we give models medicals once a year, and if they didn't pass that medical, there's a chance they'd legally lose their right to work.
against alert allowing change fact fair human model nor people positive practice reminding sanctuary
The Model Sanctuary is not about self-indulgence - it's about reminding and allowing them to become self-sufficient human beings. I wanted to alert people to the fact that we're not the victims, but nor are we the villains. We want fair practice and positive, sustainable change, working with the fashion industry, not against it.
among betrayed body complete early growing inherited learned miss neat people school shy title tool translated
At school I was very shy and coincidentally inherited the title 'little miss worry guts,' and that was just among the staff. I learned early on that I could make people laugh, and as my small neat body betrayed me by growing to dizzying heights, I used it as a tool that translated into complete slap-stick comedy.
agenda bringing conscience ethical origins panic people reason resistance talk tendency
I think there is some resistance when people talk about ethical fashion, and a tendency to panic that if you're bringing a moral agenda and highlighting the origins of the garments, you can't incorporate style. But there's no reason why style and conscience can't co-exist.