This story originally appeared in i-D’s ‘Rihannazine‘ Special Edition, no. 01, 2020. Order your copy here. For this one-off project, Rihanna put a series of questions to the women shaping culture today, and invited them to share their visions for 2020.
Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Selena Forrest, I’m a model and I do interviews, I guess. As of today!
How would you define success?
It’s when you’re just happy with what you do. Genuinely happy. I think that’s success, because it’s so hard to be happy.
What’s been your biggest success?
I don’t think I’ve had it yet. I’ve got more to come! This is just the warm-up, the start-up. We’re waiting on that.
When you started modelling, did you imagine you’d get this far?
I kind of knew. Anyone that’s done anything that’s been successful, they’ve already seen that in their head. So I’d kind of manifest things. I didn’t know much about fashion, so I didn’t have any goals; I just wanted to get out of the traphouse, and make it on my own. My brother used to absolutely fuckin’ torture me when I was a kid, and I’d be like, “You guys are going to need me one day. I’m going to get out by the time I’m 18.”
What’s been your biggest failure?
A lack of self-love. Sometimes I’ll drink too much, or I’ll fail at relationships. But I’m only 20 years old! And I’m just not a quitter. I always try to push my limits and to keep going. I’m not the same person I was yesterday. Or even five minutes ago. And I’ll be a different person after this interview has finished.
What are you taking with you into 2020?
Love, sobriety, compassion and putting myself first. And I’m not comparing myself to others any more.
What’s your question for Rihanna?
Can we go to a football game together? I like to go to games, I found that out after I started modelling. I think she goes to basketball games, so we could just go to a sports game together. That would be awesome. Or maybe: Can we fuck?
Credits
Photography Mario Sorrenti
Styling Alastair McKimm
Hair Duffy at Streeters.
Make-up Kanako Takase at Streeters.
Nail technician Jenny Longworth at CLM using CHANEL Les Vernis and CHANEL La Crème Main.
Nail technician (for Sita Abellan only) Coco Michelle.
Set design Emma Roach at Streeters.
Colourist Lena Ott for Suite Caroline.
Lighting technician Lars Beaulieu.
Photography assistance Kotaro Kawashima and Simon McGuigan.
Digital technician Chad Meyer.
Styling assistance Madison Matusich and Giulia Bandioli.
Tailor Hannah Wood.
Hair assistance Lukas Tralmer, Amidat Giwa and Shaun McIntosh.
Make-up assistance Hiromi Ilsuka and Kimie Yashiro.
Nail technician assistance Nichole Williams.
Set design assistance Nia Samuel-Johnson, Louis Simonon and Eddie Amos.
Production Katie Fash.
Production coordinator Layla Némejanski.
Production Suzy Patten at Holmes Production.
Production supervisor Molly Zinar at Holmes Production.
Production coordinator Alex Whiting at Holmes Production.
Production runner David Herm.
Production intern Marta Pera.
Casting director Samuel Ellis Scheinman for DMCASTING.
Casting assistance Cicek Brown for DMCASTING.
Model Selena Forrest at Next.