First came Daria Werbowy, then Lineisy Monterok, and in between there was Arizona Muse, Sasha Pivovarova and Lindsey Wixson. But the latest girl to have had her Prada debut rocket her into the international fashion stratosphere is Mayka Merino, the 19-year-old Spanish bella who had only walked J.W. Anderson’s show (as an exclusive no less), before opening for Prada spring/summer 16 all gold-lips and 5’11” limbs. Hailing from the southern city of Jerez, Mayka was discovered after entering a contest aged 14 in Spain, and is currently based in London.
1. Her childhood ambitions were slightly different to her current career path:
“I wanted to be a painter or a chef.”
2. When she’s not sitting pretty in the pages of magazines, this is what Mayka gets up to:
“I love dancing, I’m a trained hip hop dancer. I also love manga and anime and visiting art galleries.”
3. This is how she felt opening Prada as only her second show ever:
“Extremely nervous but at the same time, overwhelmed with excitement, it was a truly unforgettable experience.”
4. This is what she learned from her first fashion season:
“I realized it is very busy and tiring, but at the same time, a really enjoyable and fun experience!”
5. Here’s what wafts through Mayka’s mind as she’s strutting down those catwalks:
“You don’t have any time to think, mostly the thoughts running through my mind are ‘do not fall’ or ‘these shoes are way too small/big’.”
6. In school:
“…I think I was a bit weird to everyone else…”
7. The best advice Mayka’s ever received goes like this:
“Always be yourself.”
8. If she could make a documentary about anything in the world, she would:
“…love to create a documentary based on how people act when they are home alone in comparison to how they act at work/with friends.”
9. She’s a social media whiz kid. Her most used apps are:
“Instagram and Tumblr.”
10. Mayka ♥‘s i-D.
“In 10 years time I hope to be continuing my modeling career, hopefully with one or many covers of i-D magazine!”
Credits
Text Felicity Kinsella
Catwalk photography Mitchell Sams
Backstage photography Jason Lloyd-Evans