Fun, Confident, and Inspiring:
COVER MODEL HERIETH PAUL
Hailing from Tanzania, little Herieth Paul remembers touching down in Ottawa together with her mother. She recalls that the first thing she felt once they landed was the “cold breeze” and thinking to herself, “Oh my god, what is this?” Although it was a massive culture shock, Paul says that she “just dealt with” the transition. Today, she has fully adapted to her new way of life, having made plenty of friends along the way, and can happily declare that she now “loves Canada.”
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riginally, Herieth was interested in acting. Although she enlisted in an acting and modeling agency, she was too shy to tell her agent that she wanted to take centre stage. Instead, she agreed to work as a model. In hindsight, she admits that one of her biggest challenges as a model was “being far away from home and being homesick.” She eventually overcame her longing for home thanks to technology giving her a way to stay connected. She continued to pursue her budding career and the natural beauty even signed to be the face of Maybelline in 2016! Without a doubt, Herieth was “born with it.” Even before jumping on board with the iconic brand, she already had a specific goal in mind: to broaden diversity in the industry. Beauty and fashion are known to have held on to certain ideologies for decades, but she believes that the industry is “definitely evolving since I started; it’s more accepting and that makes me happy!” Herieth credits such increased awareness to our hyper-connectivity thanks to technology, and particularly social media. “2018 is an amazing time to be alive,” she states. The fact that we can communicate freely across borders has caused the “world to be more aware of what is going on regarding the lack of diversity in our industry,” she explains. She considers being part of Maybelline as the highlight of her career thus far and is proud to say that “I’m a Maybelline girl, I’m African, I have dark skin, and I’m beautiful!” Besides being a bombshell, Herieth Paul has travelled across the world for her modeling career. She has walked for Victoria’s Secret and Balmain, and shot ad campaigns for Calvin Klein and Tom Ford. During the most recent Victoria’s Secret show in Shanghai, China, her shot with Grace Bol went completely viral. “We practiced to no end, and when we got there, we did the exact opposite,” she says of the famous image of the two girls on the runway. She admits that backstage they “hugged it out in disbelief. We were so happy to be there, two African girls representing!”
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By Brenna Dixon
Herieth attributes such pivotal moments and her success to her amazing team. “What it all comes down to are my agents who fight for me and my friends and family who are truly my support system,” she says of her fantastic career. She remains grounded in a sector that is dependent on physical appearance, and she reminds herself that “confidence comes from within. If you care about yourself and love yourself, it will radiate through.”
I’M African, I HAVE DARK SKIN, and I’M BEAUTIFUL!
Herieth’s confident, cool nature is something that has remained constant over the years. At the age of 14, she shot epic and timeless imagery for Dress to Kill, which was also one of her very first photo shoots! Returning seven years later, she reflects that “I don’t think I’ve changed. I’m a little less shy. The older I get, I realize there is nothing to be intimidated by,” she says. This time around, Herieth was excited to grace our 10th Anniversary Spring 2018 Cover. She was even caught on Instagram posing with stylist Cary Tauben, both looking beyond gorgeous. Shooting with the same team as before, she remarks that it “was really beautiful to see how we’ve all evolved.” After sneaking a peek of the cover, she recalls being in awe of her situation, the shoot, and grateful for her life and job! Watching Herieth blossom has been absolutely wonderful. From catwalks to going backstage, her one serious insider tip is to “drink a lot of water – at least two litres a day!” As for her must-haves, she is obsessed with the Fit Me Maybelline foundation in No. 360, which she “raves about to everyone.” Her upbeat and sunny disposition bubbles through as she explains that if she wasn’t modeling, she would be a teacher. “I like to talk and inspire. I’d love to talk with my students after class.” She draws inspiration from her mother and sister, and considers her role models to be all women “who are struggling to get through life - the ones persevering every day, the ones that are still fighting.” Herieth Paul is one of those warriors. She too has become an inspiration as she fights for diversity herself and for a whole new generation to come.