Ep 3: 'People of WE THE EARTH' — stories from our community

In this edition, Aniqua Toquero shares her philosophy on staying humble, embracing confidence in your own skin, and pushing beyond your comfort zone to grow a little more every day.

What sparked your passion for modelling and led you to start your own modelling school for teenagers?

My first modelling job was when I was 2 years old for Myer but I started modelling officially at 12 years old. I did classes and training, from there it’s always been part of my journey. I've always loved fashion and acting, they both play such a big part in modelling. Being able to try new styles, transform through makeup, hair and outfits is the best part about being a model - It’s like playing a character each time.

I'm only 5ft1 and was always told I wouldn’t make it in the industry… so it made me WANT it even more. I've now had the most amazing career and can now prove to my students at Model Camp that you don’t need to be 6ft+ and a size 0 to be a model, you just need to have that hard working drive & resilience. 

Was there a moment when you realised you wanted to mentor the next generation of models? What triggered that decision?

The first owner of Model Camp employed me to be the model mentor and the head stylist, 10 years ago. I honestly thought it was just going to be a job… but the more I connected with the students, the more I realised I was changing their lives by encouraging them to follow their dreams (not just in the modelling industry) and by nurturing their confidence. The role grew a passion inside me, it totally became a drive and what I truly wanted to do. 


Tell us, what’s a day in the life of a model, creative director and a school owner like for you? How do you balance the demands of both roles while still finding time for yourself?

Omg it’s hard to say what a day is like, every day is so different! BUT it always starts with a coffee lovingly made by my husband. There are admin and planning days that are focused on responding to emails, creating briefs/the creative direction, planning shoots, booking the creative teams for projects, planning the classes for MCA, and now that we have opened our talent agency we are constantly casting and sending off talent to auditions or booking them for jobs.

There are styling prep days which involve sourcing and creating looks for shoots. These are my favourite days because it’s just me and lots of clothes creating magic and pushing boundaries on looks, the vision really comes together here. We have shoot days where I'm on set as the Creative Director, which are always the BIG days for us but it’s so satisfying seeing our visions and all that planning come to life. Plus the teams I work with are truly amazing. The other shoot days where I’m on set as just the model are my least hectic days, everything is sorted by other people, I just turn up and do my thing! Every Saturday, I teach at Model Camp and it’s a day of classes with all my amazing students.

My days are always hectic and chaotic… there is no real overall routine, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! I do feel like I'm working all the time and have very minimal time for myself but I honestly live for my work and I'm so passionate about it so it doesn’t feel like a “job”. The great thing about working for yourself is you decide your own work hours so when I NEED time for myself I will MAKE the time. 

What’s your secret of staying grounded?

I think my gratefulness to being in this industry is what keeps me grounded. I would never take advantage of the career or the role/s I'm in now. Our industry is hard and not a lot of people survive/stay in it so that reality always keeps me focused and grounded.  

        

For aspiring models looking to break into the industry, what’s your top piece of advice, especially when juggling both personal growth and professional goals?

Oh I have so much advice but you need to join our academy to hear it all hahaha! My advice to all my girls is, be prepared to work hard, you need to have thick skin, stay humble and always be grateful for opportunities that have been given to you.
 

When did you first realise the need for more eco-friendly practices in fashion, and how do you inspire your students to embrace ‘consciousness’?

I watched a documentary years ago about landfill and it blew my mind about how much the fashion industry has impacted our environment! Where I can, I chose to work with eco-conscious labels or op shops when styling looks. At Model Camp, we take our students on excursions to places like Good Sammys where they shock our students on how much people throw out their clothes, they show statistics on landfill, how much impact the fashion industry has and they teach them ways to be more environmentally conscious. 


If your modelling school were to host a runway show centred around ‘sustainability’, how would you showcase eco-friendly practices through the designs, materials, and overall presentation? What message would you want to leave the audience about the role fashion can play in protecting the environment and promoting conscious choices?

We do already showcase and work with as many “sustainable” labels as possible at our runway events. We The Earth is always our number one label :-)

I love being able to showcase sustainable labels and how those items can be restyled to create a bank of outfits. This is great for audiences to see and to encourage them not to over purchase, but to think outside the box on how rework quality items. A We The Earth t-shirt can be styled in so many ways!

If you had to choose one outfit to model for the rest of your life, what would it be?

It would be a We The Earth Sweatshirt and matching trackpants. An oversized padded shoulder coat and a pair of statement gold earrings. 

What’s the most unusual or memorable modelling experience you’ve ever had?

I've had so many memorable ones but one that would truly be a highlight for me was when I was booked for the revamp of The Dos Equis Most Interesting Man in The World Commercial. I was in a pool of thousands of other models/actors, I honestly didn’t think I would get it, but getting the call for that I was almost in tears.

I flew to Bangkok, picked up by my very own personal assistant, put up in the St Regis Hotel, treated like a celebrity. I got to work with an amazing cast, the producers and directors from James Bond… it was soooo surreal. I think it also came at a time where I was really questioning if I belonged in the industry… this experience lite the fire in me again. 

When you’re not busy teaching or modelling, where would we find you? Any guilty pleasures or quirky hobbies that help you unwind after a day of being a superstar?

I LOOOOOOOOOOVE documentaries, shows, movies on true crime. I'm also a bit of an anime fan… if it’s not fashion it’s serial killers, cat fishers or animated super heroes hahaha!