Vadim Vasilis /photo , Issa Tall / text, Irina Rusinovich
I came back from Bulgaria where I was doing a training course before the soccer season, in full questioning and psychological fatigue, I returned to Greece, where I realized that I had reached my limits concerning my career in soccer.
When I came back, I told myself that I was going to refocus on my goals, and it was at that moment, during a party in Greece, that a lady asked me if I was interested in fashion and I confess that I had never thought about it before. From then on, my view on what I wanted to do with my life changed, I said to myself why not, I wanted to change my life, I was no longer happy in what I was doing in the past, I was tired and worn out of this life while another one opened its arms to me.
Vadim Vasilis, photo Fabien Caudy
Being an international model, how has your life changed?
I’m just starting out, whether it’s international or not, I for one haven’t seen or experienced anything, I still have everything to prove, but regardless you have to give it your best shot.
I suppose that the international would make me spend more time in transport and that I would have to work more on my dark circles with the jet lag.
No more jokes, the international induces the knowledge of the habits and customs of the different countries I will travel to in order to adapt myself, but always in the spirit of staying true to who I am.
You are from Greece, what are your 3 favorite places in your country and why?
My mountain in the Peloponese, a dry, arid place in the middle of nowhere, without any comfort. I lived there for part of my childhood with my grandparents. It is an isolated, rustic place with a mystical atmosphere, it is where everything started for me, I was marked by this period of my life and it is the basis of what I embody today.
The various creeks near the family village in the Argolid I learned to swim, to fish following the example of my father who fished octopus, various fish and shellfish with his harpoon. In the evening, we would stay by the sea in a „caliva“, a small wooden hut that a close friend of my father had, where we would grill our catch of the day while watching the sun set.
The family village in Greece had this summer atmosphere, where we ate meals together, where I was constantly invited to eat everywhere, an active lifestyle, from getting up in the morning where I liked to go with my uncles, to the goats and sheep in the mountains, to our time spent at the beach. Soccer games would be set up when the temperature started to drop, then going home, showering outside with the hose, and finally going for a walk in the evening.
Vadim Vasilis, photo Issa Tall
How do you maintain your physique?
Sport and a healthy lifestyle! I mainly do cardio to lengthen the muscles and draw on stored fat, I supplement a little with muscle strengthening.
My background in sports allows me to know what I need to work on. But for the time being, I do a lot less weight training than before, the goal is to be slim but not thick, so for that I exercise with much lighter weights. And I do long sets.
What brand would you like to work with in the future?
Very interesting question! There are a lot of artists I would like to work with:
Marine Serre for her esoteric and mystical touch
Balenciaga for the underground side
Jean-Paul Gaultier because he manages to make harmonious what is scattered.
But many others, Vivienne Westwood, undercover, Ambush, in fact I have so many brands that correspond to my way of being and my universe, even young designers that many ignore for the moment, but who are so talented.
We all have our difficulties to accomplish our goals, what are yours?
My impatience above all.
I admit that I am a difficult character to understand, I am my true and proper enemy, but also my true and proper brother. Everything is paradoxical about me.
I am a character who is always thinking, intense, and complicated to temper, my sensitivity often has the upper hand on me, but I will manage to tame it.
Vadim Vasilis, photo Raphael de l´Orme
Can you tell us the funniest or most interesting anecdote that happened to you since you became a model ?
That’s not a simple question, because there is really a lot of intensity in this business, so much movement, everything is ephemeral except, of course, some of the encounters you can make, but unfortunately I don’t have anything else that comes to mind right now.
You have a lot of tattoos, tell us about your three favorites.
I do have a lot of tattoos, all of them have their meaning, but it’s my secret garden 😉
I remain very mysterious and modest about some things concerning me, I reveal myself with time to people who inspire me, I trust my intuition, however my body is a rebus, when you know a little my life, my essence, you can try to play with what you see, but I remain intimate.
Is it an obstacle to have so many tattoos on your body as a model?
Yes and no, it depends on the artistic direction, the designer, the work required. It can be a brake as the opposite, but it is the game, after that it depends also on what you give off as energy, it is a whole. But you need something for everyone, you just have to be subtle.
What is your work rhythm at the moment?
Intense, at the very moment I’m writing this interview, I’m on various things at the same time, it’s not easy, you have to be organized and of course very well accompanied and I thank Nadine Dinter who takes care of my image today, who is there for me, who helps me, supports me, gives me a lot of advice, I thank life for having put Nadine on my way, it’s an encounter from elsewhere and I think we will be brought to collaborate for a long time on several projects.
Vadim for @stephanethakid Paris 2022 Paris 2022Vadim for @gillesasq, Paris 2022
How do you relax?
It is difficult for a hyperactive person like me to relax…
I’m always thinking about different things, I always have ideas in my head, I’m full of desire and energy, to go ahead, to work, to do sports, to discover, so to relax is not an easy task, even when I take a break I feel like I’m wasting my time.
But I will have time to relax when I have accomplished what I have to accomplish…
For the moment I am in full work, no time to sleep.
What are your current/upcoming projects?
I have a lot of projects going on: magazines, advertising campaigns, fashion week to prepare. It’s an environment where you have to be reactive at the moment…
The universe is vast, it’s up to me to make the right choices and to be receptive and attentive to the signs of life.
Follow Vadim on IG at @vadimvasilis
