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Walking with Conviction
In Conversation with Julie Hoomans
For our Fall/Winter ‘22 film ‘Intersection’, we see three women’s stories collide on the streets of Berlin. In a series of interviews, we sit down with each protagonist to unravel what they value, how they view themselves, and how they approach the world. For Part One, we talk to Julie Hoomans, a full-time model turned neuroscience postgraduate student who started working in the fashion industry at the age of 15. Now with ten years’ experience punctuated by a degree in Biochemistry, Hoomans’ desire is to honor and combine the seemingly disparate parts of herself. In this interview, Julie talks to us about striking out on your own and what happens when you follow an unconventional path.









Words: Katie Cazalet-Smith
Aeyde: Tell me about your typical day.

Julie Hoomans: There's not really a typical day for me because I work as a model, so every day is different. But if I'm at home, a typical day would usually involve some sort of packing or unpacking and fixing things a person needs to fix in their life. Meeting up with friends for coffee and talking. Those kinds of things.What would the younger version of yourself think about what you’re doing now?I think the younger version of me would be quite proud of what I'm doing now. I used to be a bit more shy and a bit more of an introvert—not that being introverted is a bad thing. But I think I lost some layers of that shyness, and I think a younger version of myself always wanted me to do that, so I think a younger Julie would be proud of me in that regard.

A: In what ways do you break with tradition and expectations?

JH: Because of my job, I started working in an adult world at a young age. In a way, I was a businesswoman at 15, which is breaking with tradition. When I was growing up, many people around me were on a path from high school to university to jobs, and I never did it that way, which a lot of people didn’t really understand. It’s gratifying now when others say “good for you” for making that decision.

A: When do you feel the most powerful?

JH: I feel the most powerful when I'm alone. If I feel good about myself when I’m alone, I know that I have a strong foundation, and then all of my loved ones and all the things I love doing come as a bonus on top of that foundation. I got scouted when I was very young—I was only 15 years old—meaning I moved to New York directly after I finished high school. Looking back, I felt I had been working for a while, but I was also quite lost and I didn’t really know who I was. So I made the decision to move to Amsterdam and to start studying. Finally, I had a home and I also met my best friends. This goes back to the idea of having a strong foundation, which gives me a sense of both peace and power. 

A: What’s next for you?

JH: I’m studying for a research Masters in Cognitive Neuroscience. I’m super excited about it and find the topic extremely fascinating. Modeling gives me the liberty to explore other sides of myself, so I do want to keep working in the industry. Neuroscience and modeling don’t seem connected at all, so my goal is to find a way to eventually combine these passions. If that’s where I find myself in the next ten years, I’d be very happy.
Watch the Aeyde original film 'Intersection' now on aeyde.com
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