Interview: Tian Yi, Bo Develius, Mona Matsuoka, and Jaron Baker keeping it fun at home
As the writer Henry Miller once said, the only thing we can never get enough of is love. Especially at this present moment when love – or as we like to say here, L’Ove – is a much-needed balm for our souls. So as we continue to spend more time at home, L’Officiel Singapore is spreading more feel-goodness around by spotlighting 16 international models we L’Ove over 16 days, through exclusive, remotely shot videos and images, as well as short interviews.
Head to our Instagram page every day to see model behaviour at its best, and get inspired by how these runway regulars and campaign stars are staying creative and picking up new skills at home.
Tian Yi
No stranger to L’Officiel Singapore, Chinese model Tian Yi graced our cover back in 2015. Since then, she has walked for Fendi and fronted a campaign for Tiffany & Co., to name but a few of her accomplishments.
How have you been spending your time at home?
I’ve been watching documentaries on quantum physics to pass the time during quarantine. My father bought me an astronomy telescope so I can explore the planets, galaxies, and the universe in general more. Every night I stare at the moon and stars for hours on end, which makes me feel very much at peace.
What has been your little guilty pleasure to keep your spirits up while staying at home?
My little guilty pleasure has to be mobile games. I’m crazy about them! I also spend a lot of money purchasing virtual things on these games, so I must admit that’s my guilty pleasure.
Looking on the positive side, what’s the best thing that has happened since spending more time at home?
There are many positives that come to my mind. I spent the whole lockdown with my family, and that was a wonderful experience. I travel a lot, and so I usually don’t have much time to spend with them and with my dog, doing things like pruning flowers in the yard with my mum… As of this moment, I feel like we’ve lost something, and yet also gained many more in return.
Bo Develius
With his boyish good looks, Swedish model Bo Develius has starred in campaigns for Armani and Hugo Boss, and walked the runways of Burberry and Moncler.
What is one fun skill you’ve picked up or improved on whilst spending more time at home?
Whilst I was spending more time at home, I started cooking again, which is something I really love to do. I tried out different cuisines, and discovered that I love cooking Asian and Italian food.
What has been your little guilty pleasure to keep your spirits up while staying at home?
My guilty pleasure has been watching documentaries on Netflix. One documentary that I especially enjoyed was The Game Changers, which is about vegan athletes. I found it very interesting, although I ate Ben & Jerry’s while watching it, so I’m definitely not as disciplined as they are!
Looking on the positive side, what’s the best thing that has happened since spending more time at home?
Spending more time at home gave me the opportunity to destress and to grow closer to my family, despite all the crazy things going on in the world. It was a time to slow down a little and relax more, as I live a very hectic life.
Mona Matsuoka
Japanese-American model Mona Matsuoka burst onto the scene back in 2014, and has stormed the runways of Miu Miu, Dior, Kenzo, and more. She graced the May 2017 cover of our sister magazine L’Officiel Malaysia, and recently walked in Jil Sander’s Spring/Summer 2020 show. The fresh-faced beauty is also a rising DJ.
What is one fun skill you’ve picked up or improved on whilst spending more time at home?
A fun skill that I’ve picked up in quarantine is baking my own bread from scratch. I’ve also been making my own pizzas, and they taste amazing!
What has been your little guilty pleasure to keep your spirits up while staying at home?
My one guilty pleasure while being at home has probably been having a glass of wine with lunch.
Looking on the positive side, what’s the best thing that has happened since spending more time at home?
The best thing that has happened during quarantine is I can practice DJ-ing a lot more with all the free time I have. I’ve been looking for new music, watching the Boiler Room’s Streaming from Isolation videos, and learning how to be a better DJ.
Jaron Baker
Model, actor, and photographer Jaron Baker made his debut in Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall/Winter 2019 show, and he hasn’t slowed down since.
What is one fun skill you’ve picked up or improved on whilst spending more time at home?
During this time alone, what with quarantine and everything going on in the world right now, I’ve been focusing more of my time and energy on photography, which I put up on my other Instagram account @jaronselects. I’ve also been working on scanning, editing, and using the free time I have to do things I couldn’t before, which has really helped me a lot in expressing myself artistically and growing in that aspect of my life.
What has been your little guilty pleasure to keep your spirits up while staying at home?
One of my guilty pleasures whilst staying at home for this long has been buying and selling vintage clothes. I’ve been really into it for a while, and now I get to do that more. Shopping has always been fun, which I think is the case for almost everybody, but now I have more time for it. Watching the TV show The Last Kingdom is another of my guilty pleasures.
Looking on the positive side, what’s the best thing that has happened since spending more time at home?
Looking at the positive side, one of the best things that happened from spending this time alone has been my ability to focus on some of the areas and aspects of my life, both mentally and physically, that weren’t getting enough attention before. Most of the time I was running away from these negative things because of the mundane, routine lifestyle I led, and I think basically all this free time has given me time to focus on more important stuff and to better myself.
Credits
Editor-in-Chief Ian Lee
Producer & Casting Simone Bronzi
Photographer & Videographer Steve Harnacke
Stylist & Art Director Alessandra Bloom / Corne Fashion Management
Stylist Collaborator Maria Bernardi
Models Tian Yi / D'Management Group
Bo Develius / VNY Models
Mona Matsuoka / IMG Milano
Jaron Baker / Wilhelmina Los Angeles
