The halt Covid-19 has caused in the fashion industry has left many models filing for unemployment. This is a time of immense uncertainty that no one could have adequately prepared. Luckily, the Model Alliance is aiding those who need all the latest information, support, and resources available to cover basic needs. This pandemic strained financials, and on top of that, the CDC is also stressing more concern for mental health. Anyone cooped up in a confined space for an extended time knows it weighs heavily on one’s sanity.
Model Aga Wojtasik is locked away in New York City, where authorities have advised residents to stay indoors. Wojtasik hardly makes it out of her apartment but takes steps to better her time in quarantine by creating interactive content on social media. Wojtasik is a progressing chef and is helping her followers stay active indoors by constructing and teaching new recipes. The 22-year-old remains optimistic about her current situation and the future of the billion-dollar fashion industry in which she works. Wojtasik believes it will easily bounce back, but in the meantime, she is focusing on the present and how she can have a positive, healthy, and influential impact.
Q: The fashion industry is temporarily shut down, which means no runway shows, photoshoots, or castings. What has the transition been like from working nearly every day to not at all? How has it made you feel?
A: As a person working in such a creative industry, I can definitely see how a lack of work impacts me personally. It is quite stressful not knowing when it will be safe to get back to work. I started to feel like I have to do everything that I can to use this time productively, and for me, it is focusing on developing my own personal interests and staying healthy.
Q: How are you coping with financial setbacks, if any?
A: I have always tried to make sure I have money saved away for a rainy day, which has been a big help lately. All models in the industry, at one time or another, go through slow periods. So I have learned you have to be committed to saving money on every job. That mindset has helped me through my career and even more so now.
Q: What is your alternative line of work during quarantine? If none, what are you doing to stay busy? What are you doing to up your social media engagement and relevance?
A: I have been focusing on my social media, where I am trying to share my passion for cooking. I am creating new recipes each week, and it has been really exciting to be able to share them! I am also reading a lot more; I love being able to dive into a good book.
Q: Pandemics can cause a lot of stress, anxiety, and depression because of the uncertainty currently consuming the world. By filling your time with cooking, has your mental health been positively impacted?
A: Yes, cooking has definitely been helping me maintain my sanity during these crazy times. I love the relaxing aspects of cooking, but what's even more interesting is creating healthier alternatives to my favorite dishes and being able to work on new recipes.
Q: How has promoting your cooking been received by your followers? Do you find there is more wholesome engagement?
A: My friends and followers seem to really like the idea and have been incredibly supportive. I keep getting positive messages from my followers, and some of them have been recreating my recipes, which is awesome! I have definitely seen higher engagement after going in a healthy lifestyle direction with my profile.
Q: Why did you choose to show the world your cooking skills? What benefits do you think it provides to yourself and your 22.8K followers?
A: I think seeing what other people eat has always interested me, and helped me as an individual. My followers ask me all the time about how to eat well and be healthy. I know there is constant pressure in my industry, and I want to show people you can eat, be healthy, and be happy. It may just take a little creativity. I want to set the right example.
Q: When the real world resumes back to normal, will you continue promoting your cooking? If so, why?
A: Yes, I will, for sure. I might not have as much time as I do now, but I will continue going in this direction. Who knows maybe I will create a strictly cooking account or work on a cookbook.
Q: What are your expectations for your career when this is all over? Do you think you will have plenty of work awaiting you? Do you believe you will still have time for cooking or will even want to continue promoting it, and why?
A: I think it will be busy - especially since so many brands had to shut their productions and stopped shooting. I hope to continue working for the clients I have worked with before and hopefully some new ones too. I am making sure that I am staying healthy so that I will be able to get right back to work when this is over, and I just can’t wait! I will continue sharing my cooking because I love seeing its positive impact on me and others.
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