The Pretty Girl : Lizzie

PROFILE:
Name: Lizzie Kabaso
Hometown: Originally from Kitwe, Zambia (Currently living in Bowie, Maryland)
Goals: “In general? You know I’m a freelance model and height is a thing, but my goal is to get signed with Wilhelmina when I graduate from school and also, I want to work as a PR person because I’m really into Communications and I took this class with Professor Rudel and I really loved it. “
Music: I listen to country gospel music, I was listening to that right now but I turned it off (laughs) It motivates me but yeah sometimes I listen to Kelly Clarkson. Oh! And D’banj, his radio station on Pandora.

 It is easy to love Lizzie, she’s like some effervescent butterfly that is always on the move, she’s the kind of girl that’s cool with everyone and everyone thinks is cool. Another thing about Lizzie, she also wants to be a model. The issue with that is that people box her in like she’s the quintessential pretty-happy girl without realizing that she is the type of model that will not do swimwear because of her morals and a concept she learned in sociology class called “dehumanization.”

QUESTION TIME:

1.) Is it safe to say people consider you a "pretty-girl-model-type” stereotype? How true is that and how does that make you feel?

- “You know what? That’s funny you asked me that because that happened in class. I felt so uncomfortable to speak on it. We were talking about how society treats women, you know how they are “supposed” to be skinny and stuff but I wanted to put in my opinion like you don’t have to be that type, like models are not always skinny. You have to be comfortable in your own skin, like you have to choose what you wanna look like. Just because they say so doesn’t mean you have to go down that way, no! …So, I don’t know that was uncomfortable for me, I didn’t even end up saying anything.”

2.) How do you think your style: fashion and music wise even your room perpetuate the stereotype?

-“ Sometimes, people are like “Lizzziiiieee” (because) sometimes, I like to be comfortable so I like to wear sweatpants and sometimes, my friends and other people will be like “Lizzie, are you sure you’re a model?” (laughs) You don’t always have to be all dressy; I don’t know I only dress up when I feel like it and sometimes, I just get up and throw mixed things together and it comes out nice."

Lizzie likes to get inspiration from her wall from models who have made it. 

Lizzie lounging in her room, she is not afraid of colours
which is highly indicative of her bold personality.

In her everyday style, Lizzie draws strongly from her African heritage

3.) On coming to Mville, did you think you would find your niche?

-“ You know what’s funny? I didn’t even think about that. I’m like a solo person. When it comes to friends, I don’t hang out with one set of people, I’m everywhere, if I see someone going to cafeteria by themselves I’m like “why? Let me go with you.” But I go by myself because I was born by myself and will die by myself.” (laughs)

It's definitely all about the eclectic

4.) How has Manhattanville helped you discover more of who you are and separate you from the crowd?

- “No! I don’t know…maybe it has. That’s a good question. Even in high school, I was independent but coming here has made me be more aware of that now.”

5.) What about you do you think people will be surprised to know?

-“That I’m studying sociology because I like to study people’s behaviours, so people are so surprised about that. They’re like “You’re a model, why are you going to school?” but you do need to educate yourself in a lot of things and view things from a different perspective."