INTERVIEW: Up Close and Personal with Model and Social Media Influencer Laila Ezzat

Tuesday August 18, 2020
By: May Allam

Laila Ezzat lives in Egypt with her family where she also attends college. At 21, her hobbies and interests are similar to most young people her age. She loves to bake cookies and muffins, listen to music, follows fashion trends, travels and spends time on the beach with her friends. Born with an adventurous spirit and outgoing nature, you may find her horse riding at the pyramids or paragliding in the mountains in Germany, when she has a chance. Laila’s life, however, is not entirely similar to young people her age. The mass communication student is also a model and a social media influencer, not a status she strived for, but who walked accidentally into it. With her charm, beauty and wit, she became a social media sensation. In no time, the number of her followers surpassed 70K, and growing.

With her face on the cover of EgyptAir magazine, Horus, seen by millions of travelers around the world, many international and national brands are seeking her to model and use their products. Laila is very selective, for she has to love the brand first before she accepts. Among the many videos she posts on her account, Laila also creates tutorial videos and live sessions on how to use Instagram features and navigate through the platform. 

In her interview with WoEgypt, Laila Ezzat opens up about herself, modeling career and her future plans. 

WoE: How did your career as a model begin? 
LE: It actually all started as a big coincidence! I was in class one day when I received a message on Instagram asking me if I wanted to be in a photoshoot for a jewelry line. As a curious person, I responded, as I was already a fan of the line and decided to accept the shoot! From there, I made my instagram account public, and things progressed from there. 

WoE: Have you attended fashion modeling courses?
LE: I have never, no. 

WoE: Do you have an agent? 
LE: I have been offered in the past but I had a negative experience with a modeling agency, which is no longer in business and have decided to be my own agent. 

WoE: What do you hope to achieve this year? 
LE: I recently started to make videos on instagram so people can get to know the person behind all those pictures. It has always been one of my big goals, but at the same time, I have always been too nervous to start, but it’s going surprisingly well. 

WoE: What is your perfect day off when you are not modeling? 
LE: I love hanging out with my friends, going to the movies, bowling and I love going to escape rooms. I like being active.

WoE: What is your beauty routine?
LE: I don’t have a specific beauty routine, but I definitely care about my skin and try my best to take care of it, especially by not applying makeup on my days off. I always take my makeup off before I sleep or right after a shoot, and I make sure to cleanse and moisturize well twice a day. 

WoE: What do you do to stay in shape? 
LE: Currently, not much,  but I want to get back to work out because it was the best I ever felt physically and mentally.

WoE: Do you eat nutritiously?
LE: I try but I’m not the healthiest eater. I crave a lot of unhealthy things like pizza, and consume probably way too much pasta but I try to keep a balance. 

WoE: Your favorite food? 
LE: Pasta, pasta, pasta!

WoE: Who are your favorite fashion designers?
LE: There are too many to choose from, but if we’re talking on an international level, I love Ellie Saab, Alexander McQueen, Coco Chanel and Giorgio Armani, to name a few.

WoE: What is your favorite movie? 
LE: I love watching movies so this is a very difficult question for me, but as of now my favorite movie is Forrest Gump, but I might watch a new movie every week and think its my new favorite. 

WoE: What is your favorite city? Why?
LE: Barcelona! I love Barcelona because of all the fun memories I’ve shared with my friends there and also because it doesn’t feel too foreign from home. Barcelona is not like cities in other countries in Europe like France or Germany. It’s definitely more alive and its people are full of life and fun like Egyptians.  

WoE: Which supermodel/s do you admire? Why?
LE: I love Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, Adriana Lima and many more! They are all beautiful in their own way and have a special way of capturing emotions in pictures which I admire. 

WoE: Name three things on your bucket list.
LE: Skydiving, Safari in Kenya, either starting my own charity organization or actively helping an NGO.

WoE: Your mantra in life? 
LE: I believe in the law of attraction. I believe in putting things out in the universe and speaking them into existence. 

WoE: Do you have a secret talent? 
LE: I recently found out during this quarantine that I’m not a bad baker. 

WoE: What is your advice for young girls who also want to get into modeling? 
LE: I would say, only do it if it’s something you are actually passionate about. Don’t do it for the wrong reasons or for what you think you might get out of it. When I first started I had no idea I’d end up where I am today. However, I never did it for any materialistic reasons, which I think many people are interested in it for the sole reason. If making money is your only goal, you probably wont get too far. You should have a purpose and bigger plan. 

WoE: What was the best advice ever given to you?
LE: If it’s meant for you, it will happen. Don’t force anything

WoE: What has been the highlight of your career so far?
LE: I’ve been featured in a few magazines and was on the cover of the Egyptair magazine which was pretty cool. I’ve also gotten to work with a lot of cool people and did starred in a big TV ad last Ramadan. 

WoE: What is your favorite thing about modeling?
LE: The amount of creative people I meet.

WoE: Acting or modeling? Is a career in movies something you aspire for?
LE: Modeling, I’ve never acted before. As of now, acting just isn’t a career I see myself in. I don’t know if I’d be able to handle that level of stress and fame. 

WoE: What are the fashion magazines you like to read?
LE: I love Vogue and Cosmopolitan 

WoE: What are your future dreams, goals and aspirations as a model?
LE: I hope to work with international brands and shoot something abroad. I also hope to be featured on Vogue one day. I also hope to one day start my own brand. I have a lot of hobbies so hopefully I’ll be able to turn one into a successful business one day. 

WoE: What’s the one piece of advice you’d give your teenage self?
LE: Trust the process, take life day by day.

WoE: What do you love most about what you do?
LE: It has made me less shy, and I’ll always be grateful that I started working at a young age. It’s definitely a blessing. 

WoE: What is the best collaboration that you have done with a brand?
LE: I have a contract with Adidas which is crazy to me because I never would’ve thought that I’d make it this far! I also have a collaboration with Pantene which has also been great. They’re both great companies that I have loved working with.

WoE: Who is your favorite influencer? Why? 
LE: I don’t have one. I follow many and like many but I don’t think I have a favorite one. 

WoE: What would you say is the #1 key to success in your career?
LE: Consistency. I think the key to success in any career is consistency and perseverance.

WoE: Talk about the biggest failure you’ve had. What did you learn from it?
LE: I don’t think I’ve had my ‘biggest failure” yet just because I haven’t really taken that many risks yet. I’ve made mistakes on the way and I definitely learn from each one.

WoE: What does a typical day in your week look like?
LE: Pretty chill, I mostly hang out with my friends at each other’s houses. I recently discovered that I really enjoy baking. I also like eating out a lot.

WoE: You are a model, blogger and content creator, which is your favorite? 
LE: I think creating content is my favorite! I love making videos and coming up with concepts in my head and making them come to life. I don’t get paid for making videos, but it’s much more rewarding than any money I’ve been paid. I just like the fact that I can create any video I want at any time. I also love having full creative control. It’s nice to know I can create anything I want and I also enjoy the technical sides of filming and editing. I still have a lot to learn about it but I really enjoy it. 

WoE: Have your family and friends been supportive? How?
LE: Thankfully all my friends and family support me. They always congratulate me on my achievements and push me to become the best version of myself. 

WoE: Has anyone discouraged you from modeling, especially because we live in a somewhat conservative society? 
LE: My parents were actually apprehensive and worried at first because it was a completely new concept to them, but when they realized I can take care of myself, and know what I’m doing they became very supportive. 


WoE: What are your future dreams and aspirations? 
LE: I definitely have a lot of goals and dreams, like launching my own startup and running my own business! There is also a lot of big brands I’d love to collaborate with in the future. 

WoE: Would you consider using your fame to create a clothing line or make-up or perfume line in your name?
LE: I’m already working on a really cool personal project that I’ll hopefully be able to announce soon, but I don’t want to give it away just yet! But I’m excited to share it with everyone and I think everyone will be just as excited as I am. 

Photos courtesy Laila Ezzat.
Check Laila Ezzat Instagram here

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3 comments

  1. I like the interview very much .
    I am proud of my daughter Laila as she by herself is setting her own plans and pursuing her dreams I hope she will be able to achieve her goals with success .
    Best of luck my lovely daughter .

    Liked by 1 person

  2. I like the way she think and how she replies to the question with confidence in this young age. However, I really think that she is lucky not to face the common difficulties that any Egyptian youth faces. Which for sure wouldn’t let her make it that far in this age.

    Like

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