2014-4-4 Q&A: Andrej Pejic on a New Jewelry Line and Life Beyond Modeling✍

Four years ago, when model Andrej Pejic walked in the John Paul Gaultier show, people weren’t sure what to make of him: Here was the prettiest woman they’d ever seen — with long blonde hair and high cheekbones — who just happened to be a 19-year-old boy from Serbia. 

Over these last few years, Pejic — who now identifies with female-specific pronouns — has landed major jobs in the fashion world: walking in men’s and women’s shows, and modeling in countless editorials. And around her there have gradually been more images of gender diversity in the fashion world, with models like Casey Legler and Lea T rising to fame, as well as Barney’s much-lauded transgender campaign.

Now Pejic is branching out — and, as many models do, building her brand. Last night at the Gilded Lily, she launched a line of minimal 3-D-printed jewelry in a collaboration with the brand Sam H Snyder. Next, she is shopping an almost-finished autobiography around to literary agents, filming a documentary about her life, and plotting a move into modeling cosmetics. She spoke to the Cut about building Andrej Pejic Inc., how the industry has become more open to gender diversity — and the work that’s still left to be done.

四年前,當模特Andrej Pejic 出現在 John Paul Gaultier 的秀上時,人們無法確信是"他":他們看到了最漂亮的女人-一頭金色長髮和高顴骨-一位來自塞爾維亞的19歲男孩。

過去幾年裡,Pejic已成為了 identifies with female-specific pronouns -出現在各個時尚品牌;游走在男女秀之間,拍攝了無數的editorials。而她也為時尚界帶來更多的性別多樣性,像是模特Casey Legler 和 Lea T以及Barney令人讚嘆的跨性別廣告。

現在,Pejic就像其他模特一樣,建立了自己的品牌。就在昨晚的The Gilded Lily,她推出了與Sam H Snyder聯名設計的3-D-printed jewelry。下一步,她打算推出幾乎完成的自傳,拍攝一部關於她的生活的紀錄片並打算進軍化妝品市場。她談論到建立 Andrej Pejic Inc,這個產業將會對性別有更加的多樣性-當然,這一切都還有待完成。

How did the initial idea for this jewelry collection come about? 

I’ve been wanting to do some charity for a while. I wanted to pick something that I cared about and that was a bit personal. The name of the brand [I worked with] is Sam H Snyder. I loved their jewelry; they’ve given me some stuff before and they suggested doing a jewelry collaboration. I thought it would be a great way to combine a charity with that because I’m a fashion model, and I thought that made sense to do a line and give the proceeds to charity.

這個珠寶系列怎麼來的?

我想做跟慈善有關的事有一段時間了。我想做一些,我關心的也有點個人的事。我跟Sam H Snyder一起共事推出品牌。我喜歡他們的珠寶,他們提議可以一起做個珠寶的合作。而我認為與慈善結合起來會是個不錯的方式,我想做一點有意義的事,將所得的款項用於慈善事業。

Are there any jewelry designers who you were inspired by or looking at in the start of this process? 

I love costume jewelry, the stuff Givenchy/Riccardo Tisci do, and old school rock ’n’ roll jewelry, too. I actually love the look of men’s rings and men’s jewelry even more than women’s, so it was important for the jewelry to have a [masculine side.] I don’t spend a fortune at Tiffany’s. I like power dressing and it was important to me for the pieces to be strong and bold and make a statement. 

有哪個設計師啟發你或從哪個地方得到靈感?

我很愛costume jewelry (*意思是人造或半寶石、玻璃、合金的珠寶),還有Givenchy/Riccardo Tisci 和 old school rock ’n’ roll jewelry。比起女性款式,我更愛男性戒指和飾品。所以陽剛的一面在設計很重要。我不會為了Tiffany花一大筆錢。我喜歡的是 power dressing,這一點對我很重要,我希望能夠呈現勇敢和堅毅。

 

Do you intend for the jewelry to be worn by both men and women? 

I think anything can be worn by both men and women. I think there are pieces for both though, definitely. I don’t think it’s strictly one or the other.

男女性都可以配戴?

我覺得任何一個飾品都可以。我很肯定兩者都能。我不會覺得這是屬於男性或是女性的。

So tell me a little bit about why you chose for part of the proceeds of the sales to go to the Ali Forney Center? 

The first time I came to New York — and the first time I saw the movie Paris Is Burning — I learned about the homeless LGBT culture in New York City that goes back to the ’80s. I found that very interesting and it’s definitely something that I care about. It’s a community that I’m part of and it made sense for me to go with them. I was lucky to grow up in a family where your parents loved you no matter what you were, or what you came out as, and a lot of kids don’t have that ride. 

可以稍微透露為何你會選擇將收益捐給Ali Forney Center嗎?

我第一次來到紐約,第一次看到Paris Is Burning這部電影,我瞭解到在紐約無家可歸的LGBT文化可以追溯到80年代。這很有趣也絕對是我在乎的事情。這就像是我的一部分,對我來說很有意義。我很幸運,成長在一個不管你是什麼模樣父母都愛著你的家庭。很多的孩子沒有這樣的機會。

Since you began modeling in 2010, your career has really taken off. How have things changed for you: on a personal level, and on a perception level? 

I mean, so many things have changed. I’ve grown up since then. I started out as a teenager, [and] I’m 22 now. I feel older because the experience has definitely shaped who I am today and it’s given me the confidence and I’ve definitely grown. Things happened very quickly. I started off doing high fashion, editorial stuff purely. I was getting a lot of media exposure and it sort of kept going. Now I’m at a point where I definitely want to brand myself more. I love modeling and I want to keep doing it for as long as I can.

你在2010年開始模特的工作,你的生涯也確實真正的起步。你的個人或價值觀有甚麼改變嗎?

我想,有很多的事都改變了。從那時我就長大了。不在只是個青少年,現在,我22歲了。

我覺得自己年長了,很多的經驗造就了現在的我,給了我信心和成長。事情發生的很快。開始了高級時裝和editorial的工作。我得到很多來自媒體的曝光,這也一直都持續著。現在我來到一個時間點,我很肯定我要有自己的品牌。我愛模特的工作,只要可以我希望能長遠的一直持續下去。

Everyone and their mother is branding themselves these days. You have Naomi Campbell doing TV, which you know five years ago you’d never imagine. So, I think in this century you have to be multidimensional and you have to expand cover more than just one field.

Do you imagine a lifestyle brand for yourself one day? 

Maybe. I’m very — this was a great opportunity to do this for charity, and you know, jewelry I definitely care about. Going forward I definitely will — any sort of product I do — will have a personal association with me. And [a] practical thing too that’s been missing from our lives and I imagine should be on the market, rather than just pure design.

你有想過自己的lifestyle會成為品牌的那天?

也許吧。我非常-這是個很好的機會,能夠與慈善結合,這絕對是我在乎的事情。至於未來,我想我會-開發任何產品-會與個人有關的。事實上,已經有太多的東西從我們的生活和市場裡消失了。所以這不僅僅只是設計而已。

Tell me a little bit about you book. It’s an autobiography, and you started this project because you felt your story needed to be told? 

Told from my point of view. I think a life of a human being is not something you can explain in a few interview questions. The stuff you do in the media is sometimes a great reflection and sometimes not a great reflection of who you are as a person. So I think I have an interesting story and interesting background. It was kind of taking things in my own hands. It feels sort of liberating and that’s why I wanted to do it, to explain who I am to the world from my point of view, because even though I’ve had a lot of exposure I haven’t exposed myself completely.

可以透露一點自傳的事嗎? 你會這麼做,是因為你覺得你需要述說你的故事嗎?

這是從我的視角述說。我覺得一個人的人生不是你在幾次訪問裡就能被瞭解。從媒體呈現出來的,有時是很好的反思/想法,但有時根本不是。所以.既然我有一個有趣的故事和背景。那就由我自己來說。這有點得到解脫,這就是為什麼我想這麼做,從我的視角我的世界來敘述,因為盡管我有無數次的曝光,但我從沒真的述說我自己。

Do you think the world is still confusion out there about you and who you are? 

Yeah, definitely. That’s kind of been a defining characteristic of my career.

你覺得世界對你還有你是誰仍舊感到混亂?

絕對是。這也是我職業生涯中的一個絕對的定義特徵。

How would you describe what people currently think about you? 

For me, it was always very important to not be labeled and restricted and placed in a box. And have a label stamped and be typecast. That’s what I always try to steer away from, so I didn’t reveal a lot of things about how I felt about some things, or on a emotional level. It was important to keep my privacy throughout all of this. So I think the book is kind of a step away from that. It’s kind of me, more exposed than I’ve ever been. I think the time is right, and I feel comfortable, and I feel confident.

你怎麼形容別人對你的看法?

對我來說,沒有標籤和限制來定義你,這一直都很重要。這是我一直試圖擺脫的一點,所以我也沒透露太多自己的事情或我如何看待一些事,甚至是情感面。保持隱私對我來說很重要。這本書是一個平台,這是由我自己做的,透露了更多的我。現在一個很好的時間點,我覺得很好也有信心。

So you’re going to answer in the book questions that people may have about your gender and sexuality? 

Yes, exactly. All out. 

所以,你會在這本書裡回答,人們對你的性別和性向的問題?

是的。毫無保留。

I know you’ve been very private since the beginning of your career, and when we last spoke it was certainly that way. Have you opened up over the past few years? 

Over time, yeah. In the beginning, that’s how you model, to be a high-fashion model — I mean normally, you’re not even doing interviews, but because I had so much attention from the media, it was very important for me to kind of keep the image under control and have it complement my career. But over time, as I became more comfortable, and I could see that people could like me for who I am — I opened up more, definitely.

我知道你的職業生涯開始已經是很私人,當我們最後一次談論時。所以在過去幾年裡,你已經不那麼保留了?

經過了一段時間,是的。一開始,作模特,成為高級時裝的模特我的意思是在一般的情況下是這樣。但我還沒被採訪,就已經得到很多媒體的關注。如何在工作和自己之間保持一個平衡變得很重要。(*我覺得這段是在說一些私人照片和隱私的事)但之後,我變得比較適應,我可以看到人們喜歡看到我自己。-我想我沒那麼保留了。

So it’s a little about growing up. 

Yeah, it’s a little bit about that. I think everyone’s scared. Every person just wants to be liked. That’s something you carry on from high school, and you just kind of want your peers to like you, and then sometimes you. So it’s just about being yourself and I think over time I’ve definitely grown and built up the confidence.

所以這有關乎到你成長時(青少年)的故事。

是的,有一點點。我覺得每一個人都有一點點不安。都想被人喜愛。你帶著這樣的心情進入高中生活,你希望跟你同年齡人會喜歡你,甚至就只是你。所以這關乎到做你自己,我想隨著時間的成長,我也建立了信心。

So when you were profiled in New York you said that you wanted your gender to be open for "artistic interpretation." 

That was a career strategy, you know, and it was successful.  

所以當你在紐約 profiled ,你說你的性別是"為藝術詮釋。"

這是事業上的一個策略,而你知道這很成功。

When you say it was a career strategy, you mean that creating ambiguity was a strategy? 

Well, you know, I mean I had the physical ambiguity already, it was just about going with that on some level. I think I did that successfully.

當你說這只是一個職業策略,你的意思是模稜兩可?

你要知道,我的意思是,我有一個性別模糊的身體外貌,這某個程度上這兩者是這樣。而我確實成功做到。

Was there a turning point when you decided not to have that narrative anymore? 

I think that those elements still exist. I still model as both a man and a woman. I don’t constrict myself.

會不會有個可能讓你不用在述說某些事?

我認為一切都還是在的。我仍舊是游走在男女模工作的模特。我不想限制自己。

 

Are you more clear now about how you want to be identified? 

I still, to me it’s like, I say I live life in-between. That’s kind of been the case, well, since I was a teenager. 

你會更清楚定義你自己?

我就像我這樣,活在兩者之間。一直都是這樣,從我還是青少年時就是如此。

The industry has also changed around you as you’ve been working these last few years. There have been some important moments for the LGBT community and androgyny. 

When me and Lea [T] came out, we started a wave of androgyny and the whole in-between thing and now this, from that, I think now the fashion industry is definitely more open to androgyny and to a transgender model. You know I think it’s early stages, you know, I say it’s like African-American models in the 90s in the industry. It will take time for it to be completely integrated. But yeah, it’s a beginning. It’s really cool.

在過去幾年裡,這個產業確實有些變化。對LGBT community和androgyny也有了重要時刻。

當我和Lea T出現時,我們開始了雌雄同體和兩者之間的事,而現在來看,我覺得時尚界是更加開放了 ,雌雄同體和跨性模特。但我認為這還是個初期階段,就像90年代非洲裔的模特出現在這行業。這需要時間才能整合。這還是個開始。這真的很酷。

Do you feel attitudes have changed toward you in a way from when you started? 

Oh yeah. I started out and people were like, “What are you?” and “Who are you?” We don’t want to put you on the men’s board, and don't know who to market you to. There was just a lot of confusion. And I feel like that I’ve sort of broken the ice, and I’ve sort of proven that I can be successful and not change. I think that that definitely changed the way people see me, I think I have more respect than I did in the beginning. And yeah, I think that’s by the amount of new faces coming out that are androgynous or trans it shows that.

你覺得人們對你的想法是從甚麼時候開始改變的?

跟很多人都是一樣的,"你是什麼模樣?"和"你是誰?" 

我們不想把你設置在男性的樣子裡,也不確定要怎麼包裝你。就只有很多的不確定。而我想我打破了一些限制,並證明不須改變也能成功。我想是改變了人們對我的看法,比開始時得到更多尊重。而更多雌雄同體或跨性別的新臉孔已經充分的顯示這點了。

When you say there’s still work to be done in the industry, what do you mean? 

The day when it’s not a big deal is when it’s going to be done. The day when a transgender model is cast for a show and you don’t even think about it. If she has the right look, she gets the show. It’s not like, “Should she be in the show because she’s trans?” It comes down to what modeling is really about: what you look like. So when that discrimination is gone, and when it becomes obsolete, is when it’s done.

當你說這個產業還有更多的事要做,你的意思是?

The day when it’s not a big deal is when it’s going to be done. 

有天一個跨性別模特進入一個秀,你不想到會有的這一天。如果她的型對了,她值得得到機會。而不是,"讓她進入這個秀只因為她是跨性者?"模特工作最終的取決結果是:你的樣子。所以當不再存有歧視,已經不再有這問題,就是完成的時候。

Are there other design goals that you have? 

Hmmm. I would like to do like a unisex line at some point. I think that would be interesting, at this point. I think that’s where fashion is heading, that’s the future. I think it’s so hard for a brand to come out like that because there’s still a structure and, like, different buyers need to know if it’s men’s or women’s. I think that’s probably going to change soon.

還有其它的設計想法嗎?

嗯...我想做中性一點的設計。我覺得這很有趣。我想這是時尚未來的走向。但要成功的把品牌打造出來還是有些困難,有些既有的模式還是存在,不同的消費者會想知道,這是男性款還是女性款。但這點應該很快就會改變。

I have to ask you what you were saying on our way in: [that you are going to be president one day.] Do you have political aspirations, or was that a joke? 

I’m very political. I’ve had to be, you know, born just before the war. When I was a teenager, it was very important for me to find out what happened then and what happened with what politics, how’s it been, things like that. So I’m a political person. I don’t know if I would ever make it a career because I feel like when you make it a career, you lose. When you make it a career, you have to end up discarding everything.

[如果你能當一天的總統。]你會有甚麼政治抱負還是覺得這是個笑話?

我很政治。你知道的,我是戰爭前出生的人。當我還是青少年這件事已經對我很重要了,我想找出到底發生甚麼事,當時的局勢又是如何,為什麼事情會這樣。所以,我算是個很政治傾向的人。我不知道我會不會把它當作我的職業,因為我覺得當你把它當做職業就輸了。而且最終還可能讓你放棄一切。

Would you be a Hillary 2016 voter? Do you vote here? 

I can’t vote, but no probably, not. 

你是Hillary的支持者嗎?2016時你會投給她嗎?

我沒投票權。但我想,可能不會。

I hear that your brother has a tattoo of you? Is that true? 

Yeah, he does. One of the first shoots I ever did was for French Vogue. The picture that came out with a rose in my mouth. It wasn’t the cover, but it might as well have been because it got so much coverage. I see it on T-shirts, I see it everywhere. So he decided to do that on his arm. He wanted to get my name, and I said, “You may get sick of my name, but you won’t get sick of my face.”

聽說你哥身上有你的臉孔刺青,這是真的嗎?

是。他確實有。那是我為法國Vogue第一次拍攝的照片。我的嘴裡含著一朵玫瑰。那並不是封面,但幾乎快是了,因為它出現在許多地方。像是T-shirts,我幾乎看得到它出現在任何地方。所以,他就把它刺在手臂上。他說他想得到我的名聲,我告訴他"你會受不了的,但把我的臉孔刺在身上不會怎麼樣的。"

 

This interview has been edited and condensed.

http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/04/andrej-pejics-new-jewelry-line-lifestyle-brand.html

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雖然翻完了,但基本上覺得,還是有很多部份我自己都不知道自己在寫什麼? 或是理解意思,卻不知道要怎麼用中文寫。

這篇採訪給我的感覺跟以往有很大的不同。裡面涵蓋更多對未來的人生規劃和方向。

我之前一直覺得,或許之後不會那麼的modeling 了,但Andrej也說了,只要可以他會想繼續下去。

坦白說,幾乎是去年時,我就很希望他可以做點別的事,而不是只有模特。但還是有點私心希望模特的工作是繼續的。

也會希望他去念大學。並不是因為那張文憑有多重要。而是以前他常常提到這點,我也想到如果那時他沒做模特,現在可能已經在某個領域有了成就或做著他想做的事。而且我覺得這可以讓他有更多的選擇機會。

不過現在,他確實也開始了別的事物,建立品牌,計劃進入化妝品市場,也想成立公司 「Andrej Pejic Inc.」。

讓人很期待接下來的一切。

早在JPG的秀之前就看過他的作品,但確實是因為JPG的秀引發的效應讓我認識了Andrej。沒想到已經四年了,真的很快。

到現在都還記得第一次在電視上看到他時的感覺。雖然那只是節目當中的一個部分,JPG的秀打扮成新娘的他和一段採訪的內容。到現在我都還記的很清楚。

嗯...因為覺得自己的翻譯有錯誤,或我沒懂意思。如果有人發現了,請留言給我,讓我知道。謝謝。