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- 2017-04-22 23:06:34
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Meet Ralfs. “Ralfs Janis,” added he, explaining that Janis is a traditional male name in Latvia. Ralfs Jānis Grīnfelds is a 21 years old Erasmus student, who has been a part of the AUBG community since the beginning of the Spring 2017 semester. He mentions he has already spent his first Bulgarian birthday at Sofia Fashion Week. Ralfs has participated in many fashion shows, one of which is the Riga Fashion Week, and easily received an invitation to participate as a male model in Sofia as well.
[caption id="attachment_36201" align="aligncenter" width="598"] Ralfs on the streets of Blagoevgrad. Svetlozar Apostolov for AUBG Daily[/caption]“I was staying at a five-star hotel for a whole week, the after-parties were really cool,” he shared, but admitted that the fashion week itself wasn't as professional as the one in Latvia, because in his country they have a lot of their own designers and bigger collections. The event in Sofia was also organized in a different way. "Here they had, for example, Versace and my goal was to get to be their model. Of course, I got the offer and I was so excited, and then I noticed it was just the collections from the store," added Ralfs and presumed that Versace was not even aware of the use of its collections.
Nevertheless, the experience was amazing for him and he cherishes his new acquaintances that quickly turned into friendships.
[caption id="attachment_36190" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] On the stage of Sofia Fashion Week 2017. Ralfs' Personal Archive[/caption][caption id="attachment_36191" align="aligncenter" width="598"] Ralfs shared that even from the beginning his friends and Instagram followers thought his cheeks are a notable part of his appearance. Svetlozar Apostolov for AUBG Daily[/caption]Ralfs admitted that the road to the fashion industry has not been easy. “When I was younger, I was really short, with long hair, not attractive at all. Then, at the age of 15, I started to do racing and I guess because of the testosterone and the adrenaline there, I grew up in just one summer, all of a sudden with 20 cm. I cut my hair, started looking different.”
Before that, he liked being a photographer, but wasn't into being a model. It all started with selfies on Instagram. Then he had his first offer from a Latvian agency, which offered him to go to the Italian Fashion Week under the brand Diesel. “I was super excited, the tickets were booked, I was going…,” he recalled and continued “until they asked me how tall I was. I answered 1.81 m, and it was a problem, because the minimum requirement was 1.83.” Similar situations followed a few times. He is currently not under contract with any fashion agency, but when the requirements for height are not so strict, Ralfs gladly accepts and participates in fashion shows.
[caption id="attachment_36194" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Headphones as accessories for Ralfs. Svetlozar Apostolov for AUBG Daily.[/caption]His advice for people interested in modeling: “People discover you mostly through your Instagram and Facebook profiles, that's why it is really important to keep your profile interesting and post different photos, not only selfies for example.”
Ralfs described both his personality and his style as “different”. His style usually depends on his mood, while interests and hobbies in various fields also make it impossible for him to be just one thing. He used to be different from people at his age: "I was one of the people bullied at school, so I didn't have a lot of friends, but in return had more time to focus on different hobbies.”
He started with dancesport and with his partner became the second best junior couple in Latvia. He then turned to hip hop and became the first Latvian male champion and then went to the world championship and got 11th place in the world. The road to success for him is hard work and dedication. “If you want to be better, you have to train,” Ralfs explained.
[caption id="attachment_36195" align="aligncenter" width="960"] On AUBG's stage. Ralfs' Personal Archive[/caption]Asked about being an Erasmus student from Riga Stradins University, Ralfs admited AUBG was not his first choice for exchange. However after living here for more than three months now, he is thankful he got here. New opportunities, friendships, the nature and the mountains in Blagoevgrad, and the active student life on campus are few of the things that keep the homesickness away. Still, he expressed his impatience to go back to Latvia for the summer and continue with racing and working on his car. Racing is also one of the main reasons he decided to study business, because it is an expensive sport and requires many investments and entrepreneurship skills.
[caption id="attachment_36196" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Hard work pays off, according to Ralfs. Personal Archive[/caption]Notable is the vlog he has created at the beginning of his Erasmus journey. Ralfs explained that it was the easiest and most interesting way to keep in touch with all of his friends back home. Instead of re-telling his stories all the time, he can just update his vlog with the most funny, memorable, or thought-provoking experiences. Added to this impressive list of hobbies and extracurricular activities, last year he also finished a DJ school in Riga. Ralfs shared his dream of living and working in Australia after he graduates next year and probably doing an internship at a big company in Sidney.
[caption id="attachment_36200" align="aligncenter" width="598"] Ralfs admits that black is his favorite color, but he can be seen in more colorful outfits, too. Svetlozar Apostolov for AUBG Daily[/caption]BLITZ:
- Underdressed or overdressed? Underdressed
- Sneakers or formal shoes? Sneakers – they go well also with a suit
- Shirt or T-shirt? Shirt
- Black or white? Black
- Hipster or swag? Definitely not hipster
- Quantity or quality? Quality
- Spring or Fall? Spring
- Favourite color? Black