Hannah Woldetsadik wasn’t looking to become a model when she was scouted by Wilhelmina on Instagram. She was 19 and studying linguistic anthropology at NYU. “When I first got the email, I thought it was spam, or a scammer. I wasn’t sure whether to get excited,” she said. Now represented by No Agency New York, she has a compelling look that’s translated well to social media and campaigns, like the ones she’s done for Pat McGrath and Milk Makeup.
Hannah models, but she also makes art. She used to paper her walls with collages made from $1 art books she found at the Strand, but then she realized that every time she moved, she would have to disassemble her work. So now she makes smaller collages and other paintings and modifies her own clothes. We spoke with her about domesticated cats, the album Baylor Swift, and sewing.
What would your Real Housewives tagline be?
I always say that my sober, everyday mind is like an acid trip.
If you were running for office, what would your campaign song be?
“Heavy Metal” by Baby Mother. It’s not political, but it’s really fun.
If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be?
I would love to be a domesticated cat. Everyone could just feed me, and I’d just walk around being pretty. It’s a great life.
What are the last three songs you’ve listened to?
The Baylor Swift album from Bali Baby. I’ve been listening to it on repeat. She does rap, but it’s also kind of punk and alternative.
What superpower would you like to have and why?
Teleportation. I would love to go to the beach at any point during the day whenever I have free time.
If you could master any skill that isn’t related to your current job, what would it be?
Constructing clothes. I want to learn to sew more, and screen printing is really interesting to me.
What goal are you working towards at the moment?
I want to be a better artist overall and have more discipline.
What piece of advice has the biggest impact on you?
I can think of advice that I don’t listen to but I’d like to listen to. My grandfather says something like, “You have to worry about the pennies.” he phrases it weirdly because English isn’t his first language, but it’s about being careful with how you’re spending money. I should start doing that.
Hannah wears a Simone Rocha dress and Moschino boots.
