Interviewed and written by Natasha Djanogly
Nikki Gal can be called a lot of things: a successful Model, Entrepreneur, Artist, Advocate… but she doesn’t limit herself with labels. ‘I am human,’ states Nikki in the midst of our conversation. ‘We all have labels put on us every day… but we’re all humans.’ The poignance and truth of this simple statement radiate with possibility. In the face of our increasingly ignorant and self-absorbed world, Nikki’s own honesty and countless truth- and empowerment-spreading advocacy projects point to a promising inkling of humanity refusing to be forgotten.
Born in Massachusetts, Nikki started modelling at 15 and went on to grace the pages of Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Grazia, Marie Claire, Elle, and more. Ten years later, her modelling career is still thriving, and somehow, Nikki declares confidently, it’s still ‘stilettos all the way.’ Just this year, she worked with 80 independent designers.
But modelling is more than just a job for Nikki. She explains that it not only taught her to be in tune with herself but also gave her a unique, first-hand insight into the mysterious and often typecast industry — specifically its ‘downfalls.’
“Modelling is a body business,” says Nikki, explaining that everyone sees models at a shoot or on a runway, but “people don’t think, what is that model thinking?”
Nikki knew that people needed to hear the truth in the face of so much glamourisation and so-called perfect images. In 2021, she launched her non-profit, the Model Memo Podcast.
“(Models) all have this thing, it’s called a brain, and unfortunately, that’s not always seen in the industry. But that’s why I’ve started my non-profit work — to highlight that. … It’s okay to go to a casting and get rejected 36 times; that’s fine, that’s normal — but that needs to be talked about way more.”
The candid conversations she had with 75 worldwide models surrounding mental health and the industry’s issues shed light on both these realities as well as the typically disregarded humanity of models.
“Listening to ourselves and listening to you and me and everyone around us, that’s our biggest form of education that we have… ultimately human connection, that’s our biggest power in this world,” Nikki thoughtfully points out. For her, “the more (mental health) gets talked about, the more people will understand it.” This isn’t just some theoretical or ideological idea for Nikki; it’s something she completely translates to her other advocacy work as well as her artwork.
In her widely acclaimed 2021 podcast Raw Talk with Nikki Gal, Nikki interviewed a diverse range of over 120 women, including healthcare workers, CEOs, and sexual assault advocates. Unfiltered and empowering, these interviews explored a range of stigmatised topics, including mental health and self-esteem. One could ask, “What does conversation actually accomplish?” But the answer is clear: these open discussions provide a rare space where all women can finally come together, feel acknowledged, and learn so much from each other’s experiences.
“I can create a safe space for those young girls that may be triggered by an editorial. They can listen to, let’s just say, a podcast that I’m on or a podcast that I’m interviewing on, and they can hear the realities of it. They can say, ‘Oh, that’s a photoshopped image; that girl doesn’t look exactly like that in real life,’ because then reality kicks in, and it doesn’t feel so scary.
The desire for truth and empowerment also comes through in her art. “I’ve always been drawing on walls or anything I could find since I was a little, little kid,” Nikki laughs. Now, she utilises art’s distinct potential to spread awareness, arguing that “art is a language within a language; it speaks every language in the world.”
Aside from her 2019-launched digital art company, See Thru Nikki, Nikki has produced numerous influential socially engaged works, such as her 2020 Black Lives Matter-inspired piece #SayHerName. Raising awareness of police brutality in the USA, this piece garnered the attention of millions, including actress Zoe Kravitz and rapper Ice Cube.
With so many projects and immense responsibility, the question arises regarding how she also manages to also prioritise her own wellbeing? ‘I do so much,’ replies Nikki. Whether it’s sleeping for 8 hours, taking social media breaks, drinking plenty of water, practising yoga, keeping to a schedule or indulging in some of her much beloved strawberry cream cheese, pausing and self-care is non-negotiable for her.
‘I wouldn’t be able to be in that professional zone had I not taken time out for myself,’ Nikki shares candidly.
Not even thirty, and Nikki has already accomplished so much personally in her own career and also in her advocacy work. With a brain that Nikki humorously describes as a ‘kind of like sponge,’ inspiration comes from absolutely everything, be it somebody’s walk or a Tim Burton film, which she adores. With this infinite creativity, self-discipline and drive for social change, one cannot help but wonder what Nikki is planning on doing next?
When it comes to the near future, Nikki speaks of upcoming advocacy work and projects, but in the long-term, she hints at further venturing into animal welfare. Nikki already works in affiliation with the animal protection charity The Duo Duo Project.
‘I would love to own a Siberian husky non-profit organisation. I love to help shelter dogs and animals in need; it’s so important for me,’ Nikki admits.
From her career to her imagination to her advocacy, Nikki is truly limitless in every sense of the word. In our society, so attached to labels, Nikki’s impactful and far-reaching work inspires a relieving rupture to this constraining system.
Nikki highlights the potential of a society where empathy, creativity, and various skills can come together and make real positive change. A world in which fluidity and humanity are finally acknowledged and celebrated — that is a very tempting alternative.
