Ana, originally from Zahara de Atunes (a small town in Andalusia, Spain), moved to Madrid when she was two and has been residing  here ever since. She currently is studying Fine Arts and felt "La Modelo del Mes" fits perfectly with her studies. In an effort to break out of her shell, she became "La Modelo del Mes" for May. Things are heating up in Madrid so we sat down on a bright day by Tirso de Molina to hear all about her transformation.

So how did you come to meet Shimada?
My sister and my Mom were looking for a place to get their hair done and they came across Shimada's salon. They said they found a great hairstylist so when it was time to have my hair done, I set up an appointment. I like him a lot, he  really takes a lot of time to make sure he styles your hair very well.

How did you get involved in "La Modelo del Mes" for May ?
He was cutting my hair one day and then asked if he could take photos of my hair. My mom was actually there with me and said, “Come on, do it!”.

How did you feel when he asked you?
Well, at first I said yes, really without thinking. Then I thought about it and felt a bit embarrassed about the whole thing. Also, I think I was trying to find a reason not to. My mom was really pushing me to do it. She's usually pretty calm and lets me make my own decisions. In this case, she was pretty insistent on me taking advantage of this opportunity. As this project is similar to what I study, I think that is what pushed me to do it.

Have you ever done anything like this?
When I was younger, I had a friend who sold bags and asked me to take some pictures with them.Recently, I started taking a theater class as part of my Fine Arts classes. We will be doing a performance this June. So...I am still learning how to be comfortable in front of people.

How did you feel during the shoot?
All my life, I have been very introverted. If you ask people, it was very difficult for me to open up until around two years ago. I usually would spend time with my sister playing football and things because I was just so shy. As you can imagine, I was very nervous having so many people look at me while we were shooting outdoors.

What was most difficult?
The makeup! I was there for what seemed like three hours, maybe it was two. I don't ever wear makeup and this was the first time I had anything done like this. He also had to pluck my eyebrows a bit. Oh my god, it hurt a lot since I never have it done. On top of this all, I was wearing  contact lenses which easily water up if you just blow on them, so Shimada had to keep doing touch-ups during the makeup session. I felt bad since he had to do so many things while I just sat there.

 

What were you thinking while he took the photos?
Well, I was really embarrassed. I just tried to listen to Shimada, look here, do this. I tried not to think too much and to ignore the people who stopped to watch.

What were you expecting?
I was expecting it to be pretty difficult. I have seen a lot of programs that talk about the making of films. I always see how long it takes to do makeup and how many people they need to make it happen.

Any differences when Shimada works on a project versus doing your hair in the salon?
He's really aware of what he is doing. When he is doing my hair on a normal day, he's working, but will ask you questions. Doing this, he was really focused on his vision and would only talk to give his directions. It was really interesting to both of his work styles.

How did you prepare?
I think it was more about mentally preparing myself. Shimada told me to show up with my outfit and then that would be enough. We ended up using a shirt he made so he really did everything for me. I thought, "This guy makes his own clothing to?".

Have you seen the photos?
I have seen some as well as the videos. It's really cool, although I am a little embarrassed. I am such a shy person and I feel like I see someone else in those photos.

What did your Mom say about the final results? And the rest of the family?
They tell me I look awesome, and maybe should wear makeup more often. My mom posted the link on Facebook so my whole family could see and comment on it. Then, my sister posted it. Since we have so many friends in common, everyone is starting to see it...something I was trying to avoid. I'm shy, remember.

What would you tell someone wanting to do something like this?
Take advantage if you get the opportunity. If you want something, you are going to have to work hard for it.

Anything else you want to touch on?
This was a great experience for me personally since I study Fine Arts and I want to do things in the same field. All in all, I  would have to say Shimada really has a vision and is a great stylist as well.