Ibiza girl Raica Oliveira has the wellness world at her fingertips
We chatted with top model Raica Oliveira about her personal, professional and spiritual evolution.
Supermodel Raica Oliveira was the one of the biggest stars of the catwalk in the 2000s. At 38, she's still the darling of high-end editorial. She talks to L'Officiel about fashion, style and the evolution of body and mind.
L'Officiel: Let's start by talking about the fashion industry: do you think that Victoria's Secret decadence means the end of the era of 'perfect' bodies?
Raica: For many years VS definded the image of perfect bodies - a super sexy and highly sensual image that said 'sex sells' I think people got tired of it. It got out of control. Today's market is totally different, it breaks barriers and celebrates a diversity of genres and the plurality of bodies.
L'Officiel: You're always noted for your healthy and natural look. What self care practices have you adopted in your your 38 years?
A: Great skincare combined with facial gymnastics! In terms of food, 20 years ago I became a vegetarian. I'm very healthy, but I do love to eat junk food sometimes. To take care of my body, I do yoga regularly and whenever I can get in touch with nature. I apply body oils daily to promote hydration. I know a lot of people have heard about the importance of water, and it really is essential, just like letting the body rest. A good night's sleep is worth a lot!
L'Officiel: Where are you with self acceptance and self worth?
R: Beauty has a lot to do with how you feel inside. At the beginning of my career there was a great demand to be skinny, which brought a great deal of emotional insecurity for me. I never thought I was the ideal weight and it was a long process to be able to accept my body the way it is. I believe that many models may have gone through crazy diets, and this is why I started to look for what was good for me, not only in food, but in circles of friendships, places, tastes. It was a great journey of personal rediscovery. To understand that if I didn't love myself, no one else but myself could do it for me. The biggest secret is in self acceptance and to stop comparing. I also started to practice yoga, which in addition to working for my body brought me great self-knowledge. It's a powerful practice.
'Comparison can bring us great dissatisfaction and the desire for a level of perfection that does not exist. Nobody is perfect and we are all facing our own challenges'
L'Officiel: Yoga is connected with evolution and spiritual balance. What changes has this this quest for growth caused in you?
A: I come from a very strong spiritual family background, so spirituality has never been far away in my life. But as I matured and grew, I discovered other spiritual paths beyond what I was taught as a child and teenager. We are living in an era in which spirituality comes from the connection we have with ourselves, we are a portal to the divine, from the moment we get to know ourselves, we increase out intuitive power even more, so we are a vehicle of expression of the divine. It's almost an exchange.
L'Officiel: How do you feel after so long inthe fashion industry?
A: I am very grateful for everything that fashion has offered me for all these years. It was a childhood dream to become a model and it was through this profession that many doors opened. Job opportunities, countries, different cultures - a vast amount of experience that no university could offer. Everything I've achieved in my life has been through fashion and my efforts. But despite working in fashion, I don't follow trends. In the last three years I have rarely bought clothes. If I do decide to buy something it's from small artisanal producers. I am aware of the great impact that the fashion industry has on our environment and I also see that fashion creates an unnecessary compulsion in people. Before I buy anything I really wonder if I need it or not.
L'Officiel: And what are the plans going forward?
A: I built an online platform called Itree Life, which aims to generate content aimed at well-being and personal alignment. In the last five years I have dedicated most of my time to different studies that led me to create this platform. I started out of curiosity to delve deeper into yoga practices, which led me to a deep self-knowledge of my body and more subtle energies. I continued with other studies such as alchemy, health coach, floral studies, herbalism and Ayurveda. It was in these lessons I discovered my great passion for natural perfumery and I ended up also founding Itree Perfumes.
L'Officiel: What is the purpose of the project?
A: Itree comes a goal to help people become healthier and more self-aware. Through practices, changes in habits and a healthier lifestyle, it is possible to have autonomy of our own choices. This leads to personal fulfillment. With the help of herbs, florals and self-knowledge practices, Itree provides tools that help people explore their challenges and potential in order to grow and be free of barriers that can impede their development.
L'Officiel: How you believe the methodology can add to people's lives?
R: Deep down, we all already know what we want or what we do well. We go through many distractions and insecurities that distance us from what we internally want - this can be down to cultural, family, or social influence. What I could see in the results achieved is a greater harmony of personal purpose, a physical, emotional and spiritual alignment. Itree's methodology offers people knowledge about the body through natural food based on Ayurvedic principles, yoga and breathing practices and a deeper connection with the help of flower essences and astrology. I see a great renewal in the people who participated in the program, similar to the process that I also went through.
credits
Agency : @primemgmt
Agent: @pablodcoelho
Photographer : @_rodolforuben
