JW Anderson’s New Recruit Is Rising British Tennis Star, Holly Fischer

It’s not a name you’ll instantly recognise, but it’s definitely one you should take note of. Holly Fischer is the rising British tennis star who just swapped the grass courts for the catwalk at London Fashion Week. Joining a plethora of well-known models, including Kaia Gerber, the teenager opened JW Anderson’s autumn/winter 2020 show like a seasoned pro – despite only being told of her high-profile slot the day before the presentation.

“It just kind of happened,” the 16-year-old tells Vogue of her modelling debut for the British label. “I went to the casting in London and then I got a call back. There were so many girls at the casting that I never even expected to get picked for the show. When I heard that I was walking, I was so happy. Opening the show was a complete surprise. I only found out yesterday [16 February]. I’m so glad I got to start with such a cool brand.”

Fast-forward 24 hours, and the young Brit walked out in front of a star-studded FROW that included actor Billy Porter, musicians Rina Sawayama and Charli XCX ,and Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa. It’s certainly not the average day in the life of a teenager, but Fischer isn’t setting out to live a life like everyone else. “My average day involves getting up in the morning to play tennis for about two hours, usually from 9am until 11am,” Fischer says. “Then, I come home to eat lunch and do some homework. At around 2 or 3pm I usually do an hour of fitness. I then relax and get my homework done.”

Fischer, who divides her time between her hometown of London and Miami (her parents are American), has such a packed schedule that she made the decision to enroll in school online. “When I was in school full time and then training and travelling, it was a lot. It was too much, so I’ve been in online school for about two years now. It allows me to travel everywhere and still manage to do my work.” It’s a schedule similar to that of America’s Coco Gauff, another young female tennis player who is quickly rising up the ranks in the sport.

Thanks to the likes of Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and Naomi Osaka, switching between the worlds of fashion and tennis is nothing new. “I really like Serena Williams because she’s such an amazing tennis player… in my opinion one of the greatest tennis players of all time,” Fischer says when pressed about her idol. “I would love to do something in fashion as well as tennis. Serena manages to mix the two as she always has different outfits on by different designers. Whenever she walks onto the court it’s super interesting to see what she’s wearing.” And who does she look up to in the modelling world? “I really like Kate Moss. I just think she’s the coolest person.”

Fischer may have found herself with two worlds at her feet, but she still has her eye on one prize in particular. “Wimbledon is a tournament I’ve watched on TV since I was five-years-old. Winning something like that would feel like I was in a movie. It would be the most amazing thing ever.”