Tuesday, October 13, 2020

This Senegalese-Italian Model Walked More S/S'21 Shows Than Anyone Else

Since British Vogue last spoke to Maty Fall Diba in July, when she closed the Dior Cruise 2021 show, the Senegal-born, Italy-based model has starred in a whopping 37 spring/summer 2021 shows. She beat rising runway stars Malika Louback and Mika Schneider, who took second and third spot respectively, to take the crown as the most prolific model of the season. Rather apt, given that her starring turn on the Dior catwalk saw her wear an actual crown that created a luminous halo around her braids.

“I have a lot of highlights,” professes the 19-year-old, now back in Chiampo in the north of Italy after modelling her final spring/summer 2021 look for Chanel at Paris Fashion Week. “Dior, Fendi, Alberta Ferretti… My favourite look was the one from Ferragamo, because of the colour. I love orange!”

This season has been “so much more chill”, explains Maty Fall, because of the phygital format, which saw brands pivot to lookbooks, static presentations, and small salon-like shows, with just a handful of the traditional big-budget runway spectaculars. “You had time to do things… Last season was crazy, I was running everywhere!” she laughs. Despite pandemic-imposed restrictions and precautions, Maty Fall notes, “The atmosphere was kind of the same, there was the same craziness backstage.”


The season didn’t round out with celebrations, but with a return to her language studies. “Books are going to be my best friend until next June,” she says of juggling Spanish, French and English syllabuses via a mix of Zoom and IRL lectures.

“Hopefully I’ll be working whenever I can,” Maty Fall, who is signed to IMG, adds swiftly. She’s staying open to opportunities thrown her way by the big-name brands, such as Dior and Prada, who now consider her one of the family. “I feel like everything for me is still so new, everything is just [the best] job. Being able to wake up and do this is a dream.”

It might come as a surprise, after the sweet Fendi shorts sets, vibrant Versace playsuits, and delicate Victoria Beckham slips she has spent the last month wearing, but Maty Fall describes her style as homely. “I’m really a lazy person, so I like to be cosy and away from cold,” she shares. She’s equally modest when quizzed on the beauty products that keep her skin fresh and dewy. “I don’t know if we consider face moisturiser as an essential, but I can’t live without it!” The best advice she has ever received from the industry titans who have welcomed her with open arms is simply to “be yourself”. This is far from the last we have seen of this wonderfully self-effacing queen of spring/summer 2021.

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