When it comes to similarities with the pop diva, Rihanna, Nell Robinson has a few. An exotic island allure, a very sexy accent and to top it all off, a seriously “wicked” body; but the beauty is no pop diva, and she is more than just a sexy swimsuit model.
PHOTOS: GlobalGrind’s Cover Girls!
Jamaican born and bred, Kingston’s very own Nell was born with the hunger to model in her blood. Her mother was a model in the 1970s, and passed on her looks and business smarts to Nell, who took them and ran.
Scouted by a modeling agency when she was 18, Nell has enjoyed a fruitful career that she’s capitalized upon globally, but as a naturally ambitious woman, she needed more to satisfy her hunger. For that reason, Nell started Bang! Swimwear.
PHOTOS: Sexiest Bikini Photos Of Rihanna… EVER!
This isn’t just another model bikini line, it is a carefully designed line with details meant to rock, from denim to studs and rips. As for similarities with Rihanna, Nell thinks the pop diva will look even better than she does in one of her designs.
Fresh off celebrating her country’s inspiring win at the Olympics, GlobalGrind had the opportunity to catch up with the lovely Nell to talk about her latest endeavors, and be hypnotized by not only her super sweet personality, but her very sexy accent as well.
GlobalGrind: Tell us a little about your background and how you got into modeling.
Nell: I am from Kingston, Jamaica where I was signed with the agency ‘Pulse Investments’ and went on to win ‘supermodel of Jamaica’ and ‘supermodel of the Caribbean’. My mother used to be a model in the seventies, so I have always had really good advice from her and decided to give it a go
What’s the best advice your mom has ever given you?
She has always told me to work hard, maintain my enthusiasm and never feel pressured into anything you don’t feel comfortable with and that was probably one of the best pieces of advice she has ever given me.
Have you ever been in a situation where you have been asked to do something that you weren’t open to?
Yes, there was a time. It was a good photographer and you don’t get many chances to work with them, but they wanted me to do a completely nude shoot, which I didn’t feel comfortable with. I called my agency and they spoke to him and he eventually said it was OK.
What do you miss most about back home when you are traveling?
I miss my family the most, definitely! I also miss my friends, the food and the island living. I am in London where it’s very different from Jamaica. I keep close to my group of Jamaican friends so home doesn’t seem so far away but I do miss my family.
You have a bikini line, named Bang! How did you get in to designing?
I wanted to introduce a new dynamic to my modeling career and my work in fashion so I contacted a really close friend of mine, Ann Marie Clarke. She was working in London at the time in a major fashion company as a junior merchandiser. I explained all of my ideas and my vision and she shared those as well so we teamed up. I did some courses at the London College of Fashion as it’s something I have always wanted to do. I think that models should always be looking out for those opportunities and different things they can branch out into.
You showed your line for the first time during Caribbean Fashion Week. How that experience was for you?
It was so much fun!! I invited my friends in modeling to come down and participate in the show and the campaign shoot with me. We had lots of local Jamaican girls in it as well. Its a rock inspired collection comprised of denim and leather pieces. It was a great experience seeing it all come together-getting the music, models and simply being on the other side for the first time was inspiring. We had a good response from the audience and lot of interest from buyers so it was a success.
When you were choosing your models were you being very critical?
I was being quite critical as well as using friends. We wanted to have a mixture of girls from different countries including Ukraine, Thailand, Guyana and of course lots of Jamaican girls. We had all different looks.
Is there any one celebrity you would like to see in a piece from your line?
Yes and it would be Rihanna. I would love her to wear one of my pieces. I feel like its her style, really…a lot of very sexy, cool, edgy pieces, some of them have studs and rips. I think Rihanna for sure would be the main celeb I’d want to feature it.
What else do you have for the future outside of your swimsuit line?
I really want to model for Sports Illustrated, it’s one of my biggest dreams. I feel like ill get it one day though because my body is wicked right now!! I just signed to NY Models in New York and they are pushing me towards that as well as I do a lot of lingerie and swimwear.
So what is a beauty secret that you swear by to keep yourself looking good?
As far as skin care, I use a scrub once a week and I use a facial serum every night before going to bed; I find that really makes me look bright the next morning. For my body, it’s all about exercise. I’ve been working with this company called “The Skinny Bitch Collective,” and my trainer just keeps me really motivated as well about three to four times a week. I just can’t stress the importance of eating well and having a good diet enough to people. That’s really important.
