Meet the model: Julia van Os

MY ACTING PAST HELPS ME TO MODEL. I was in a theater group from ages eight to 15 and we did shows like Annie every year. It really helped me with public speaking and being in front of the camera without feeling self-conscious. Performing and modeling are pretty similar because you’re the center of attention and you can’t really be shy with it – you need to know how to move and know your own body.

MODELS ARE LIKE ATHLETES. I find myself pushing my mental and physical boundaries over and over again. People don’t realize, but most models I know live like professional athletes. It’s not always fun and definitely not easy, but it makes you very strong.

I’VE ALWAYS LOVED THE OUTDOORS. I was a tomboy when I was young; I was with the Girl Scouts and loved to do outdoors stuff like camping. Now, when I have a free weekend, I head upstate and go back to basics for a little bit. No phone, no TV, just some friends and some wine and maybe a campfire. It’s so important to go and get that nature break because then it’s always nice to come back refreshed afterwards; it makes a huge difference to me.

MY GOAL IS TO BE A YOGA TEACHER. I’ve done yoga since I was young because my mom was always passionate about it, so she made me and my brother do it. When I started modeling, it became my way to stay in shape, and it helped my mental state, too – my whole body felt so much better when I practiced. So I decided to dive a little bit deeper into it and did a teacher-training course last year. It’s hard to navigate around my job because I’m out of town a lot and I can’t really commit to a set schedule of teaching, but at least I’ve made a start.

MY BEAUTY ROUTINE IS LOW-KEY. Some concealer, highlighter, a lash curler and brow gel will get you far.

I USED TO MAKE MY OWN CLOTHES. My parents would give me a certain amount of money each month when I was younger and I would have to buy everything from it – train tickets, clothes, cinema, whatever I wanted to do. So I found a clever way to get cool clothes cheaply; I’d go to vintage and secondhand stores and find pieces that were a little bit too big, and then I’d cut them and sew them together into clothes that would fit me. It’s such a cool, creative process.

I’M A JET-LAG EXPERT. My advice for getting through it? Drink a lot of water on the plane, adjust the time you eat to the time zone you’re in right away, and just relax when you feel tired. I used to force myself to stay up during the day, but you just end up exhausting yourself more than necessary. Somebody also told me that watching the sunset and sunrise helps to reset your biological clock.

Follow Julia on Instagram @juliavanos