Meet the model: Lineisy Montero

I MISS SANTO DOMINGO, where I grew up. I miss my family and I really miss the weather; even when it’s sunny in New York you sometimes still have to wear a sweater, but the Dominican Republic is always hot. I miss the food, too; no one cooks like my mom and my grandmother, especially me – my grandmother tried to teach me but I’m really bad.

I WAS SPOTTED ON A ROLLERCOASTER when I was 14, but I was really shy and too young and wanted to finish high school. But for the next four years everyone kept telling me I should be a model, so when I finished school I decided to try because I didn’t have anything to lose. It took me a long time to learn to enjoy it but I love it now. I love that I can be a different person in every runway show that I do – in one I can be sexy, in another I’m really strong or funny.

PRADA WAS MY FIRST BIG SHOW and I was so nervous. I didn’t speak very good English back then so everything that anyone asked me, I just said yes. When I flew to Europe, I lost my luggage for three or four days and I was wearing heels and my feet were really bad. Then when I got to the fitting for Prada, they put me in the clothes and told me I looked amazing but the only shoes that they had were two sizes too small for me so if I could walk in them then I was in the show. Of course I said yes but my feet were so sore!

SOME DAYS, I’LL LOOK REALLY STYLISH and other days I’m a complete mess. If I’m going to my agency or to work I have to wear something really nice, but if the only thing I’m going to do is go to the market and come back then I’ll wear a dress, some colorful socks and Converse, something comfortable. I like to get dressed up at fashion week but it depends on the weather – the first season I did shows I got really excited and thought I’d [be noticed by street-style photographers], but I didn’t cover up properly and I got sick because I come from a really hot country. So now I make sure I wear enough clothes.

I WANT TO MODEL FOR AS LONG AS I CAN. Before I started, I wanted to be a science or history teacher. Now I think that when I finish modeling I’ll do something related to fashion, maybe be a designer, because I really know that world now.