Brit sensation, Olivia Arben, is well on her to way to becoming one of the supermodels of the century, having already worked with some of the biggest names in fashion at the youthful of twenty-two. Born in Surrey, England, the brunette bombshell is currently based in London and Dubai – continue reading to discover her thoughts on living in two cities, how she started in the industry, and her admirable work as a British Heart Foundation Ambassador.
Arben burst onto the modelling scene when she was fifteen-years-old, marking her grand entrance in hair shows such as L’Oreal Colour Trophy. “I had always liked the idea of modelling ever since I was six or seven,” Olivia explained, and cites American fashion TV as her source of inspiration, as she imagined it to be similar to “playing dress up for a living”. However, after leaving boarding school, Olivia instead pursued a career in Swimwear Design, studying at the world-renowned London College of Fashion, but soon found “it wasn’t for me” and “dropped out to pursue modelling”.
Obviously now I do it I know there’s a lot more involved in modelling than fancy dress!
And she hasn’t looked back since. The 22-year-old has an exquisite portfolio of working with global brands such as L’Oreal Paris, Furla and Steve Madden. But when asked about her career highlights, Arben cites the NFL EU Clothing Campaign for last year’s Superbowl as one to remember, displaying her humble nature in adding, “I had no idea how big it was going to be…it was featured in Times Square so that was pretty cool!”. In addition, the Surrey-born brunette recently walked in a show held for the Oman Royal Family and featured in this season’s London Fashion Week, with New York’s rendition and Miami Swim Week currently in her sights!
When asked about her plans for the future, Olivia reveals she’s just getting started when it comes to making her mark in the industry, and comments “I really love what I do and would love to do it for as long as I can”. She also cites Victoria’s Secret Angel, Adriana Lima, as inspiration for having a tremendous career. However, Arben continues, and identifies radio as an occupation of interest, having previously enjoyed participating in radio interviews and adds that the lack of age limit is an advantage.
But in addition to her career achievements, Olivia Arben is also a proud ambassador for the British Heart Foundation – the “UK’s number one heart charity dedicated to the fight against heart disease”. Citing the CEO of the BHF, Simon Gillespie’s personal experience as striking a chord with her own, Olivia sadly explains, “My father also died suddenly of a heart attack when I was 16” and goes on to mention how, after offering her services, she was “thrilled to be asked to be an Ambassador.”
She discusses her role with vibrancy and pride, highlighting her main duties as raising awareness primarily amongst young people, in addition to encouraging all individuals to “keep on top of their own heart health” as it truly is a vital aspect of one’s wellbeing that is owed attention. It’s fair to say that Olivia does a thorough and fantastic job of supporting such an important cause. Specifically, she has most recently been campaigning about #boughtatabhf – a digital pledge “aimed at getting younger people to buy from BHF charity shops” and post about it on their own social media. She explains that items from BHF stores can be equally as fashionable, and as a result of your purchase, you are also contributing to “further life saving research.”
The BHF funds thousands of research projects around the UK, fighting heart disease and helping millions
BHF stores flaunt an eclectic mix of items that suit all styles and tastes, Olivia describing her own look as “classic”, with her go-to outfit as a pair of “black jeans paired with a tight top and heeled boots” – most of which will most likely be available at your local BHF store, so do keep an eye out. Other items Olivia classifies as staples are cat eye sunglasses and sheer tights. But when she’s not shopping at her local BHF, the brunette bombshell states her other high street favourites are Zara “for accessories and jumpers” and PrettyLittleThing.com “for dresses”. For when she’s looking to splash out a little more, she looks to Sandro, Gucci and Joshua Kane, pinpointing a “floral trouser suit that Joshua tailored for me, (which) I wore on the red carpet in Cannes” as forever a favourite item.
In terms of her beauty hacks, however, the Surrey-born supermodel explains “it’s all about skincare for me”, and recommends Bobbi Brown’s SPF50 Protective Face Base for everyday use, and Malin and Goetz’s Sulphur Paste for blemishes. In addition, the basics are of equal importance, vouching for “Lots of water, lots of sleep” as essentials, too.
Furthermore, with her job entails a fair amount of travelling, and Olivia describes herself as “lucky” to split her time primarily between London and Dubai. “In my opinion”, she explains, “the style of work – it is more expressive and glamorous than editorials in the UK”, but goes on to say she wouldn’t make the move full-time, exclaiming she “loves the UK too much!” Plus, outside of her two homes, Cannes was one of her travelling highlights especially “during the Film Festival because the atmosphere is electric”. Olivia also names her bucket list destination is Alaska, purely because of the scenery and the thought of “being the only person exploring”.
And there you have it – supermodel sensation, Olivia Arben, in a nutshell. An inspirational young woman who’s book we should all take a leaf out of, as she continues to do tremendous work for The British Heart Foundation and set an example that hard work & self-dedication will always pay off.
For more information on The British Heart Foundation, the work they do and any campaigns you can get involved in, follow them on Instagram @the_bhf, or please click here.
Thank you to Olivia for taking the time to answer my questions!
By, Lauren Tricker | @modelsontrend
Olivia’s social media:
Instagram: @oliviaarben
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