Easy as it may be to focus on the fresh faces and current runway mavens, Modelinia finds great pleasure in reminiscing on some of the greats who have graced the modeling industry through the years. We had the distinct pleasure to sit down with a top model from the ’90s, Claudia Mason, recently in order to bring you all the latest from the New York native dancer turned model turned actress turned producer.
After her discovery moment in a music store, Claudia went on to grace the pages of Vogue, W, Elle, and more while walking for designers including Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Versace, Christian Lacroix. From her fashion experience she transitioned into the television world with moments on MTV’s Fashionably Loud, in Woody Allen’s Celebrity, and in a music video for Enrique Iglesias. To add to her talent, Claudia moved to Los Angeles to pursue the dream, later acting as producer and actor in Tennessee Williams’ “Orpheus Descending.” Her production went on to receive a nomination for Best Revival of a Play by the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle for LA Theatre in 2010!
November saw her return to her hometown of New York City, as well as an influx of modeling gigs. Modelinia had the pleasure of sitting down with Claudia to discuss her future plans, her memories from modeling, and where she’s headed next!
You just moved back to New York from LA. Why brought about the change?
The day-to-day of New York thrills me. I just thought it was time to incorporate modeling more again. I had kind of stepped away from it and focused on the acting and that’s great. I had a mini comeback in fashion last year thanks to Katie Grand who booked me for Love Magazine and Russian Vogue, plus Giles Deacon in London. It was wonderful to do all that. I’m very much an a model and actor today it’s just about coming into fashion more.
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How did you decide to get back into modeling?
Last year working with Katie Grand, and Willy Vanderperre, photographer and Will Davidson for TWIN and Angelo Penetta, I mean these great photographers I forgot how incredibly fun and satisfying that is. In any business, when you’re doing it at the top, it’s obviously much more satisfying and gratifying. I had these great jobs last year and I was like, ‘Wow I need to come back to NY.’ So I knew that if I was going to bring back modeling in a significant way it has to be here. I’m thrilled to be back here living in New York where I was born and raised, and I can act in New York.
Is there something specific you love about New York?
The arts. My parents are artists. My father’s a playwright; my mother was an actress and dancer. I’m an artist. What I appreciated about New York is that I was always taken to a play, whether it was an off-the-wall plays and dance performances, or Broadway, when my mom could afford it, it was just wow. At any time of day you can find something … a gallery that’s open, a play, or a crazy art performance piece outside. It’s such a small little area and you don’t have to drive. New York is such an accessible city and there’s so much going on, so many different industries, so many different people.
Do you have a favorite memory from modeling?
I can’t believe this [is the memory that] comes up because it’s so not interesting, but I guess because I was speaking to my mother recently and we were talking about this. I started when I was 13 and was getting sent around the world, so she definitely made sure there was a chaperone when we could. My grandmother was sent with me and that was horrifying, but once I had to go to Hawaii alone and something was not clear. I think I was 14 or 15 the year I had to go, and I ended up on the highway freaked out alone at night. Of course, I didn’t have a cell phone since it was the time of no cell phones. I don’t remember how anyone found me but I was on an empty highway that hardly had any lights, walking for what felt like forever. I still can’t imagine how I got there because I was at the airport, but I knew enough then to take a taxi where I had to go. It must have been such a traumatizing experience that I don’t remember how I got there. Then somehow there was a phone and so I guess I called and someone picked up and found me. It’s interesting what your body holds, because I just have that little memory, not right before it or right after.
There are more exciting stories, more fun pleasant ones [like] working with Steven Klein when there was a huge elephant bought into the studio. [Trips to] Northern Africa, Yemen, Morocco, Egypt, the Souks, beyond the Nile river and the Karnak temple…
Tell us about the play you put on while in Los Angeles.
I had a successful run of Tennessee Williams’ play of Orpheus Descending that I produced, executive producer, as well as played the wonderful Carol Cutrere. We were nominated by the LADCC for best revival of a play in 2010 that was thrilling but we lost to South Pacific which was actually an honor. It was thrilling to add producer to my resume.
While you’re here do you plan to do more acting and producing?
Definitely. The producing came from I really had to play this part I just wanted to play this part so badly, and it’s a play that really never gets produced at all. I had X amount of dollars set and I had to play this, so that’s how it came about, but I’m not really looking just to produce. It’s really about getting back into the acting community in New York, independent films and plays and see what happens. I’m excited about it.
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