In Bloom: Sana Belal

When your very projected image is meticulously managed and promoted and sold on a daily basis, sometimes its hard to remember what a model might look like her natural habitat. Take for example my surprise when I discovered that Kamila Filipcikova was sporting a serious eyebrow piercing, or Abbey Lee Kershaw's adorable nose ring. Those little personal touches seems incredibly special when you consider that the modeling machine seems to want an increasingly blank, depersonalized slate with each passing girl.

Where is this all going? Well, I've been watching Sana Belal at 1st Option in Denmark for a few weeks now, but only after her debut on Next's PhotoASP account did I look back and realize that she was also sporting a facial piercing in her stunning digitals. I love the very idea that beyond that sweet, alien-esque face might lie a rebel without a cause somewhere in Sana!



(all photos courtesy of 1st Option)

What a subtle, yet unique, personal touch for a model. Combine that with the continued need for more diverse races on the runways (though I would like to come to place where racial diverse models don't even need that preface), and Sana certainly could be a girl to watch. With those beautiful, deep, wide-set eyes and that gorgeous skin tone, Sana appears to be a girl unlike any other this moment. Not to mention with her runway ready 5'10" and 30-24-32 frame, I cannot help but think that Sana would look right at home on a MxMJ runway come September. Of course, that is assuming that Next continues to successful promote their new faces (read: Karmen Pedaru for Chloé!).


(photos courtesy of Next's PhotoASP account)

So lets review here: Beautiful, unique alien-esque face? Check. Incredible runway body? Check. A much needed boost of diversity (other than Chanel and Jourdan)? Check! I think Next might very well have a great new talent on their hands, and I for one could not be happier to see Sana Belal already signed.