Vogue Czech released a new interview with Candice talking about motherhood, Tropic of C and more during the meet and greet in Miami last month.
Candice Swanepoel: “I take my mother’s role very seriously.”
Candice Swanepoel, a South African supermodel, was one of the stars of the Miami Swim Fashion Week SS 2020, where she presented her sustainable Tropic of C swimsuit collection. at the same time, she can maintain the flawless visage of the angel Victoria’s Secret.
I’m terribly curious about your lifestyle, how do you manage to maintain such a great figure, wrinkle-free skin, glowing skin, what do you eat?
My lifestyle has changed since I have children, but I’ve been trying to exercise regularly, eating a healthy, balanced diet. I actually eat everything I give to children. I grew up on a farm in South Africa and spent a lot of time in Brazil, so my kids eat vegetables, fish, rice, beans and we eat together. I also like to prepare my beauty smoothies with collagen, coconut oil, protein powder. They feed me and they are healthy.
What is your beauty routine?
I love sheet masks. I often get moisturizers at home if I don’t have time to go to the cosmetician. It is very important for me to clean my skin well, as a model I often have makeup on the show, so make-up removal is essential. I constantly use SPF 45 because I like the sun. I love life on the beach, but I avoid tanning my face.
How is your skin care different on the days you prepare for a show or photo shoot?
It’s not that much difference, I just have to pay attention to the perfect timing. A few weeks before the show, I use cleansing masks and go to a cosmetic deep cleanser because the skin needs time to soothe. I do intensive hydration a week before the event, I apply sera with more vitamin C and LED therapy. But I truly believe that the most important thing is to maintain your inner health all year round – to drink plenty of water, eat healthy and sleep.
Do you sleep enough if you have a baby and a toddler at home?
I’m not going to sleep so much with them, especially when my older three-year-old brings some cold out of kindergarten every few weeks. It wakes up much more, but I got used to it. I sleep whenever I can.
How did you get back in shape after two pregnancies you showed off for Victoria’s Secret? Do you have a tip?
There is something different about everyone. You have to follow how your body works. I have a tendency to natural slenderness, actually I’ve always had to try to maintain muscle mass, losing weight when I’m stressed. Of course I had to practice. However, I have never been the type who practices every day. Muscles need to rest some day between exercise, while I like the natural curves and shape of the female body.
Do you exercise more when going to a show or swimsuit photo shoot?
Before I had children, I went to the gym regularly 3 times a week. Now I’m exhausted at the end of the day. I try to practice for thirty minutes every third to fourth day. As a mother, I have an active life, and the fact that I constantly run for children keeps me in shape.
What made you decide to design a swimsuit?
It has attracted me since childhood. My mother used to be a dance teacher and she did dance shows, we always had some nylons left and I made my own bikinis out of them. As a model, I showed a lot of swimsuits and often wondered how to improve them. When I was pregnant, I felt it was time to start my own brand. And now we have been here for almost three years!
What is a typical customer of your Tropic of C brand?
Is a chic, strong personality, sophisticated, travels a lot, has a free spirit and is connected with nature. Therefore, in our photos you rarely see the pools, we shoot in nature.
What does the creative design process look like?
I love the creative process! I like dreaming about colors, cut, how the individual pieces will look. I come up with inspiration and then we pick fabrics. We will finish the first prototype directly on me, put it on and play with the fabric according to my original vision. I also like taking photos. Everything from site selection to final details.
Tell us more about the latest collections.We are preparing two collections per year, resort and spring / summer. Being from South Africa, I am inspired by ethnic cultures. In the last collection we have a number of earthy colors, in the resort line you can find animal motifs and we took pictures in Kenya. We also have a signature collection in black and white. I like the silhouette, which is a bit vintage, the clothes are inspired by the style of the 50s or 70s, but I gave it a modern accent. I collect inspiration on the go. And because I still travel a lot, I like universal pieces. Even today I wear a swimsuit, which I wear as a top, with a skirt.
You are known for ecological thinking, is this attitude reflected in collections?
Sustainability has been crucial to me since I started working on my swimsuit collection. I would never let my business flood the planet with another batch of plastics. We use a lot of Econyl (recycled nylon from discarded fishing nets). Our goal is 100% material sustainability, so far we are at 70%. We also make sure that our packaging materials are simple and biodegradable.
I am amazed that in addition to all your work, you are also involved in humanitarian work.
At some point in my career as a model, I felt I wanted to give something, help somehow. I had the opportunity to visit the Mothers to Mothers organization and heard a lot of moving stories of women infected with HIV that touched me even more after I became a mother myself. Most of these women find out during pregnancy that they have AIDS, their families reject them, and they remain without help. Mothers to Mothers allows them not to pass the disease on to their children. The mother feels unrepeatable when she knows that her baby will have a healthy life. With Tropic of C we try to do as much as possible for them, but years ago I created a jeans collection where some of the proceeds went to support this organization.
How do you manage to link all your activities to motherhood?
I am lucky to work with so many wonderful people who fully understand the needs of the family. Also, creating my own brand allows me to better plan my working time. Of course I also have to say no to a lot of amazing offers. Time with young children will never come back and I take the role of mother very seriously. During one project, I returned twice a week from Europe to New York just to see the children for the day. I always wanted my family very much, it took a while to get pregnant, and I love the role of mother. That’s why I enjoy motherhood, including all the work around the children.
Maxim magazine declared you the most attractive woman of the year a few years ago. What do you think when reading such articles or seeing yourself at the Victoria’s Secret show in a diamond bra?
I look at myself as my professional self, I don’t feel that way inside. This is an external evaluation, it is nice to hear, but I know my real self. I’m a normal girl at home, I don’t look like that when I change diapers for children or wipe my nose.
What is the hardest thing about modeling?
Modeling is a pretty lonely way of life. This was far more than before the advent of social media. I waited hours for the show and my only companion was a book. Social media has changed a lot. You can always be connected with your family, your friends. People often ask me how I got to the top. But it is all the result of hard work. The toil that never ends.
What would you advise the aspiring models?
Try to be yours, find and work on your style and personality. Stick to your individuality rather than trying to be like the other girls who are flying on Instagram, otherwise you’ll be lost in a million others.
