As competitive as the modeling industry is known to be, still, every year thousands of young bright faces move to New York City with dreams of becoming the next IT girl. And as competition goes, in New York alone, a single casting call usually yields more than a few hundred models from various agencies. For some, the challenge is simply too much. But for rising Polish model Aga Wojtasik, the challenge was just what she needed. After more than seven years in the industry, as a signee of the prestigious New York Model management, Wojtasik looks back at her experience with gratitude and humility. Though her preliminary years in the business were most challenging, they were most informing. Today, she has her work down to a science—one that she was able to perfect and curate with the help of industry greats that she had the opportunity to learn from.
“I quickly realized how important attitude and energy are on set,” Wojtasik says. “People love to work with people they like, so many times, my personality and simply being nice to everyone helped me rebook jobs.”
Having had the opportunity to work with major designer brands like Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Issey Miyake, French Connection, Uniqlo and more, at a young age, Wojtasik had the invaluable opportunity to truly learn from the greats. During this time, the young model was able to build an arsenal of techniques which she still uses today. From working with prestigious photographers to high profile productions, Wojtasik quickly developed a knack for delivering an elegantly fluid performance in front of the camera. Having identified the qualities and movements that photographers and brands like in a model, she quickly rose to the top.
From there, she was able to leverage her skills, landing her even bigger jobs with clients like Calvin Klein, LaQuan Smith, Rebecca Minkoff, Derek Lam, Pat McGrath, Anthropologie, Opening Ceremony, and Urban Outfitters in New York City. Coming to life on set and bringing an unrivaled energy, Wojtasik used her modeling technique to further appeal to casting directors and photographers across the industry.
“I have learned how to take and respect criticism when it is constructive,” Wojtasik says. “It makes me a better model. However, some people’s opinions are not worth a second thought, and I have recognized how to differentiate the two, and ultimately this has made me very aware of my self-worth. I think a lot of models lose their sense of it, and their self-esteem drops. I am aware of who I am and what I stand for, and this has helped me maintain ground in the industry.”
At just 23 years old, Wojtasik has managed to navigate the unpredictability and competitiveness of the industry, though above all, she remains humble and rooted in her own personal identity. Today she looks forward to the challenge of even bigger opportunities and complex photo shoots that will test her as a model. And even when things don’t quite work out her way, she always remembers, “When one door closes, another will always open.”