An interview with model, artist, and designer Sophia Bounou
By Gabie McFadden
You probably already follow her on Instagram! Her content is fun yet elusive. Often flirting with mystique alongside slices of comedic relief and real-life moments in between, Sophia Bounou is a darling French-Moroccan model balancing her artistry with youth and maturity. While steadily excelling in abstract painting on the Blond Contemporary roster and gracing the runways, her talent and dedication can be sewn up in the beautiful gowns and blouses she creates. There are hints of her fashion designs being shared with the world sometime in the future, but for now, we’ve been catching glimpses of her creative mind online. Bounou’s large canvases mark the beginning of a new world led by tons of color and abstract beings that spill onto her bags, jeans, and any scrap piece of paper within reach.
Her latest Samsung commercial has us reeling at the pace of her career. She’s on her way to building a machine of sorts. Bounou is an artist, model, and designer who does it all with a bright smile. We decided to get to the root of our marvel. There’s a human connection in there somewhere, and Flanelle Magazine got closer to finding out what it’s like to step inside the universe created by Sophia Bounou. We’re here to share the experience!
From the outside, we’re consumed with galleries— posh art galleries, a bustling Instagram profile, lustrous modeling portfolios, salon displays of her Aveda campaign, and editorials like L’Officiel. She’s stylish and energetic. Her life seems fast-paced and adventurous. Bounou is everywhere, but these are only snapshots.
Flanelle: You often refer to yourself as a suburban girl. How has city life treated you since you started modeling?
SB: It’s been amazing! I grew up in a few different cities, usually suburban towns. Since I began modeling in New York, I feel like I’ve always been called here–like I had a purpose to be coming back here.
Flanelle: Which city has your heart?
SB: I was born in the South of France and lived there for a while, grew up in Chicago for the most part, traveled for modeling, and ultimately landed in New York! Chicago will always be my hometown, Evanston specifically, but I’d have to go with NYC, for the city that currently has my heart! I’ve had so many experiences here that I wouldn’t have had otherwise, being in the steady suburbs of Chicago. I’ve met some of my closest friends, and this city has really made me the resilient person I am today.
Bounou paints on nearly everything she touches! We found out just how much of herself she gives to the art, regardless of the medium. On top of being a freehand artist, she’s also a freehand fashion designer. We had to ask her about the pieces she shares with us on Instagram.
Flanelle: You make stunning gowns and blouses! We noticed freehand cutting for all of your designs. You have an eye for precision and a keen sense of fit. Do you see yourself as a seamstress? Do you ever alter off-the-rack pieces?
SB: Thank you! Yes, I think I took a sewing class one or two times when I was very young, and it never really took. I refused to learn how to use patterns and always liked learning from trial and error. The first day I got my sewing machine, I broke the needle, which led me to learning how to replace the needle the first day on my own! So I think it was a valuable lesson. One of the best uses of my sewing machine is altering and tailoring. As mentioned before, I love the fit of a piece to be perfect, especially with my dimensions. Most of the clothes I buy aren’t cut to my shape and height, so I’ll usually take them in, or release a hem and restitch! Sometimes I’ll cut lower necklines or take in a turtleneck and the collar. It depends on my vision for the item! Of course, I still love an oversized modest outfit, in which case I will usually size up or add fabric to the cuffs.
Flanelle: Do you always sketch before you cut and sew?
SB: I haven’t always, no! Now I’ve realized that drawing my idea helps visualize my piece before it’s complete. Drawing also allows me to have an image of my initial inspiration and plan, that is comparable to the finished piece. More often than not, the initial sketches are very rough, and then I redraw to my best ability after the garment is completed so I can add in any details I might not have on the first sketch.
Flanelle:Do you sketch fashion as much as you paint?
SB: No! I’m always doodling and sketching or painting, but I only sketch fashion designs right before I’m about to make a piece, or when I know I’m going shopping for fabric. I usually only make garments for special events when I’m required to wear something formal, whereas my abstract art is always flowing out of me.
Flanelle:Your bag designs caught our eye! I hope you show them off more. Have you thought about painting more bags?
SB:Yes! I have a very special project in the works that has bags as the main focus! I’ve always loved garment design, and accessories are a good canvas to paint on in my experience. Adding my designs and characters to jeans, bags, belts, and shoes has really made my wardrobe unique!
Flanelle:Tell me about your YSL bags! They have a recurring role on your Instagram. Is there a go-to or favorite?
SB: Ah, yes, my bag collection. Possibly my vice. I love good bags! I think everyone has their thing. Some have watches, others collect matchsticks or cars, or postcards. I love designer bags! I think good accessories last a lifetime. YSL is my favorite brand to date. I love the brand’s entire fashion style, from leather to dark clothing to sheer billowing blouses, and chunky gold jewelry. My favorite bag currently is my emerald green YSL Cassandra top-handle bag. Other than that, I have a nice collection starting with a couple of Celine purses, Prada, and Margiela ones as well.
If you’ve been following Bounou on social media, you’ve probably noticed her fondness for the grayscale. Sporting white loafers and sleek black ensembles is part of her routine. She dabbles in hot reds and earthtones, but Bounou has expressed many times just how much black and white clothing is her thing. If you’re searching for the perfect off-duty model outfit, you’ll surely find inspiration following her.
Flanelle:Although you stay true to your color scheme, there are a lot of bold choices. From plunging necklines to thermal socks in your booties, preppy, sporty, daringly chic, you do it all well. What influences your style?
SB: Comfort and fit influence me the most! I like sticking to simple colors and neutrals, but if I can find, or make, a perfectly fitting dress or item, I will figure out a way to rock it regardless of the bold color! I love Pinterest for inspo too! I think my biggest style inspiration is my mom. She loves the color black, and although everything in her wardrobe is the same color, she always seems to find a way to mix new silhouettes and shapes with textures and patterns.
Flanelle:Is there any piece of clothing you own or have made that you can’t ever let go of?
SB:Yes! I worked for a brand a couple of seasons back and loved the way a dress fit on me. It was just an experiment to make it, and it ended up looking quite different from the designer’s original item. However, my friends and I all have great memories in that dress as I’m always lending it out for events! Also, a shoe, which I didn’t make–haha–I have a pair of leather Robert Clergerie boots I’ve had since I was about 16! They’ve been to multiple countries, cities, and festivals, and still are so dear to my heart.
And though she’s passionate about modeling, fashion, and is attached to handbags and sentimental shoes, she’s incredibly generous with her canvases. It’s as if she gives her art out to the world once she’s finished. It’s as if the painting is no longer hers; they exist as a completely separate entity equipped with their own story in their respective worlds. Maybe it’s the love of comic books that feeds the desire for multiple universes and a plethora of side characters. “I’m a big fan of comic books and graphic novels. I like Watchmen, Marvel, and DC. I also enjoy reading poetry or psychology books… I am often inspired by the colors I use and the actions that might be related to them. For instance, my green paintings often feature people exchanging flowers, nurturing plants, or trees in neighbourhoods and leaves in pots. In contrast, my blue paintings often have themes of water, martini glasses, and sun and clouds. They all have characters living their own creative lives, in the universe that is one of my finished pieces. Whenever I paint, I listen to very loud music and get it all out. It’s a fun process to watch, my friends claim.”
Bounou leaves the meat up to your interpretation, with eyes and teeth everywhere. Colors are only the beginning of the saga. There seems to be a trend emerging in her pieces: busy yet not frenzied, impossible to digest all at once, but not frighteningly overwhelming. The eye seems to settle subjectively. There is no fixed focal point, bringing out a sort of youthful appeal. You could spend the day searching if you let it consume you. When speaking to an artist, you’re in search of their language, a Rosetta Stone of sorts. At some point, it can become confusing and contradictory.
And then it’s as if you remember who you are and where you fit in the world— wherever you want. That’s the beauty of art; it symbolizes freedom. Bounou describes it as energy, neither defined as good nor bad, as if it’s entirely unrelated to her. There is no language. It’s all up to your interpretation. “I think I see myself in my artwork a lot. And I’ve been told I look like my drawings. I have huge, round eyes, and long, bendy limbs. The more developed my work got, I stopped drawing individual characters as much, and now choose to do more small-scale characters on a larger canvas, and let them live their own lives.”
Flanelle:Where does this come from? What’s the motivation? Are you calm, or are you nervous, or frustrated, or bored, or … Does this come from a place of intense emotion, or lack of?
SB:I think the best way to describe my inspiration for my work is the amount of energy and thought I have in my head at any given moment. I work anywhere from 5 hours on a slow day to 13 hours on a busy day painting in the studio…You really have to work until you get exactly what you want out of it. I don’t think there’s always a consistent emotion behind my work.
There’s something uncategorized about Bounou. Like a draft coming through an open window, you feel a gust just before it ebbs and disappears. A puzzling experience that can only be witnessed through her art and modeling. She makes a conscious effort to be the opposite of her inner self. For some, modeling is a chance to act on bold emotions and intrusive thoughts. For Bounou, it’s something of the opposite, a chance to escape within herself. In the beginning, modeling was “[channeling] some sort of deep emotion smize.” Now things are much different.
Flanelle:We heard you say in an interview that you don’t know how to sit still when painting, but when you model, from the shots we’ve seen at least, you seem so focused and still. Do you feel the same way while modeling as you do while painting, or are you thinking about something different?
SB: When I paint, I’m moving around, and singing, and dancing, and it’s a very energetic process. On set, I have to tone down my actions a bit so we can get the shot! When modeling, I think my personality shines the most off-camera…However, all the teams I work with are so receptive to my music taste, so I am still always having a dance party in my head.
Flanelle:What makes you happy?
SB: The people closest to me in life. My family. The friends I speak to every day. My support system. Babies. Animals, especially small new ones like puppies and baby birds, and kittens. I love the sun and being outside. A simple bowl of fruit always makes my day better. Comfy clean sheets and washing my hair. Hellos and greetings. Calling people and voice messages.
Flanelle: Is there anything you want people to know about Sophia?
SB: I am a very bubbly, resilient person! I am so full of life and energy! This is how my friends would describe me. Although my social media might have more of a reserved version of my personality, I am very joyous in real life. I love to chat too.
Humanity is the only way to describe her contradictions. In a way, we are all full of them. It would be simpler to hold up a mirror, but instead, we have the luxury of playing in a make-believe universe that only art can create. It would be quite wasteful to think otherwise.
How attached we are to what we choose to share with the world is such a complex topic. At the end of the day, it’s part of who we are and how we see the world. Bounou has the energy to gorge on music, friendship, family, travel, and expel color, shapes, and patterns that are solely for the viewer. Ultimately, it’s how she sees the world. “I take people as they are to me! I empathize with others, but I don’t try to think more deeply about their actions. It’s like saying, ‘treat people as you’d like to be treated’. I take people at face value until they choose to reveal more about themselves. However, I, on the other hand, am an open book! This has its pros and cons, but I do connect easily with others. I don’t push or pry, but let people open up to me when they feel ready.”
We had a moment with Bounou to find out what it’s like to live in her universe. And it left us thinking: How do you choose to see the world and create your own universe? It can be as vast or as deep, as open or as intimate as you want it to be. Sophia Bounou has created a version that we can’t wait to see expand!
