Amalie Gassmann is a dynamic force of creativity. As a writer, model, photographer, creative director and filmmaker, she brings a multifaceted vision to life through her passion for storytelling.
"I try to be a multi-hyphenate in terms of the creative space, because I really love everything," she tells us when we speak before her Hello! Fashion cover shoot.
For Amalie, who is still only 28, it all began at the age of 12, when she attended a Christmas party in Paris with her mother and caught the eye of Jeni Rose, head scout for IMG Models. Although legally she couldn’t sign to the agency until she was 16, this encounter marked the beginning of her varied career.
Amalie was born in San Francisco and raised in Paris by parents who valued artistic expression. Her mother, Gay Gassmann, is an art consultant and fashion writer; and her father, Uli Gassmann, likes photography, painting and architecture. “We are a very creative household. Growing up, I was always trying out different things.”
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"Growing up with all these different cultures I’ve had to become better at observing, I guess."
In addition to being a multi-hyphenate multitasker, Amalie is multilingual (English, French, German and Japanese) and comes from a multicultural background. With a German father and a Japanese mother, she embodies a fusion of influences that undoubtedly enrich her perspective and creativity. And understanding different cultures has obviously helped Amalie with her career.
“The mannerisms definitely have. Growing up with all these different cultures I’ve had to become better at observing, I guess.” Adding an additional layer, of course, was her early start in modelling, which provided valuable insights into the workings of the industry. "I really was able to have the experience of being in front of the camera. And that really fed into my knowledge of styling, lighting and composition."
After spending a gap year modelling in Australia and New York, Amalie enrolled in a film production degree course at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, Upstate New York, about 90 miles north of New York City.
“I like that it is a liberal arts school as well. I really love its full programme. Also, I really enjoy being in nature. I was close enough to New York City that I could go whenever I wanted to, but it was like a breather in terms of full-on moving into the city, which is pretty crazy.”
"Dior was my first fashion show and so I've been going to its shows for the past 11 years, since I was 17."
Since graduating in 2019, Amalie has created short films and a “short film-slash-music video” she made for one of her friends in Los Angeles. Her background in modelling and photography, teamed with immersing herself in nature, have definitely added an ethereal touch to her work. She is represented by the prestigious Ridley Scott Group, which is behind huge blockbusters including Alien and Blade Runner.
For the shoot, Amalie was dressed by Dior, a brand she has had a relationship with for over a decade. “Dior was my first fashion show and so I’ve been going to its shows for the past 11 years, since I was 17. It’s been an amazing relationship. They are so loyal. They are wonderful. And I mean it is a very, very iconic brand to be associated with.”
Next up for Amalie, who is currently based in London, is the short film she has started writing, but it is early days; “I feel now is about focusing on my writing and my craft.”
The full interview with Amalie Gassmannn appears in the June/July issue of Hello! Fashion, out now…
If you're wanting to indulge in the decedent Dior world yourself, the French Maison has just opened an exclusive pop-in store in the heart of London. The Dioriviera experience and collection is available to visit from now on at the brand's Bond Street location and features a capsule devised by Maria Grazia Chiuri, brimming with sunny, infinitely joyful energy.
Photographer: @timokerber
Stylist: @hannahbeckstylist
Hair: @themanestyle
Makeup: @francescaleachmakeup
Nails: @_by_reme
Art Director: @marion_reilly
Production: @clarepenners
Videographer: @leanneperrinsfilms
Words: @becklesd
Style & Commerce Director: @tanyaphilipson
Editor: @nataliesalmon