interview: Ragnhild Jevne

The ‘Pale Priestess’ Ragnhild Jevne has been a figure of the international fashion world for over 15 years, working with creative talent, including Alexander Wang and Dolce & Gabbana. Coupled with her identity as a model is also her work as a visual artist. We sat down with Ragnild to chat about her career and what inspires her as a fashion model and artist. 

LM: You have had such an illustrious career as a model in the fashion industry. How did you start your career in modeling and fashion? 

RJ: It is not a glamourous story. I wasn’t scouted at a mall as so many young girls do. People often told me, “oh, you should model, you are tall, you should model”. I was intrigued, as I knew that it could mean an extra source of income to earn some pocket money, so I looked up Norway’s biggest modelling agency in the yellow pages and sent them a letter with some photos. I was 14 at the time and was told to come back at 16. The day I turned 16, I got signed, and that week I had my first job in a cover story for a Norwegian fashion magazine Thhadaa.

LM: What do you love about the fashion world?

RJ: I have loved being part of the fashion world, as I have been fortunate to work with highly talented, creative people with a great vision. As a creative myself, I have enjoyed being a piece in their puzzle to fulfil what they have been trying to create.

As their blank canvas, I was always eager to go into the roles I played in front of the lens or walking down the runway. Some of my highlights were walking for shows like Givenchy, Max Mara, Dolce & Gabbana and shoots for Japanese and French Vogue.

LM: do you have a favorite magazine cover? 

RJ: My cover for Japanese Vogue. It is so minimal and simple, yet so strong. Just my face, almost like a painted portrait from one of the great masters. Daniel Jackson photographed it with makeup by Linda Cantello.

LM: You have studied graphics and industrial design. Has this background has helped you in the modeling world? 

RJ: I think my creative background has helped me being willing to fulfil the vision of the photographers, stylists etc. I was always on board and excited, and I believe the team could feel that excitement from me.

LM: what you love most about design? 

RJ: My love for design has always been there since I was a young child. I was always so curious about how things were made. I even opened up and destroyed a hairdryer once to see how it was constructed to my mom's frustration. My curiosity is still there with me when I see objects of design that I love, just wondering how the designer came to the final decision of a curve on an armrest or the ergonomics in how we hold an iPhone.

Most people don’t think about how every item that crosses our palm has come to be, and it’s this story that has become my purpose and that I strive to communicate through my art.

LM: How did your work as an artist evolve?

RJ: My path into becoming an artist happened very naturally. I was working on a personal project for my graphic design portfolio, “Mental Mechanism” and I wanted to convey the humble human hand with paint in contrast to the machine of printed elements. As the paint was time-consuming, I realized that I couldn’t sell them for cheap, and that took me to understand that they were best sold in a gallery.

I got my first solo show, and after, I was smitten. For me, my work is a continuous conversation I have with myself daily. It’s a way for me of documenting and sharing stories around production and sustainability. Lately, I have been working primarily with oil paint on linen. I strive to create this very textured feel through layers of oil.