Born Antonia Garrn in Hamburg, Germany, she was scouted at the age of 13 by a talent scout amidst the fervor of a FIFA World Cup crowd. By 16, she was the face of Calvin Klein. But to reduce Toni to mere supermodel status would be to miss the layers that make her so compelling.
Toni’s striking blue eyes have witnessed the highs of the fashion world as a Victoria’s Secret Angel and graced over a hundred international covers and campaigns, while navigating the challenges of an industry obsessed with fleeting beauty. In the transient realm of modeling, where one moment’s celebration can lead to the next moment’s obscurity, Toni’s enduring core beliefs and identity stand firm, revealing a profound depth beneath the glitz.
Despite the public’s persistent curiosity about Toni’s personal life, a topic that could have easily become a burdensome distraction, she chooses not to get entangled in rumors and speculations. Instead, Toni directs her energy toward matters of genuine significance. She utilizes her influence to shed light on issues that hold personal importance to her.
Best advice you’ve received?
Take it day by day. Sometimes hour by hour. In our profession we can’t plan anything and trying to plan ahead only gives me anxiety now and normally is a waste of time. It’s more difficult now with a toddler but still applies usually.
What is your favorite thing about where you grew up and why?
I grew up between London, Greece, and Germany, and my favorite place was Athens because I went to the beach every day. It was the absolute best. I grew up in the ocean, basically, the saltwater in my hair and on my skin every day.
When you hear the word steel, what does it make you think of?
When I think of steel, I think of something very tough, very hard. I think of construction and buildings. Yeah, I think it’s something very, very, very tough that I think we all have in us. But I definitely like to take that side of me and try and be more vulnerable, because I think being vulnerable and authentic is actually the new strong.
Your charity, what inspired you to start that?
My love for Africa, my love for the people. I’ve never felt more, honestly, more fun, more grounded, more like a human being than when I was in Africa. I started working in Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe and Zambia and then Rwanda and Uganda, Burundi. I just absolutely love African people, the culture, the food, the music. I think if you enjoy a place so much, but than there’s the biggest poverty still in the world in that continent, it’s hard to go back as a tourist all the time and not do more. With education and with enabling, especially the young girls to be able to go to school and be healthy, there can be so much change created with that. I kind of made that my mission.
That’s beautiful. I’m sure it’s probably inspired and changed you, right?
It’s made me love this job even more. To be able to get paid to wear beautiful clothes and to go to fun parties and to meet the most incredible people is a luxury. But also, I now connect the two, so I do lots of jobs to raise money for my foundation.
Can you share a moment in your life when you felt your inner strength was tested, and how did you overcome it?
A moment in my life when my inner strength was tested was definitely when I was pregnant. I thought it was quite boring actually, to be pregnant for 10 months. I felt very large, and my body didn’t feel good, and I had to be so patient. That definitely was the most testing - 10 months, and then of course giving birth was quite challenging.
Resilience often involves adapting to adversity. What lessons have you learned from challenging situations that have made you more resilient?
I think the fashion world definitely made me more resilient. I’ve been in this world since I was 14. I’ve done tons of shows, I’ve done tons of castings, I’ve done tons of shoots. The long hours, lots of waiting, lots of competition, lots of criticism. I think that makes you very resilient. I don’t think there’s much that could happen to me, no matter what industry, no matter what day, no matter how jet-lagged I am, no matter how sick I am, that compares to what I’ve been through. The fashion industry definitely made me the most resilient than any industry ever could have.
If you were to do another career, what would it be?
I have a foundation for girls’ education in Africa. I work in Ghana, Uganda, and Burundi. I think that if I wasn’t a model, if I didn’t have to live in the Western world to do this, which I absolutely love, I would definitely be more in Africa. I think I would work in development, I would take my foundation to another level, and I would make it definitely somewhat more of a profession. But then again, it’s a charity, so I wouldn’t make any money. It’s probably not a business.
How important is it to believe in yourself to succeed?
There’s no other way. You have to fully believe it, manifest it and really envision it. If it’s your goal. But also go towards doors that open for you. I succeeded in modeling, but it was never my dream. So if something is your dream really envision it, work hard at it and then see how it makes sense, as in go towards the opportunities that arise for you.
How do you see fashion as a tool to communicate resilience/ strength?
I think fashion can be a very good way to ideally feel yourself, or show a stronger side of you which you might not feel daily and that's ok too. Fashion and makeup can be beautiful tools to uplift us and give us confidence that we may not have had starting out our day with. I love fashion as I can have woken up feeling one thing and when I leave a shoot I normally feel ten times stronger having played with fashion and art and incredibly talented people all day.
