Last Sunday I sat down with a beautiful human of IBCoM for a moment of storytelling before the craziness of the upcoming exams actually got to us. Angel – a name that reassembles her personality – agreed to give us an insight into her life.
First of all, you will never believe the crazy story behind her name. “My mom had a dream that she would have a baby girl and that she should call her Angel just before she found out she was pregnant. When she finally had the confirmation that a little human was growing inside of her, she felt like her dream was a sign and there was no other name that fit her baby girl more perfectly.” Angel couldn’t believe it when she heard this story, but says she feels quite special by being a part of it.
Angel is as international as (almost) all of IBCoM. Despite living in the Netherlands, she is of Surinamese descent. “My grandmother moved to Holland many years ago in order to offer her children a better life.” When I asked her to what culture she feels like she belongs more to, Angel said both, but the Surinamese part is definitely bigger than the Dutch: “…my mother always says that even if we live in the Netherlands, we should never forget where we came from and so holding on to Surinamese traditions is very important to my family and myself.” As for her Dutch side, Angel says she had to adjust to some things but in the end, she still feels like a true Dutchie.
Being the daughter of a talented basketball player and a model, Angel has learned that being tall – exactly 1.81cm – has its advantages. Apart from being an Instagram influencer and running a fashion blog – which she created when she was only 15 but had the courage to share online only this year – Angel is also working as a model and has walked the runway for famous brands like Aziz Bekkaoui, Noir Near Future and Goldwell. Apart from that, she has also collaborated with famous magazines, such as Elegant Magazine, Glamcult Magazine and Elegance Magazine. As hard as it might be to break through the fashion industry abroad, Angel says that with enough perseverance and dedication you can make your dreams a reality, and that’s what she intends to do. When I asked her if she would someday like to be a Victoria’s Secret Angel (literally) and walk the famous catwalk, Angel rolled her eyes at me and said “Duh…definitely” – because who wouldn’t, right girls? However, “Education always comes first for me and modelling and blogging are only part-time hobbies for now.” she said.
As you may already know, a runway body is not that easy to maintain and when it comes to healthy lifestyle habits, Angel is the girl to follow. “It is all about balance. I can be at my fittest and healthiest, work out 6 days a week and eat clean or eat junk food and not care at all. Especially with exams coming up, it is normal to give your body what it craves and just listen to it.” – a life motto we’ve both been obsessed with thanks to our favourite healthy lifestyle guru, ‘Sarah’s Day’.
We ended our interview talking about desserts – obviously – and Angel confessed her guilty pleasure when it comes to sweets. “I just looove Banana Bread. I even have a list of best Banana Bread in Rotterdam and I can tell you that no one does it better than ‘The Tea Lab’ in Westewagenstraat.” You’re welcome!
You can find Angel on Instagram as @angelesajas and subscribe to her blog on https://angelesajas.wordpress.com