PS: Do you remember any of the self-talk going through your head when you modeled on the Boss runway?
LR: I haven't shared this with anyone, but that was the day after [the retirement announcement], and I was really, really emotional. I felt really empty. There was a part on the runway when the water [from the fountains] just sprayed my entire body. I literally just lifted my head up and moved my hair back. In some spiritual way, it almost felt like a baptism, where at that moment I felt like I made the right decision. I can't explain it, but it almost brought me to tears. I felt cleansed. If you watch the whole runway, it looks like a torrential downpour, but this was the only part that the water was hitting me. After that, my soul just felt at ease, and I just felt like everything — all the worries at that moment — had just been washed away. I will forever be grateful to Boss, and it happened at the perfect time.
"I just really want to do more things to see if I'm actually good at them. If I'm not, I'm not afraid to fail."
PS: Besides modeling, are there any other fashion bucket-list items you want to get around to?
LR: Well, one thing that I'm working on is a book, which I never had time to do. And then creative direction at a brand or house would be something else on my bucket list. I just really want to do more things to see if I'm actually good at them. If I'm not, I'm not afraid to fail.
PS: What advice would you give to someone starting out in the fashion industry who feels set back by the lack of inclusivity they see?
LR: Follow your gut and follow your instincts, because instincts helped me get to the place where I got. Believe in yourself. I know it sounds corny — our moms and grandparents told us that — but I think that's what it is. And surround yourself with people who only tell you that you can do it. Don't surround yourself with anyone who tells you you can't. If you really believe in yourself and you know that you can do it, you can do it.
