11 January 2011
Collette Von Tora: Bizarre Ultra Vixen Interview
Bizarre Magazine runs an annual Ultra Vixens Competition, looking for the most 'sexy, fearless, individual' entrant to be crowned as Queen of all the Vixens. The winner gets claim to a cover shoot, an interview feature, the chance to represent Bizarre at events, and "an army of worshippers online."
Every month magazine readers vote for their favourite of eight entrants, leaving 12 girls to go forward to the final. The competition looks for girls with "creativity, spark and imagination", and the overall Ultra Vixen winner for 2010 was alt model and actress Collette Von Tora. Keller caught up with Collette to find out what winning this high profile competition means to her and her future career. What inspired you to enter the Bizarre Ultra Vixens Competition? I have enjoyed Bizarre Magazine for years and always wondered what the Ultra Vixens competition was all about, but never really thought that I would be in it. At the start of 2010 I had one of those moments where I realised what I really wanted to pursue and I found myself fully taking on the persona of Collette Von Tora that a lot of people know about now, after modeling for three years and finding my identity. I entered the competition for the first time in 2010 not really thinking that anything would come of it. I used a photo that was taken by my good friend Donna Craddock of Click Click Bang Photography during one of my first few photo shoots of 2010, which was based on the theme of a wasted rock star with all of her groupies. And that is about it. I thought at the time it would be pretty awesome to feature in Bizarre as it had been around for so long, but I never thought for one moment that all of this would follow. How did you feel when you were told that you were the competition winner? I was genuinely shocked to be honest with you. I was shaky for a few hours and it is still sinking in today. I am extremely happy that I won and I am really thankful of all of the support that was shown from all the people who voted for me. I do not think all of those people will ever fully understand quite how happy the news made me. It's been a hard and hectic year for me and this was more than I could ever have wished for. I think shocked and happy would be the two words I would use to describe how I felt. |
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Is this competition a good opportunity for alt models in particular to get more coverage in the mainstream?
I think it is, Bizarre Magazine has been around for a very long time and still has a very large following. I have spoken with a few people who read the magazine and the Ultra Vixens do get noticed. This competition certainly enables whoever wins it to gain a higher profile within the industry. It was quite funny, within a couple of hours of my finding out I had won, I actually received contact from some pretty awesome companies wanting to work with me. So we will see...
Do you think that alt models get enough coverage in mainstream media?
I think that the amount of coverage alt girls get in the media is certainly increasing, it has obviously not reached the right amount yet as there are still people out there who are prepared to attack alt girls for being different. I am a very big supporter of the alternative lifestyle and the more positive exposure it gets the better. There is nothing wrong with expressing yourself, in fact it is very important to do so. People have a right to be different and creative and the more the mainstream see this and promotes it the better.
What further opportunities do you hope have been opened up to you by winning the competition?
I very much hope to be given a chance to work with some of the awesome designers I have been admiring over the years and along with some of the higher end photographers, it would also be quite nice to work abroad as there are a good number of professionals that I would just love a chance to work with over the pond. It is a hope that a higher profile will open other avenues and help me make a big break into acting, but I am still willing to put a lot of work into chasing that dream.
Thanks once again to everyone that helped me win this competition... It has really put a permanent smile on my face.
I think it is, Bizarre Magazine has been around for a very long time and still has a very large following. I have spoken with a few people who read the magazine and the Ultra Vixens do get noticed. This competition certainly enables whoever wins it to gain a higher profile within the industry. It was quite funny, within a couple of hours of my finding out I had won, I actually received contact from some pretty awesome companies wanting to work with me. So we will see...
Do you think that alt models get enough coverage in mainstream media?
I think that the amount of coverage alt girls get in the media is certainly increasing, it has obviously not reached the right amount yet as there are still people out there who are prepared to attack alt girls for being different. I am a very big supporter of the alternative lifestyle and the more positive exposure it gets the better. There is nothing wrong with expressing yourself, in fact it is very important to do so. People have a right to be different and creative and the more the mainstream see this and promotes it the better.
What further opportunities do you hope have been opened up to you by winning the competition?
I very much hope to be given a chance to work with some of the awesome designers I have been admiring over the years and along with some of the higher end photographers, it would also be quite nice to work abroad as there are a good number of professionals that I would just love a chance to work with over the pond. It is a hope that a higher profile will open other avenues and help me make a big break into acting, but I am still willing to put a lot of work into chasing that dream.
Thanks once again to everyone that helped me win this competition... It has really put a permanent smile on my face.
Article written by...
Keller is EGL Magazine's editor. She has a degree in Creative Writing and is a published horror and fantasy writer. She loves punk and rockabilly, roller derby, and creepy foreign horror movies.
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