Our first Siren from Croatia! And you'll see below perhaps the most impressive vampire shot we ever came across! Jupiter's face is a makeup artist's dream!
Photos in the above gallery by: Beauty In Darkness Photography, Romeo Kuhn, JR Arts, Wolfsilence photography and Peter Ruschen.
1) Can you tell us a bit about your background and where do you come from?
I go by the name Jupiter Darkshadow. Biker Chick, Model, Opera Singer, Metalhead, Festival Organiser, Performer. Born in Croatia but living in Holland. I'm 21 years old (22 in about 2 weeks hehe). Raised by a single mom and my grandmother. I'm pretty raw and not afraid of anything. I am more a metalhead then a fetishist. I've listened to metal pretty much all my life. My sister used to own Guns N Roses cd's back in the day. I've always said to her I hated the music but when she went out I slipped into her room and listened to the cd's, I loved it!
2) How did you get started in the modeling business?
Well my mother loved to make pictures of my sister and myself when we used to be kids because she pretty much doesn't have a picture of herself as a child. She always said I looked really good on pictures and that I should look for a modeling agency. But back then the internet wasn't so 'hot' as it is nowdays and it was much harder to get a hold of a modeling agency, let alone sign into one.
Then when I was about 15 or 16 years old, she found an add in the newspaper for a modeling agency that would accept plus size models! I went to the meeting and I signed up for a photoshoot the next day. As I stood there totally nervous for my shoot I didn't know what to do. The photographer wasn't really that helpfull either. I stood in front of the camera for less then 2 min.(!!) and I could go home. I hated it to be honest! I just wanted to forget about it and go home.
After that I haven't really done any serious modeling untill I found out a good friend of mine was a photographer. I went to shoot with my sister and we had a blast! I loved the pictures I got and I thought I might give it another try. And now, a few years later here I still am! Loving every minute of it! ;)
3) Were you always attracted to alternative themes? Who were and still are your main inspirations?
When it comes to music yes! As I said; I've listened to metal all my life! I've always somehow been attracted to shiny things (rubber, latex, pcv), I was raised pretty much 'old school'. You know, pretty black ballet sandales with white knee socks, hairband, behaving like a real lady should, etc. But at the same time there was something in me that wanted to rebel against all the rules!
When I hit my teen years I was fighting a non stop battle with myself. I didn't really know where I belonged. I was always an outkast. Untill one day I realised that all the other so called 'outkasts' were metalheads/goths/cyber/etc. And since then I never left the scene! I know most models have idols like Bettie Page or Dita von Teese. But I don't. I look up to my mother's fine class and Pamela Anderson's looks! Hey what can I say? Pamela Anderson was (and to me still is) the biggest sex symbol of the 90's! And since I grew up in the 90's there's pretty much no other way around.
4) Is there a thin line between your modeling personality and your own private life?
Yes there is! A very thin line! Jupiter Darkshadow IS me! I'm no different on my pictures then I am in real life. Sure I might not wear latex when I go grocery shopping, but I would so love to do that! I do however go out in the clothes I also wear at photoshoots. And I am a very kind and loving person who loves to laugh as much as I can. I think my pictures show that I'm a pretty fun and crazy girl haha!
5) Tell us a bit about Jupiter’s Metalfest?
Jupiter's Metalfest is my own metalfest set out to help new and/or unfamous bands by giving them a chance to play with bigger bands. I've been doing this for 3 years now in Holland. I'm planning to organise that same fest in Croatia but it is very hard! I hope to one day create a big open air festival. That's pretty much the one big dream I still have.
I study Event management at the moment so that's why I am still organising the fest pretty much low key. I still need to learn so much more! At every fest there is something going so right and other things going so wrong! But it's ok. Cause then I know what not to do anymore. That is also one of the reasons I go to so much concerts/events. I'm pretty much everywhere! Because not only do I learn from myself, I also learn from others. And the fest is very handy because I use my modelling for the poster and flyers!
6) Are you really an opera singer? Do you also sing like such with big heavy metal music in the background? :D
Hahaha! Good research! Yes I am. I have been singing my whole life! If there is something I love to do the most it's that! I've been in a lot of bands. But somehow I didn't find my way in them. I stopped singing and started modelling. But I miss the stage way too much! So I started a heavy singing course for one year. And I got my certificate! Now I have written about 5-7 good songs. I am still writing a lot more. That never stops. After I have enough songs I wish to record a solo album with indeed, heavy metal in the background. But that is in the future! In the meantime I HAVE to be on that stage! So I am starting up fetish shows. There is no way I will not get on that stage haha!
7) What can you tell us about the modeling scene in the Netherlands?
Well, it used to be high fashion and only tall skinny girls could enter that world. But since the rise of amateur photographers pretty much anybody can become a 'model' in every scene. Only a few however make a living out of it. There are a lot of naive young girls who want to become a model and end up in wrong hands. Or think they can get paid after they had 1 - 3 photoshoots. They rush into things instead of really thinking it through.
Holland is a country who has no limits! So anything is possible! But you have to stand strong and shield yourself against all negative criticism. And trust me negative it will be! People, no matter where in the world you are, turn jealous fast and they will try to take you down. Unfortunately, they succeed most of the time. A thing that really helps here in Holland is connections. If you know 'big' names in the bizz you will get there. There is pretty much a group of big names in the fetish scene here in Holland and they don't let others in that fest. A shame! Cause they miss out on a lot of amazing people!
8) We’re pleased to know that you know a bit of French? Un petit peu? How many languages do you master?
Haha! I used to have French back in high school! We learned the basic stuff: Tu t'appelle comment? Je m'appelle..., Ca va bien? I know 3 languages fully: Croatian, Dutch and English (with a huge American accent!) and 4 a little tiny bit: German, French, Spanish and Finnish. I am studying Finnish at the moment. My idol is Tarja Turunen (a Finnish opera singer) and I had to sing a lot of Finnish songs. So I thought; why not learn the language while I am at it?? It never hurts to know more!
9) Being a plus size model and also working on more alternative photo projects, would you say that this is a “double challenge” that pleases you? Are curvy girls more and more in demand, in your view?
Let's face it: there is no room for plus size models in high fashion. The gothic/fetish scene is more open to plus size girls. But at the same time very very hard! Because indeed it is a double challenge! Modeling in the goth/metal/fetish scene is very hard on its own. But being plus size makes it extremely hard! I really have to prove myself to photographers, clothing designers, etc. A lot of photographers don't wish to work with me because I am not skinny and therefore in their eyes not a real model. Us big girls don't get a chance unless we know somebody in the bizz. That is why I keep working harder and harder to get there because I know there are so many beautifull plus size models out there!
But I also think that a lot of photographers want to play safe. Put a skinny girl in latex and it will pretty much always look awesome! You can't do that with a plus size girl. If you want to shoot latex with a plus size girl, you have to work really hard to get good pictures. Because we don't want to look like a sausage! You have to look at what color the latex is, how the latex falls on the skin, etc. It's just so much work and so hard! That's why many photographers chicken out. But if you have done everything right, the pictures turn out so so beautifull! It really is worth all the work!
I'm not sure if curvy girls are more in demand... well, they are untill a certain point. After that the rule still stands: Skinny or nothing. I do know a few other 'curvy' models and I am so glad they came out! I hope to see a lot more of them in the future!!
10) Do you actually find time to relax? What are your favorite things to do when you’re not on any assignments?
Relaxation is rare! I'm so busy! I do a million things at once! I swear I would forget my own head sometimes haha. But when I do have the time I love to just sit on the couch and watch tv! Or hang out with my family and friends. Because I don't really get to see them all that often. It's hard on my friends because they think I forgot about them. When I just don't have the time! My family understands the situation and they have been 100% supportive! Especially my mother and sister!
11) Did you ever get the chance to travel outside Europe? We’d love to see you at some point in Montreal! :D
Unfortunately I haven't been outside of Europe yet. But I plan on going to the USA and Canada at some point! Can't keep a biker away from biker week in South Carolina now can you? ;) I would love to come to Montreal and see what the city has to offer! I've heard lots of amazing things about it!!