From Milan Fashion Week to graduation for model University of Limerick student
THOSE students who have walked across the stage to accept their parchment at the University of Limerick will know how nerve-wracking it can be, but for one model student it was just another runway.
Mallaidh Kielthy-Smyth is originally from Wexford but has made Limerick her home for the last four years while studying for a Bachelor of Business.
“I feel like I am part of Limerick now, I came here not knowing anyone and I have made the most amazing friends”, Mallaidh told the Limerick Leader.
Mallaidh made headlines last year when she walked for Gucci’s ‘Twinsburg’ show at Milan Fashion Week alongside her twin sister, Kitty.
The former UL pool lifeguard and her sister took to the runway with 67 other pairs of identical twins from around the world as part of the special show.
The new graduate said: “It was such an amazing experience. It was really daunting as well though.
“They brought us to the GUCCI headquarters where we got headshots done and then back to a hotel which was full with models from all over the world.
“We got to spend some time then exploring Milan so it was like a holiday too”.
The 22-year-old twins are no stranger to the runway as they both have paved successful modelling careers for themselves while studying at UL and UCC respectively.
Three years ago, Mallaidh was signed by London-based modelling agency Premier Model Management after she placed third out of 10,000 candidates in a Nasty Gal international modelling competition.
As she was signed at the age of 19 while studying for her degree, Mallaidh said she never got the chance to give modelling a chance full time, something she is now diving into head first.
“I am going to go back to London and around Europe and see how I get on. I am going to give it a go for a few months and see how it goes.
“I haven't had a chance to do it full-time so we will see what happens and then I can come back to Ireland and try and get a job”.