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Some girls walk into a room and immediately make you look twice.
Noa Cohen has been doing exactly that since she was seven, when a beauty pageant in Cyprus unexpectedly turned into her first-place win and, soon after, her first modeling agency. Since then, she’s traded childhood pageants for castings, cameras, and Fashion Weeks, including one casting where being told she was “too young” somehow ended with an invitation to Milan Fashion Week.
But what makes Noa’s story interesting isn’t just the runway opportunities. In an industry surrounded by beautiful faces, she’s learned that beauty alone isn’t enough and that sometimes the most powerful response to doubt is simply continuing until the results speak for you.
We talked to Noa about growing up in modeling, making hard work look effortless, the women who inspire her, why she refuses to chase the “basic” trend, and the lesson she learned when criticism arrived just 24 hours before some very good news.
01. Let’s start with the question everyone secretly wants answered: what’s the real story behind how you got into modeling?
I got into modeling when I was seven. I entered a beauty pageant in Cyprus and ended up winning first place. After that, something just clicked for me. I realized how much I loved being in front of the camera — whenever the camera turns on, I kind of turn on too, haha. It just felt like something I was meant to do. A few weeks later, I signed with my first modeling agency, and that’s really where it all started.
02. Be brutally honest — what’s something about the modeling world that looks glamorous online but really isn’t?
Honestly, pretending everything is effortless. You can be exhausted, uncomfortable, or doing the same shot again and again, but the second the camera is on, none of that is supposed to show. The funny thing about modeling is that sometimes the harder you’re working, the more effortless you have to make it look.
03. Have you ever been underestimated because of your age, looks, or experience? What happened?
Definitely. At a Fashion Week casting, the judges were really excited about me, but one of them thought I was “too young” and suggested sending me to Kids Fashion Week instead. Then the judge sitting next to him pulled up some of my photos and said, “But look at how she photographs.” In the end, they decided to send me to Milan Fashion Week. That moment really stayed with me because something that was initially seen as a disadvantage didn’t stop me from getting an opportunity I had dreamed about. I think if you genuinely have passion for what you
04. Everyone has that one person who made them want to level up. Who’s yours — and why?
If I could steal Gisele’s runway presence and mix it with Irina Shayk’s aesthetic, that would basically be my dream combination.
Gisele inspires me because she was rejected so many times and still kept going. She knew what she wanted, and eventually became so iconic that you can recognize her just by her walk. That kind of confidence and persistence really stays with me.
And Irina… I’m just obsessed with her. The eyes, the attitude, the whole luxury energy — she can literally just look at the camera and the photo already has a story. So I’d say Gisele inspires the model I want to become on the runway, while Irina inspires the energy and aesthetic I love in front of the camera
06. Fashion has its share of opinions. What’s one trend everyone seems to love that you would happily never see again?
Honestly? The whole “basic” trend. I’ve never understood why looking like everyone else became the goal.
To me, fashion is a language. Before you even say a word, your clothes can tell people something about who you are or even who you want to become. That’s what makes style so interesting to me. So when everyone is wearing the exact same basic outfit just because it’s trending, it kind of takes the personality out of fashion.
I’d rather be remembered for wearing something different than forgotten for wearing what everyone else approved of.
07. What’s the most unexpected thing you’ve learned about yourself through modeling?
The most unexpected thing modeling taught me is that being pretty is probably the least interesting thing you can bring into a room full of pretty people.
There are so many beautiful girls in this industry. What separates you is how badly you want it, how hard you’re willing to work, and what you bring into the room besides your face. I try to carry that mindset into every casting and every opportunity I get.
It also taught me not to let other people’s opinions become my reality. One day, I got a call from some girls telling me I’d never become a successful model, that I was embarrassing myself, that I wasn’t pretty enough basically everything they could think of. Twenty-four hours later, I got the news that I’d been selected for Milan Fashion Week. The timing was almost too perfect, haha
So I learned not to cry over what jealous people think of me my mascara is too expensive and I can’t show up to Milan Fashion Week with puffy eyes.
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