"Hey, whose car is that? Can we take a picture inside there?" asks the 1,78 m tall model as she sees the white Corvette Stingray and inside she jumps. And Austria's star photograüher Manfred Baumann can't believe how lucky he is.
"Unbelievable! With her, every shot is hit!" It's for a reason that Toni Garrn currently is one of the most in demand models in the world. And just by the way: The 21-year-old from Hamburger is also Hollywood superstar Leonardo Dicaprio's girlfriend.
But here and now it's not about her love, but about love for animals. Since chimpanzee activist Jane Goodall turns 80 soon, a special birthday present is being produced for her in L.A. at the moment. Baumann is shooting a black and white picture book with stars, which is going to be offered to Goodall. He already photographed William Shatner, Kelly Osbourne, John Malkovich, also Michael J. Fox - and now, as high point, supermodel Toni Garrn. The beauty talked to us exclusively.
Seitenblicke: You were just shot by Manfred Baumann for a picture book for Jane Goodall. Why?
Toni GARRN: That's the first time I'm doing something with nature and animals. I myself have this project to support children in poor countries - especially girls who have been abused. But I got the offer and thought: This makes sense!
Contrary to that you are living a life that is very far away from most peoples' lives. Can you stay normal in such a crazy world?
My parents and my friends ground me. Only a few of them are models, I've known most of them for a long time. I call my mum, who is also my manager, every day. She is the kind of person who says: "You have to keep your feet on the ground, girl! You gotta come home and clean your apartment" Ich skype with my friends from school once a week who invented my nickname Toni. My real name is Antonia. So I really still keep in touch with my old friends...
… and you even still have an apartment in Hamburg?
I live in New York most of the time. But yeah, I recently bought an apartment in Hamburg. I share it with my brother Niklas.
But do you have time to come home at all?
When I'm in Europe, I fly home spontaneously just for one or two days. My grandma turns 80 soon, I obviously wanna be there!
Why did you cut your long hair?
I had never changed anything on myself before and just wanted to try something new. And then French Vogue did a story about hair and asked me to be part of it. And I thought: Well, that's it now!
What if they had wanted to also dye your hair red?
No, I won't change my hair color. I've always turned down offers like that. You have to have your own personal style in this business.
There are a lot of girls that want to be models. Are shows like "Germany's next top model' an option to become a model?
It still exists?! LIke, the twentieth season? I don't have a TV, I've never watched it. And I've never met anybody who had been part of the show. I was lucky, I got scouted. I think these shows are entertainment for the viewers. The viewers don't have to know that, but the girls who take part in these shows should.
You never watch TV?
Now that I'm a bit more involved with acting a little more. But I mostly watch films, not really television...
Could you imagine to be an actress in the future?
Every now and then I get offers. But to do it right I would have to stay away from other projects for a couple of months and really get into it. And at the moment I have a lot of work. We will see...
And what about your private future? Do you want to have a family one day?
Yes! I've always wanted to have kids. I know a lot of girls who have children. It's gotten a lot easier nowadays, it works out well - and I love that it is like that.
"Unbelievable! With her, every shot is hit!" It's for a reason that Toni Garrn currently is one of the most in demand models in the world. And just by the way: The 21-year-old from Hamburger is also Hollywood superstar Leonardo Dicaprio's girlfriend.
But here and now it's not about her love, but about love for animals. Since chimpanzee activist Jane Goodall turns 80 soon, a special birthday present is being produced for her in L.A. at the moment. Baumann is shooting a black and white picture book with stars, which is going to be offered to Goodall. He already photographed William Shatner, Kelly Osbourne, John Malkovich, also Michael J. Fox - and now, as high point, supermodel Toni Garrn. The beauty talked to us exclusively.
Seitenblicke: You were just shot by Manfred Baumann for a picture book for Jane Goodall. Why?
Toni GARRN: That's the first time I'm doing something with nature and animals. I myself have this project to support children in poor countries - especially girls who have been abused. But I got the offer and thought: This makes sense!
Contrary to that you are living a life that is very far away from most peoples' lives. Can you stay normal in such a crazy world?
My parents and my friends ground me. Only a few of them are models, I've known most of them for a long time. I call my mum, who is also my manager, every day. She is the kind of person who says: "You have to keep your feet on the ground, girl! You gotta come home and clean your apartment" Ich skype with my friends from school once a week who invented my nickname Toni. My real name is Antonia. So I really still keep in touch with my old friends...
… and you even still have an apartment in Hamburg?
I live in New York most of the time. But yeah, I recently bought an apartment in Hamburg. I share it with my brother Niklas.
But do you have time to come home at all?
When I'm in Europe, I fly home spontaneously just for one or two days. My grandma turns 80 soon, I obviously wanna be there!
Why did you cut your long hair?
I had never changed anything on myself before and just wanted to try something new. And then French Vogue did a story about hair and asked me to be part of it. And I thought: Well, that's it now!
What if they had wanted to also dye your hair red?
No, I won't change my hair color. I've always turned down offers like that. You have to have your own personal style in this business.
There are a lot of girls that want to be models. Are shows like "Germany's next top model' an option to become a model?
It still exists?! LIke, the twentieth season? I don't have a TV, I've never watched it. And I've never met anybody who had been part of the show. I was lucky, I got scouted. I think these shows are entertainment for the viewers. The viewers don't have to know that, but the girls who take part in these shows should.
You never watch TV?
Now that I'm a bit more involved with acting a little more. But I mostly watch films, not really television...
Could you imagine to be an actress in the future?
Every now and then I get offers. But to do it right I would have to stay away from other projects for a couple of months and really get into it. And at the moment I have a lot of work. We will see...
And what about your private future? Do you want to have a family one day?
Yes! I've always wanted to have kids. I know a lot of girls who have children. It's gotten a lot easier nowadays, it works out well - and I love that it is like that.
