Growing up the target of childhood bullies, Britney Manson turned inward to find a sense of peace, security, and fun. Maybe it was manifestation, or more likely the power of hard work and talent, but Britney now lives a life that she once dreamed up as a means of escape. Fame, runway shows, paparazzi, and journalists were all part of the fantasy life that 12-year-old Britney lived inside her mind. Now, it has become her reality.
Building a positive community online and garnering an audience who support her as much as she supports them, Britney has cracked the code to a meaningful social media presence. A key figure in the fashion and modelling industries, as well as an inspiring role model in the trans community, she never seems to slow down. Now with her debut track, “MODE-L”, she has added the title of artist to her growing resume, pushing the limit to her ambitions even further.
We hear from Britney about her childhood dreams, the first time she felt fame, and never second guessing her goals.
Read the interview…
How are you? What are you up to right now?
Heeey I’m fine! Now I’m doing my favourite thing — answering the questions for the interview 🙂
How did your childhood influence who you are today?
I always say, “I want to be the person that I needed when I was a child”, so I think my childhood has influenced me a lot. I remember myself when I was younger, and I would say that I was a completely different person, the opposite of who I am now. I was a shy and quiet “ugly” child, I was bullied a lot, my classmates beat me almost every day, so I ended up being completely alone. All that I had were dreams, ambitions and talent. And Tokio Hotel Songs in my playlist 🙂 That’s why I literally created my own “inner” world. My brand new me. I even drew Britney Manson when I was 12-13, and when I recently saw that drawing (my mom sent it to me) I was shocked – I literally look exactly like it! I dreamt about fame, runway shows, paparazzi, journalists… And I truly believed it was going to happen. Nobody could stop me from getting where I wanted. I was telling my school haters, “when I’m rich and famous, I won’t mention you in my autobiography”. Some people would say, “it’s so delusional”, and I’d say “yes”! Being delulu is so cool! And the best part is when your delusions become your reality. So I guess 12-year old me would be so proud of myself now! And I’m so proud of little me — we drew this reality together.
With all your different ventures, what artistry was your first love?
That was modelling and music. I got my first runway experience when I was 12 years old, and I clearly knew who I wanted to be. I never had a plan B. I fell in love with the fashion and modelling industries immediately after I discovered them — it’s a perfect world for delulu people as I used to be! I mean everything is fake — the beauty standards, the hair, makeup, lighting, retouch. But if everything is fake, and there’s nothing real, you can create whatever you want! And you could be whoever you want — just sew the dress, put your makeup on, put your hair extensions in, and fix the rest in Photoshop. I didn’t see it as “ unreal beauty standards”, for me that was more like a fantasy, the different AI created world. That’s why I was like, “okay, I’m so tired of my reality, so that’s my industry! Let’s create everything from zero.”
You are a model, musical artist, activist — you do it all! How do you balance your time between the different facets of your career?
No balance, just work hard till your dreams come true! I mean maybe it’s not right, but I never thought about how to make things balanced. I wasn’t born to a rich family, I’m a completely self-made person. When I feel fried, lost or mentally unstable, I always start creating new content or music. I promise I’m gonna think about the balance and holidays later though!
How has TikTok and/or other social media platforms impacted your career?
I would say that TikTok has changed my life and turned it upside down. And everything that’s happening now still seems like a fairytale to me. I never thought that the way I walk daily (for real, after years of training, that’s just the normal way of walking for me) would change my life. I never thought it could help people feel more confident. I never thought I’d get so much love and support from my followers. And also hate speech. I’m always acting like a “celebrity”, literally from the start, it’s a part of my character and I’m sorry for those who don’t get it. But the real me is completely happy and shocked.
Can you talk about your debut track, “MODE-L”? What does this song mean to you and how did it come about?
Just imagine — what if someone was the last supermodel on planet Earth? I created this lyrical hero – a tall, thin, genderless creature with long hair, without any feelings and soul. And then I wrote lyrics as if inside of this character.
The funny fact: Initially, I wanted to make a rock version of this track, but then decided to change the instrumental literally 3 days before the snippet released on TikTok.
You’ve fostered a beautiful community online — what has this experience been like?
If you follow Britney Manson, you’re already a supermodel, period! No, really, I have the best audience ever. The most heartwarming thing for me is to read comments from young queer/trans people… my eyes become wet in one second! I always try to reply to all of the comments and hear my audience. I guess it’s very important to me to get closer to my followers. My idol (Bill Kaulitz from Tokio Hotel) didn’t disappoint me when I met him, his kindness and attitude were higher than my expectations. I will never forget the way he hugged me. For me that meant a lot, and I want to show the same warmth and kindness to all the people that I come across.
How do you maintain your privacy while being so open and personable online? What is that balance like?
The first time I realised “okay, you’re famous and it’s happening right now” was on my first day in Warsaw. For the first time in my life, I couldn’t make my public catwalks because I met a huge crowd of my followers ten minutes after I came to the location. Literally the next day I was chased by my followers in the shopping mall. And two days later the same situation happened near my house, at the grocery store! I was like “okay… it’s not delulu anymore”. And you know, I feel GREAT with that. I’ve been dreaming of being famous ever since I came out of my mom’s vagina, so what’s not to like?? 🙂 And my audience is the most friendly and respectful audience ever, they have never been rude to me in public and I always feel so happy to meet them, never gonna say “no” for a picture!
Where do you hope to see the modelling industry move in the future, specifically in regards to trans representation?
We have a lot of things to do, and we have to talk about diversity more and more. Only one plus size model during the whole fashion week is not enough. We have to also talk about the fact that being a model is not only a beauty standard. It’s a job, it’s a business. And every single business has rules. We can’t remove the rules of the fashion industry, but we can change the perception of people. I’m pretty sure it could help them to accept themselves more.
What is next for you?
I dream about a few things: Get drunk at the party with Bill Kaulitz, open the Philipp Plein show, walk for Valentino, and turn my new track into a fashion hymn. So let’s see 🙂
