Adi
Where do we start? This self-described "kibbutz geek," who co-founded the Israeli Star Trek fan club, avoided army service by serving Fendi and Prada on the catwalks of Manhattan. Now, she's reinventing herself again as DJ Adi. Intrigued? Read on! (Photo: Courtesy Wilhelmina Models)
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Q: Tell us about how you got your start in modeling.
- A: In 1997, I entered a competition with a couple of girlfriends in Israel. Two of us got into the competition. One of the judges in the competition was with Next Model Management. When I was 16, they moved me to New York and put me in a high school in New York City. I was supposed to go back to the Israeli army at 18, but that never happened. I did a Calvin Klein fragrance ad that year instead.
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Q: What were some of the most interesting shoots you’ve done?
- A: I did one shoot in Iceland which was one of the most intense shoots I ever did. We saw polar bears, and we all freaked out. Nobody believed that they were real pictures afterward. Once I shot a cover for Spanish Elle in the Maldives and while I was standing in the water I saw a baby white shark. I was like, “Oh look at the fish!” And then it looked up at me with all its teeth, and I ran out of the water screaming. Last summer, I shot an ad for L’Oreal Bio, their new organic soap. And we shot it in Morocco, and they hoisted me above an orchard. They put me on a dolly 45 feet above an orchard sitting in a harness. The campaign is running in France until this October.
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Q: Do you work more in the U.S. or Europe?
- A: Probably an even spread. I’ve worked a lot in the U.S. since I’ve been based in New York for the last 10 years. But being Israeli and speaking Arabic, I’ve gotten a lot of jobs in random countries. I’ve been to Morocco five times. Vietnam was really, really cool. I got to fly in a helicopter to for five hours to get to the place we were shooting. It was a campaign for Levi’s five years ago. It was like being in the war in the ’60s. I thought I was going to have Agent Orange sprayed on me every minute.
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Q: So where are you now?
- A: I’m in Turkey now for vacation. I’m running a 100 miles an hour from all the Turkish coffee. I’m in Istanbul and then I’m going to Ibiza tomorrow. In Ibiza, I’m just going dancing and partying with my friends. They are really cool. We went heli-skiing in Canada last year. It’s a very fun group that I was lucky to join a couple years ago.
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Q: So how did you start DJ-ing?
- A: To be honest, when the recession started, the first 3 or 4 months, everyone was in shock about the financial situation and nobody was booking any jobs. I had all this time on my hands, so I went to DJ school. I’ve always loved going out to clubs and always complained when the DJ doesn’t play the song that you want. So I was like, ‘Fuck it! I’ll be the DJ.’ And I’ve dated my share of DJs as a model. I’ve only been working as a DJ for the last two months at the SoHo Grand [hotel in New York City.]
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Q: So how did you get the gig at the SoHo Grand?
- A: My musical producer got me it, and it was for a trial period. It was very chi-chi there, and everyone was sitting down and halfway through my set everyone was dancing. When I finished, a third of the people left, so they offered me a repeat gig on the spot. I wear really crazy outfits when I DJ because I love latex. All these clothes you can’t really wear in real life. I’m doing it once every two or three weeks. Then they’ve asked me to do a party at Rose Bar [at Manhattan’s Grammercy Hotel] which they offered me. It’s going to be a midweek kind of drinking party. I love DJ-ing in the daytime—with waterguns in the day time to get everyone wet!
Q: How did you get your start in modeling? 
Q: What was the most memorable thing you've ever had to do on a modeling job? 
Q: How would you describe your own sense of style? 
Q: You've just been working with photographer Terry Richardson on a shoot for French Connection. Tell us about that collaboration. 
Q: You grew up in a rock family, what was it like growing up as the child of a Rolling Stone? 
Q: Tell us a bit about your childhood and how you grew up. 
