Door Maarten Nauw.
Name: Victoria Osipova (20, 2nd year of international communication & media)
Describe your style? ‘As diverse as possible. I like to pull a different look everytime. When I wake up I decide which look I'm going for that day. It can be classy, with high heels, or grungey, or I wear my 'joggingbroek' because of my job as dancing teacher. I come from a family of dancers. Crazy people. Somehow dancers are usually into fashion as well. I have a huge wardrobe. I'm a big fan of Zara, with their affordable copies of designers' designs. I also like COS, and the collaboration collections of H&M. I follow a lot of fashion bloggers on Instagram for inspiration. Fashion is important for me. I'm going to do a minor marketing & retail at the AMFI (Amsterdam Fashion Institute) next school year.’
What do you find super ugly? ‘The thing I dislike most is when people wear clothes that don't fit their figure. Not everything fits everyone. Also, don't combine all colours. Stick to a colour scheme.’
Music? ‘Hiphop, Latin, classical music. I like it when classical music is combined with modern music, like what Vanessa Mae does. I love Nicki Minaj. In particular songs people might not know of her. The girl doesn't just rap, she can sing. Listen to Grand Piano or I Lied. When I play that to friends, they ask, 'Is that Sia?' I also love Drake, Beyoncé, Iggy Azalia, Lil' Wayne of course, The Weeknd, Years & Years, Yellow Claw… I download everything from apps that work on 'the Russian Facebook', vk.com.’
Last concert/party? ‘Nicki Minaj in the Ziggo Dome, a month or two ago.’
Movie? ‘I have two favourites. A comedy, Friends with Benefits, and Mr. Nobody, which is very intense. I'd recommend it to everyone.’
Series? ‘I didn't think it'd be something for me, but after a lot of pressuring from a friend, I'm now really into Gossip Girl. I also liked Pretty Little Liars. And I'm looking forward to seeing Game of Thrones. But, one series at a time.’
Book? ‘I love to read but I don't have much time for it now that I study. But I started in this book my stepmum gave me. About a Russian creative who turned into an orthodox christian priest. He makes the point that Adolf Hitler and Karl Marx were atheists, and a lot of the best Russian artists were Christians. I don't think the book will convince me but it's an interesting read so far.’
Sports? ‘Apart from dancing, I love diving. I go diving at The Crimea every summer. I'm at the second level at the moment, I'm an 'advanced scubadiver'.’
Website? ‘I use Twitter to know what's going on in the world.’
App? ‘Swarm. It used to be FourSquare. I check in via Instagram.’
Where do you live? ‘In Veenendaal. I met my Dutch boyfriend on a holiday in Turkey, who was there with his family. We got along real nice and kept in touch afterwards. I went to university in Moscow for a year, I did Cultural Studies, but I found it too theoretical, and too much about the past. I passed my first year but longed to do something more practical, and more about the future. I discussed this with my Dutch friends and they came up with the option to study in the Netherlands, which is possible because I can live with them. And they happen to live in Veenendaal.’
Sidejob? ‘I work as a dance instructor at a dance school in Veenendaal, where I push dancers from shit level to competition level. In Nijmegen I do the same for students at the HAN University.’
Holiday? ‘I'm going back to Moscow for a month, and then Turkey for two weeks. I love it there. I've been there, like, fifteen times.’
Are you religious? ‘Let's say I'm neutral. My family is orthodox, and I've gone through some religious procedure when I was seven. But I just believe in myself. I have my own norms, values and priorities. I don't need religion for that.’
Which grade would you give your life? ‘A 9,5?’
Club or café? ‘Café.’
Meat or veggy? ‘Meat.’
Blind or deaf? ‘Deaf.’
One night stand or relationship? ‘Relationship.’
Man or woman? ‘Man.’
Morning person or night owl? ‘Night owl.’
Dog or cat? ‘Dog. My 'foster home' has two bulldogs: Saartje and Teuntje.’
Facebook, Instagram or Tinder? ‘Instagram.’
London, Berlin or Paris? ‘Moscow.’
Uggs or crocs? ‘Crocs. I have a pair. They're ugly though. But a year or three ago, they were really fashionable in Russia. Crocs were so expensive, they were this status symbol.’
What would you like to become? ‘I don't want to become a professional dancer. If I had to say it now, I'd love to be an art director for a magazine… hmm… the American Vogue? The Italian Vogue would be nice too, but I don't speak Italian.’
