Anna Alimani: Lepota, identitet i kreativni izraz

U eri u kojoj sama lepota više nije dovoljna, Anna Alimani pripada novoj generaciji žena koje razumeju da je prisustvo jezik, ambicija strategija, a stil oblik autoriteta. Njen život odvija se na relaciji Njujork, Pariz i Milano, pa i ne čudi što je kao model izgradila međunarodnu karijeru koja se prirodno kreće kroz najuticajnije modne prestonice sveta. Pojavljivala se u globalnim modnim publikacijama, kao i u revijama i kampanjama koje je čvrsto pozicioniraju u savremenom razgovoru o luksuzu. Alimani neguje imidž koji je istovremeno uglađen, disciplinovan i pomalo misteriozan. Ipak, moda je samo jedan deo njene priče koja se neprestano razvija. Postoji nešto neuhvatljivo u vezi sa Annom Alimani. Ona se kroz svet luksuzne mode, medijske vidljivosti i preduzetničke ambicije kreće sa smirenošću koja sugeriše da tačno zna koliko treba da otkrije, a koliko da prepusti mašti. Za Harper’s Bazaar Srbija govori o ambiciji, eleganciji, ličnoj disciplini i pravom značenju modernog luksuza.

Anna, tako prirodno se krećete između mode, biznisa i javnog prisustva. Koji od tih svetova danas najviše osećate kao svoj pravi dom?

Iskreno, više ih ne razdvajam. Moda mi je dala vidljivost, biznis strukturu, a javno prisustvo me je naučilo odgovornosti. Završavanje Columbia Business School dodatno je osnažilo stratešku stranu moje ličnosti i učinilo me još promišljenijom kada je reč o građenju dugoročnog nasleđa koje prevazilazi samu sliku. Danas je moj pravi dom u stvaranju života u kojem moda, biznis i uticaj inteligentno koegzistiraju. Volim kreativnost, ali isto tako volim strategiju, vlasništvo, pregovaranje i dugoročnu viziju. Mislim da moderna žena treba da bude višedimenzionalna i da se zbog toga ne izvinjava.

Postoji vrlo kontrolisana elegancija u načinu na koji se predstavljate. Da li je stil za vas instinkt, disciplina ili oblik lične moći?

Sve troje. Stil počinje kao instinkt, ali elegancija je disciplina. Način na koji nosite sebe komunicira pre nego što uopšte progovorite. Mislim da pravi stil nije u jurenju trendova. Reč je o razumevanju energije, uzdržanosti i prisustva. Postoji moć u prefinjenosti i u saznanju da ne morate biti glasni da biste bili nezaboravni.

Šta su vas globalna modna iskustva naučila o ženi kakva postajete?

Naučila su me da spoljašnja lepota znači veoma malo bez unutrašnjeg usmerenja. Moda me je izložila izuzetnim svetovima, kulturama i ljudima, ali me je takođe naterala da razumem ko sam izvan slike. Hodajući za dizajnere Christiana Cowana i Christiana Siriana tokom New York Fashion Week, shvatila sam koliko je važno razvijati se dalje, da nije dovoljno samo biti viđen. Ono na šta sam posebno ponosna jeste činjenica da sam mnogo toga izgradila kroz sopstvenu viziju, upornost i strategiju. Na mnogo načina sama sam stvorila sopstveni momentum i transformisala se u  supermodela kroz doslednost, reinvenciju, umrežavanje, disciplinu i odbijanje da čekam dozvolu industrije. Ali, ta iskustva su me naučila i rasuđivanju. Moda vam može veoma brzo dati vidljivost, ali vidljivost bez identiteta je opasna. Postala sam selektivnija kada je reč o ljudima koje dopuštam oko sebe, promišljenija sam sa svojim imidžom i prizemnija u razumevanju toga ko sam privatno naspram javno. Globalna moda naučila me je sofisticiranosti, ali i samosvesti.

Savremena moda često slavi vidljivost, ali pravi luksuz je i dalje povezan sa misterioznošću. Kako balansirate između toga da budete viđeni, a da ipak nešto zadržite samo za sebe?

Mislim da misterija dolazi iz granica. Ne mora sve što je značajno da bude javno prikazano. Delim delove svog rada i javnog života, ali štitim svoj unutrašnji svet, odnose, privatne rutine i određene snove dok se potpuno ne ostvare. Najmoćniji ljudi na svetu i dalje razumeju vrednost privatnosti.

Vaš imidž nosi samopouzdanje, ali samopouzdanje retko dolazi samo od sebe. Šta ste morali interno da prevaziđete da biste ga danas nosili tako lako?

Morala sam da prestanem da tražim potvrdu od ljudi koji nisu imali viziju da me razumeju. Samopouzdanje dolazi iz preživljavanja razočaranja, tihog ponovnog građenja sebe i nastavljanja dalje kroz život uprkos svemu. Mislim da mnoge žene deluju samouvereno tek nakon godina unutrašnjih borbi koje niko nikada ne vidi. Moje je došlo iz učenja da više verujem sopstvenim instinktima nego tuđim mišljenjima.

Često vrlo otvoreno govorite o ambiciji, zbog čega se ženama i dalje sudi. Da li ste ikada osetili potrebu da svoju ambiciju učinite „mekšom” kako biste bili prihvatljiviji?

Apsolutno. Bilo je trenutaka kada sam shvatila da se ljudi osećaju prijatnije uz ambiciozne žene kada deluju tiše ili manje sigurne u sebe. Ali ne verujem u to da žene treba da se izvinjavaju zbog toga što istovremeno žele uspeh, uticaj, inteligenciju, lepotu, ljubav i finansijsku nezavisnost. Od muškaraca se retko traži da umanjuju sebe, pa sam prestala i ja to da radim.

U svetu opsednutom trendovima, šta ostaje bezvremenski „Anna”, bez obzira na sezonu, dizajnera ili kameru?

Disciplina, elegancija i otpornost. Te stvari ostaju sa mnom bez obzira na to šta se spolja događa. Takođe mislim da je autentičnost bezvremenska. Trendovi se menjaju svake sezone, ali snažan identitet ne.

Pripadate generaciji modela koji više nisu samo muze, već brendovi, preduzetnice i donosioci odluka. Mislite li da lepota danas mora da dolazi i sa poslovnom inteligencijom?

Bez sumnje. Lepota može otvoriti vrata, ali inteligencija određuje da li možete izgraditi nešto trajno kada uđete u prostoriju. Žene danas imaju više prilika nego ikada da stvaraju biznise, strateški pregovaraju i oblikuju sopstvene narative. Mislim da budućnost pripada ženama koje razumeju i estetiku i moć.

Šta luksuz danas znači za vas — da li je to nešto materijalno ili je postao više pitanje slobode, vremena i izbora?

Luksuz je danas sloboda. Sloboda nad vašim vremenom, okruženjem, odnosima i odlukama. Naravno da su lepe stvari prijatne, moda će uvek biti deo mog sveta, ali pravi luksuz je mir uma i mogućnost da živite promišljeno, bez očaja i zavisnosti.

Iza svakog uglađenog javnog imidža postoji neglamurozna rutina. Kako izgleda vaša kada vas niko ne gleda?

Zapravo je veoma strukturisana. Ozbiljno štitim svoje zdravlje, fizičku formu, način razmišljanja i raspored. Pilates, kretanje, čitanje, poslovni sastanci, dugi radni dani, nega kože, oporavak, disciplina kada je reč o hrani i energiji. Ljudi vide finalnu sliku, ali retko vide doslednost koja je potrebna iza nje. Glamur bez discipline se na kraju raspadne.

Kada biste naredno poglavlje Anne Alimani mogli da definišete jednom modnom slikom: gradom, siluetom, raspoloženjem, šta bismo videli?

Ženu koja noću izlazi iz crnog automobila na Menhetnu, u precizno krojenom odelu, sa jednim parom kultnih tamnih naočara, diskretnim dijamantima i agresivnim krvavocrvenim karminom, uz suptilan osmeh koji govori da tačno zna ko je. Vrlo filmski, vrlo internacionalno, vrlo promišljeno. Oko nje postoji neosporna aura moći, samopouzdanja i smirenosti. To je ona vrsta žene koja potpuno razume svoju vrednost i zna kakvu energiju unosi u svaku prostoriju pre nego što uopšte progovori. Ne glasna energija koja traži pažnju, već tiho prisustvo koje prirodno promeni atmosferu u trenutku kada uđe. Tiha moć umesto performativne moći.

I na kraju, kada mlade žene pogledaju vas i vide glamur, koja je jedna istina o uspehu koju biste želeli da razumeju iza lepe fotografije?

Da je uspeh mnogo manje glamurozan nego što ljudi misle dok ga gradite. Prelepa fotografija koju ljudi na kraju vide možda je zahtevala godine veoma teških, ponekad veoma ružnih iskustava da bi nastala. Ljude prirodno privlači finalni rezultat, ali retko razumeju ogromnu masu ispod površine ledenog brega. Tu su žrtva, odbacivanje, usamljenost, disciplina, pritisak, reinvencija i trenuci u kojima morate da nastavite da verujete u sebe kada gotovo niko drugi to ne čini. Javnost vidi uglađeni finalni kadar, ali ne i emocionalnu cenu, prepreke, besane noći ili otpornost koja je bila potrebna da biste postali žena koja stoji unutar te slike. Mislim da pravi uspeh nije samo spolja postati lep. To je postati mentalno dovoljno snažan da preživite proces bez gubitka identiteta, ambicije ili osećaja sopstva usput.

English here:

In an era where beauty alone is no longer enough, Anna Alimani belongs to a new generation of women who understand that presence is a language, ambition is a strategy, and style is a form of authority. Based between New York, Paris, and Milan, the American model has built an international career that moves seamlessly through the world’s most influential fashion capitals. With appearances in global fashion publications, as well as runway and campaign work that place her firmly in the contemporary conversation about luxury, Alimani has cultivated an image that is at once polished, disciplined, and intentionally mysterious. Yet fashion is only one layer of her evolving narrative. Alongside her editorial success, Anna has gradually broadened her profile into acting, entrepreneurship, and investing—a trajectory that reflects a distinctly contemporary understanding of influence, where visibility is no longer divorced from business acumen and personal authorship. There’s something deliberately elusive about Anna Alimani. She navigates the worlds of luxury fashion, media visibility, and entrepreneurial ambition with a composure that suggests she knows exactly how much to reveal—and how much to leave to the imagination. She speaks to Harper’s Bazaar Serbia about ambition, elegance, personal discipline, and the true meaning of modern luxury.

Anna, you move so naturally between fashion, business and public presence. Which of these worlds feels most like your true home today?

Honestly, I no longer separate them. Fashion gave me visibility, business gave me structure, and public presence taught me responsibility. Completing Columbia Business School further reinforced the strategic side of who I am and made me even more intentional about building a long term legacy beyond just image. Today, my true home is in creating a life where fashion, business, and influence coexist intelligently. I love creativity, but I also love strategy, ownership, negotiation, and long term vision. I think the modern woman should be multidimensional and unapologetic about that.

There is a very controlled elegance in the way you present yourself. Is style for you an instinct, a discipline, or a form of personal power?

It is all three. Style begins as instinct, but elegance is discipline. The way you carry yourself communicates before you even speak. I think true style is not about chasing trends. It is about understanding energy, restraint, and presence. There is power in refinement and in knowing you do not need to be loud to be unforgettable.

What have these global fashion experiences taught you about the woman you are becoming?

They taught me that external beauty means very little without internal direction. Fashion exposed me to extraordinary worlds, cultures, and people, but it also forced me to understand who I am outside of the image. Walking for designers like Christian Cowan and Christian Siriano during New York Fashion Week has shown me how important it is to evolve beyond simply being seen. What makes me especially proud is that much of this was built through my own vision, persistence, and strategy. In many ways, I single handedly created my own momentum and transformed myself into a modern supermodel through consistency, reinvention, networking, discipline, and refusing to wait for permission from the industry. But those experiences also taught me discernment. Fashion can give you visibility very quickly, but visibility without identity is dangerous. I became more selective about the environments I allow around me, more intentional with my image, and more grounded in understanding who I am privately versus publicly. Global fashion taught me sophistication, but also self awareness.

Modern fashion often celebrates visibility, but true luxury is still connected with mystery. How do you balance being seen and still keeping something only for yourself?

I think mystery comes from boundaries. Not everything meaningful needs to be displayed publicly. I share parts of my work and public life, but I protect my inner world, my relationships, my private routines, and certain dreams until they are fully realized. The most powerful people in the world still understand the value of privacy.

Your image carries confidence, but confidence is rarely something one is simply born with. What did you have to overcome internally to wear it so effortlessly today?

I had to stop seeking validation from people who did not have the vision to understand me. Confidence comes from surviving disappointment, rebuilding yourself quietly, and continuing anyway. I think many women appear confident only after years of internal battles nobody ever sees. Mine came from learning to trust my own instincts more than outside opinions.

You often speak about ambition very openly, something women are still judged for. Have you ever felt the need to make your ambition look softer to be more acceptable?

Absolutely. There were moments where I realized people are more comfortable with ambitious women when they appear smaller, quieter, or less certain of themselves. But I do not believe women should apologize for wanting success, influence, intelligence, beauty, love, and financial independence simultaneously. Men are rarely asked to minimize themselves, so I stopped doing it too.

In a world obsessed with trends, what remains timelessly “Anna” regardless of the season, the designer, or the camera?

Discipline, elegance, and resilience. Those things stay with me regardless of what is happening externally. I also think authenticity is timeless. Trends change every season, but a strong identity does not.

You are part of a generation of models who are no longer just muses, but brands, entrepreneurs and decision makers. Do you think beauty today must also come with business intelligence?

Without question. Beauty may open a door, but intelligence determines whether you can build something lasting once you enter the room. Women today have more opportunities than ever to own their platforms, create businesses, negotiate strategically, and shape their own narratives. I think the future belongs to women who understand both aesthetics and power.

What does luxury mean to you now, is it something material, or has it become more about freedom, time and choice?

Luxury today is freedom. Freedom over your time, your environment, your relationships, and your decisions. Of course beautiful things are enjoyable, fashion will always be part of my world, but real luxury is peace of mind and the ability to live intentionally without desperation or dependency.

Behind every polished public image there is an unglamorous routine. What does your private discipline look like when nobody is watching?

It is actually very structured. I protect my health, my fitness, my mindset, and my schedule seriously. Pilates, movement, reading, business meetings, long workdays, skincare, recovery, discipline with food and energy. People see the final image, but they rarely see the consistency required behind it. Glamour without discipline eventually falls apart.

If you could define the next chapter of Anna Alimani in one fashion image, a city, a silhouette, a mood, what would we see?

A woman stepping out of a black car in Manhattan at night wearing sharp tailoring, one pair of iconic dark shades, understated diamonds, and aggressive blood red lipstick with a subtle smirk that says she already knows exactly who she is. Very cinematic, very international, very intentional. There is an undeniable aura of power, confidence, and composure around her. The kind of woman who understands her value completely and knows the energy she brings into every room before she even speaks. Not loud attention seeking energy, but the quiet intimidation and presence that naturally shifts an environment the moment she enters it. Quiet power rather than performative power.

And finally, when young women look at you and see glamour, what is the one truth about success you wish they understood beyond the beautiful photograph?

That success is far less glamorous than people think while you are building it. The beautiful photograph people see at the end may have taken years of very difficult, sometimes very ugly experiences to create. People are naturally attracted to the finished product, but they rarely understand the belly of the iceberg underneath it. There is sacrifice, rejection, loneliness, discipline, pressure, reinvention, and moments where you have to continue believing in yourself when almost nobody else does. The public sees the polished final frame, but not the emotional cost, the setbacks, the sleepless nights, or the resilience it took to become the woman standing inside the image. I think true success is not simply becoming beautiful externally. It is becoming mentally strong enough to survive the process without losing your identity, your ambition, or your sense of self along the way.

Team:

Interview: Martin Raykov @martinraykov2023

Model: Anna Alimani @anna_alimani

Photograph: Dan Cristian Gocan @dcg.archv

Stylist: Stoyan Apostolov @stoqn_stoanski

Hair & makeup: Giovanni Zummo @giovanni_zummo_mua