João Knorr Is the Star of MMSCENE Magazine’s March 2024 Cover Story

From the sports courts of a small town in southern Brazil to the dazzling lights of international fashion runways, João Knorr‘s journey is a testament to the unpredictable paths that lead to success in the modeling industry. Featured in the March 2024 digital cover story of MMSCENE, Knorr shares his transition from a passionate athlete to a sought-after model.

EXCLUSIVE

In this candid interview, Joao reflects on the highlights of his career, the impact of social media, and the people who have inspired and supported him along the way. He also talks about his personal style, influenced by his Brazilian roots and love for thrifting, and shares his thoughts on the ultimate fashion capital. For those aspiring to make their mark in the fashion industry, Joao offers advice grounded in authenticity, resilience, and the importance of being true to oneself.

Can you share your journey from playing sports to being scouted for modeling? How did these worlds intersect for you? – Sports were definitely my way into Fashion. I was born in a small town in south of brazil and been always a big fan of sports specially tennis and volleyball, I played tennis from when I was 6 years old till I was 15 until I changed to volleyball and that’s when I moved to the capital of Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto alegre, and started to get a lot of new opportunities for other things that interest me.

In my school I had a classmate that was modeling for my agency today and she always thought I had potential for fashion but I was never really into it, till one day I had lost my faith in becoming a professional volleyball player and started to actually look into this opportunities and decided to become a model so I signed with Joy Management.

What aspects of your personality and life have you discovered through your career in fashion modeling? – My career in fashion has been a journey of self discovery. I learned how to express myself in new ways, starting at 17 I was in a period of development getting more mature and learning how to be with people around me. Working in fashion helped me a lot by interacting with people from all over the world, learning with them, creating new ideas and inspiring myself around so many with different cultures and different ways of thinking it made me even more and more curious to see what that world had to offer me. Another important thing I learned was being resilient in the face of rejection which is something us artists deal with on a daily basis. And the cooler part was developing a unique perspective on my style changing from dressing the same clothes everyday to bringing a my modeling personality in my clothes.

Being a frequent traveler due to your modeling career, what are your top 3 travel destinations? –  LA, London and NYC.

How do you navigate the pressures and competition in the modeling world, and how do these challenges compare to your experiences in tennis? – I feel like tennis and volleyball made me a more resilient person, Both fields required me to improve and adapt but I think that they’re also well connected because is all about your currently body and mental health, dealing with the feelings of pressure and competition are definitely something that tennis helped me in fashion knowing they’re both require a lot of belief and dedication throughout the process of becoming a professional player or a successful model. 

What makes your collaboration with Versace so special to you, and how has Donatella Versace influenced your career? – Working with Versace was so far one of my favorite experiences in fashion, being so close to such creative inspiring people during work made me feel I was in the right place and inspired me to keep pushing my career forward. Donatella provided me with a lot of visibility in the industry and I feel that’s how she helped me the most but also developing my character in fashion and growing my portfolio is something I couldn’t be more thankful for today.

In what ways has social media impacted your career and personal life, and how do you balance its positive and negative aspects? – Social media had a significant impact in my life and career both positives and negatives throughout the time I spent on it. It provided me opportunities for networking, self expression and learning. On the other hand it also led me to challenges like privacy concerns and the pressure to maintain an online presence needed for my career. Balancing these aspects for me often involves setting boundaries, such as limiting my time on social media and being mindful of my mental health.

Who has been your greatest inspiration in life and how have they shaped your journey? – Definitely my dad. He’s the one who shaped my values and my character, taught me important lessons and supported me in my journey, being always present for me and engaging in my challenges with me giving me confidence and understanding of myself.

You mentioned a love for thrifting and a relaxed style in Brazil. How do your fashion choices reflect your mood and cultural background? – I think that being able to see so many different perspectives from people in clothing style I developed a pretty versatile way of dressing up, mixing different cultures and taste made me feel comfortable and confident with the way I dress anywhere I go, but nothing will ever be better then a pair of flip flops shorts and a open shirt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Between New York City and London, which do you believe is the ultimate fashion capital, and what sets it apart for you? – I feel that the “ultimate fashion capital” is a choice that would depend on individual preference and what aspects in fashion one values most, but for me the man’s industry in London is much more expensive in terms of opportunity as I can do high fashion and commercial at the same time which in nyc for me is more focused in high fashion only. I would say I consider both places my main focus today.

Aside from modeling, what sports and artistic activities do you engage in to maintain your physical and mental well-being? – Sports in general like tennis, volleyball, soccer , muay thai and of course gym is very important.

What advice would you give to aspiring models who are just starting their journey in the fashion industry? – Just be yourself at all times, have confidence, authenticity and be professional at all times, like that you will be able to build an awesome portfolio and great chances of amazing networking and success. But reminding yourself that being resilient and taking care of your health is the most important part.

Photographer: Leandro Franco – @l___franco
Stylist: Camila Sales – @camilla_sales
Beauty: Giu – @giumaquiadora
Stylist assistant: Borgeth @borgeth
Photographer Assistant: Lucas Pereira
Fashion Film: João Otávio – @joaootaviobandeira
Talent: Joao Knorr – @joaoknorr at Joy Mgmt @joymgmt