Just One Thing: with Kristina Papuckovska

“At the end of the day, you know yourself the best.”

Hi Kristina! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m Kristina Papuckovska, one of the newest faces to join FiveTwenty Model Management. I’m a very courageous and creative girl who loves fashion and spending quality time with my family.

How old are you?

I’m 15 years old.

And what do you do?

At the moment, I’m still in high school. I’m trying to balance both my school-life and my dream career to make it become more of a reality than it is now.

What’s the one thing your mother or father always told you?

My parents always told me that family and a strong household is the most important. This gives me confidence because I know that I can try new things and even fail, and I will still have a supportive family behind me.

Tell us a bit about your heritage.

Both my parents are Macedonian. I’ve been so lucky to grow up with another background as it plays a huge part in my identity. My family and I go to Macedonia nearly every year to see my relatives and it’s a beautiful country.

That’s amazing, to be so connected to your background and your family there. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

What’s your star sign?

I’m a Capricorn, the earth sign. I’m a true Capricorn, ambitious, persistent and realistic. But there’s a big kid in every Capricorn, so I love having fun.

What would you tell your younger self if you had the chance?

I would tell my younger self to stop overthinking everything and to not take peoples negative comments to heart. At the end of the day, you know yourself the best.

On a local level, what do you think Australia needs right now?

I think Australia needs a bigger platform for forward-thinking, strong and confident women who are ready to impact our society.

What are you most proud of?

My ability to step out of my comfort zone and try something new is something that I’ve grown to be most proud of.

Is that the quality you most admire in others?

In a way. I really admire people who are open-minded and aren’t fixated on one opinion. Open-minded people are usually good listeners and everyone needs people like that in their life.

In terms of self-care, how do you switch off when you need to?

I love to write, listen to music and sit out in the sun and paint. At times when I’ve had a long day or am feeling stressed out, I like to distract myself, or even just writing down my feelings helps a lot.

Tell us about your greatest personal challenge.

Overcoming people’s judgements and criticisms is a personal challenge of mine that I’m definitely overcoming slowly.

Tell us a story that might inspire us. 

My parents are very hard-working resilient people. They managed to migrate from Macedonia to Australia with very little and over time their hard work has paid off. They have taught both my brother and me that success doesn’t happen overnight, and the hard work we put in now will show rewards later.

Who do you most want to meet and why?

I would love to meet Anna Wintour, to just talk and learn from her. I think she is an icon in the fashion industry and would give great advice in all things fashion and design.

If you could say just one thing to our FJ community, what would you say?

In a world dominated by Instagram, try to represent something authentic.

@kristina_papuckovska

Read other interviews in the Just One Thing series here. 

Styling credits

LOOK ONE 
AWARE BY VERO MODA TOP $74.95, SHONA JOY ELLINGTON PANTS IN COGNAC $280, AUOR VALENTINA SUNGLASSES IN HONEY TORT $310, TEVA FLATFORM UNIVERSAL $99.95

LOOK TWO
SHONA JOY DRAKE ONE SHOULDER BLOUSE IN LIGHT BLUE $180, SIGNIFICANT OTHER SKIRT $189.95, BALYCK JEWELLERY AVA RING $250

LOOK THREE
SIGNIFICANT OTHER TOP $129.95, ALICE MCCALL PINK MOON PANTS $360, VALÉRE JEWELLERY EARRINGS $310

LOOK FOUR
TRELISE COOPER ONE SHOP TOP $300, RELIQUIA ELEANOR EARRINGS $169, BESS COSMILK XL SCARF $275

LOOK FIVE
SIGNIFICANT OTHER ORANGE TIE TOP $119.95, SIGNIFICANT OTHER SKIRT $189.95, ROLLA’S T-SHIRT $40, RELIQUIA CYNTHIA EARRINGS $159

LOOK SIX
TRELISE COOPER AFTER THE FRILL HAS GONE DRESS $599, BALYCK JEWELLERY ASTERI EARRINGS $260, AUOR FRANCA SUNGLASSES IN SEAGLASS $300

LOOK SEVEN
ALICE MCCALL TOP $295, SIGNIFICANT OTHER SHORTS $149.95, RELIQUIA NECKLACE $139, RUUSK LARGE OVAL SIGNET RING FROM $1,280, RUUSK STELLAR SOLITAIRE RING $5,600, RUUSK MOON & STARS OVAL SIGNET RING FROM $1,150, NELSON MADE SONA SANDALS IN ROSE POA

LOOK EIGHT
KATE SYLVESTER LUCY DRESS $739, ALICE MCCALL BRA (WORN UNDERNEATH) $225, VALÉRE JEWELLERY EARRINGS AND BANGLE $290, LONELY LINGERIE LULU UNDERWEAR $75