Mind The Gap
London model and activist Candice Blackburn knows there’s no other place like home, and thanks to social media her followers can equally share the admiration.
Candice Blackburn may not be your typical social media influencer. Portraying the picture-perfect life, traveling the globe, documenting the luxurious scenes on Instagram, sun-bathing on million-dollar yachts, and flaunting vintage Chanel sets is what model and activist Blackburn is all about. To remain transparent as a public figure, Candice’s curated feed is just scratching the surface of who she is. “One thing most people don’t know about me, I crave knowledge. Anything and everything, even from the most obscure niches. I come out with the oddest facts; I have what you’d call ‘Google knowledge’,” she laughed. Stumbling into the modeling industry by accident, Blackburn credits one competition in particular for the initial introduction. “I started modeling accidentally through a competition in 2012. I never wanted to be a model, and never thought of it as a career path.” Encouraged by competition scouts, Blackburn was initially reluctant but entered anyway. “Surprisingly, I won.” From then on, Blackburn’s modeling career started accelerating. Leaving a mark on the London scene for three years, she made the trek to South Africa, a stint lasting six months, then flying halfway around the world to Los Angeles for a year stay. Just recently, Blackburn has officially moved back to London. “All I can say is: there is no place like home.”
Proud twenty-three-year-old Manchester native, Blackburn has split time and made memories in both Warrington and London, respectively, from childhood and throughout her teenage years. An avid reader and talented musician in both guitar and piano, the young model’s social media channels allow both fans and industry admirers to relate to similar hobbies and interests, strengthening the model's local and global social connections. “For me, it’s complete transparency. My followers trust me to be truthful and honest, and therefore I never hold back. People may say, ‘I’m brutally honest at times,’ but I think it’s important for people to know that as I’m classed as an ‘influencer’, I want to influence people in the most truthful way possible.” In the most truthful way possible, this perspective often entails serious discussions about the current climate change debates. “As a child, I was naturally very drawn to nature. After school, I would look for trees near my school and ‘talk’ to them.” Like a Disney princess? Candice continues, with a laugh, “I would sense their extremely old age and I loved being around them. As I got older, I started to see how the seasons were changing. No snow at Christmas and very hot summers.” For nature’s green-eyed activist and purist, taking in the sights, sounds, and imagery of Animal Planet’s Blue Planet, her knowledge began to strengthen. “I realized we were killing the planet and instead of fixing our mistakes, we argue over land, oil, and religion. Still today, it seems ridiculous! Our planet will die very soon, and we will die with it.” To make her contributions toward helping the planet, the model is starting what she puts on her plate and in her body. “I decided to cut out all red meat and dairy from my alimentation. I rarely eat chicken and occasionally fish. My goal is to cut all animal products out of my diet.”
With all of this talk, how can a public figure – of Blackburn’s stature – honestly uphold a demanding mainstream life? In all honesty, Blackburn says there is not much difference. “What you see – especially on my stories – is me in my mainstream life. I can be serious, but most of the time I’m very childish and love to mess around. I’m also trying to uplift myself when I’m feeling down. I would hate for anyone to think that we – as models and celebrities – have these amazing, fun, and charming lives. We don’t. I, myself, often struggle to find motivation and I want my audience to know that share that, yet importantly, relate. Remember where you are in your life is something you should be proud of. You’ve accomplished so much just to get to the point in your life you’re at right now. Take a moment to be proud of yourself. I want everyone to have a beautiful day and rock it.”
From a follower’s standpoint, Blackburn is the all-around “It” Girl. Prideful of being low maintenance, the London local is thankful for less time spent on primping and more time present happenings. “For me, fresh skin, bushy brows, and some mascara are my go-to. For fashion, a jumper or t-shirt, leggings, cool trainers and a denim jacket. Oversized, of course.”
One interesting takeaway: the model steers clear from patterns and label logos. None. Nada. Zilch. Naturally gravitating towards and sticking to clean, sharp lines, Blackburn believes that with age comes wisdom – same goes for fashion. “As I’ve gotten older, my knowledge of fashion and history increased. I’ve realized how much I love the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Bold colors and oversized everything resonates with me.” The best advice the model credits to her personal and professional development: to look at yourself as a business. “Through all the rejections and criticisms, you as a person must be protected. Others will see and know ‘Candice Blackburn the business, the model, not the person.’” To Blackburn, fashion is still just a trend. “It comes and goes and doesn’t necessarily look great.” As a teenager, the model recalls the fads that echoed the closets of her friends and peers, even more so, the school halls. In turn, taking in the uniqueness of her classmates opened her eyes and individuality. “I realized that, firstly, I will never be part of the crowd. Secondly,” she concludes with a laugh, “fashion isn’t always stylish.”
Looking at the short lifespan of fashion and its fads, Blackburn eventually wants to focus on other ventures. Like Hollywood? Real estate? “I want to step away from modeling and go into acting. I’m getting my foot on the property and investment ladder as well. So many things to keep me busy.”
