Ana Plisnić: "Time is our greatest ally"

“It’s not about everything happening at the right time, but everything happening at your time,” wrote the “eternal child” Mika Antić long ago, advising us, with the ease of his pen, to live our lives without adhering to imposed rules and fabricated molds. The star of our September cover, Ana Plisnić, embodies exactly that wisdom. After sporadically working as a model during her student days, she returned to modeling less than a year ago, at the age of 44. While her path may seem unconventional in the fashion world, where models typically begin their careers in their teenage years and often retire by their early thirties, Ana’s journey is entirely her own. And it’s precisely how it’s meant to be.

Ana was born in 1980 in Livno, and today she lives with her family in Novi Sad. However, even her formal education didn’t hint that modeling would be her ultimate calling. In addition to earning a degree in phonetics and Croatian language and literature from the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb, she also studied music as a cellist. After the birth of her first child in 2010, she actively pursued yoga and soon became a prenatal yoga instructor. Since returning to the fashion world last year, upon the suggestion of her long-time friend and current agent, Marko Lovrić, Ana has graced the pages of editorials in magazines such as Vogue, Marie Claire, and the Chinese edition of L’Officiel.

However, it’s the September cover of Vogue Adria that fills her with endless pride: “I tell my children that no matter where we are and how physically apart we may be, we are always together because we carry each other in our hearts. I am thrilled that my children will see their mom on the cover of Vogue at every kiosk in Novi Sad, especially now that we are apart due to my work, and that they will be proud—innocently proud in the way that only children can be. I know how much sacrifice is required on their part for me to do this job… and that my mother will be proud, as only a mother can be proud. Without her sacrifice and care for my children, none of this would have been possible. My heart is full! From a professional standpoint, what fills me with joy is the success of the entire team, because while my face may be on the cover, it wouldn’t be there without the dedicated work of everyone in the team. And not just them, but all the people in all the teams I’ve worked with so far. They all contributed to this. I am endlessly grateful.”

How did you get started in modeling? Your journey is quite unique.

I started modeling in my twenties, during my studies, to earn some extra money for hobbies that interested me at the time. Honestly, I didn’t see myself in that world back then, as I often didn’t feel comfortable during shoots. Today, knowing myself better, I understand it was due to a lack of healthy self-confidence, which is quite common among young people. Despite there being people who recognized my potential even then and believed in me, it just wasn’t the right time for certain things to happen, because I simply wasn’t ready for them. Looking back with the life experience I now have, I know that things happen when they are meant to. It was necessary for me to have other experiences before this could happen.

Is that why you decided to take a break? What made you decide to return?

The break came when I decided to start a family. I’m glad I didn’t completely close that chapter, and when people from the fashion world reached out to me for projects, I would gladly return to modeling because of the people who invited me. With them, I felt safe. As I grew as a person, becoming more aware and confident in myself, I started to enjoy the work more. I found a way to express my creativity. Last summer, my long-time friend and current agent, Marko Lovrić, suggested I return to the industry. I felt ready because I feel good in my body and comfortable with myself. My past experiences have taught me that things happen when they are supposed to, and it’s important to be prepared for that. Marko’s experience as an agent and his belief in me meant a lot. He has a unique perspective on the job, having had a long career as a model himself, so he understands the model’s perspective, which is often lacking in agents who haven’t had that experience.

What’s it like returning to modeling after such a long break? What has this return meant for you? How do you perceive time, your time?

In today’s world, where everything seems to happen instantly, where it’s now or never, and the emphasis is on defying time as if time were an enemy—here today, gone tomorrow—my perception of time, its passing, and its fluidity comes from listening to the changes that are the only constant. For that, you need daily effort, discipline, and self-denial—it’s the only way you truly are every day. I feel deeply that time is our greatest ally because it reveals everything. It teaches us the hardest life lessons: patience and humility. Time reveals the intentions of a person, their strength, and virtue, but for that, you really need time. It gives us space to embrace the changes necessary for growth and development, to come to terms with things we cannot change, and to discern what’s important from what’s not. Often, we feel like the wrong things are happening at the wrong time, or the right things at the right time, but we just need time to understand that things happen as they must, based on everything that came before. It’s important to develop awareness and know how to conserve energy and how to use it. I think wisdom lies in recognizing the “real thing” a little earlier than it happens. For that, a person needs vision, faith in their intuition, and to be honest with themselves, and then it becomes much easier to recognize. How does it feel? If I find space in my heart for all emotions, if I allow even the negative ones, I’m actually creating space to intensely feel the positive ones. A tree cannot grow tall unless its roots are deep—it takes time. I’m learning to enjoy every breath.

What have you worked on since returning to the fashion world?

Every shoot is equally important to me. I give my best regardless of how well-known the brand is. I am dedicated to my work and professional. I love working with young designers who are just starting out because they are incredibly creative people with wonderful youthful energy. Often, it’s at these shoots where we achieve the best results. I understand what it’s like to be at the beginning of a career, and I enjoy offering support. After all, I’m at a new beginning myself in modeling. I’d like to highlight that the most creative shoots are often for magazines because they often give the model the freedom to express themselves. I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to do editorials for Vogue, Marie Claire, and L’Officiel in China.

Photography: Karla Jurić and Ive Trojanović, 925 Studio
Fashion: Petar Trbović
Model: Ana Plisnić @ Faith Model Management
Makeup: Simona Antonović
Hair: Mijo Majhen
Assistant Photographer: Leonarda Vrček
Stylist Assistant: Ana Marušić