Hunter Schafer

We are on the forefront of a revolution in which identity and expression will take priority over the labels assigned to us at birth; in which self-identification will take priority over perception; in which gender will fall away entirely.

What I'm trying to do in all senses is deconstruct our idea of gender and use the privileges that come with looking like a model to bring attention to that.

I'm starting to develop my practice, learning how to come home after a really long day of shooting and letting myself breathe. I'm drawing and painting and listening to my music and keeping those things separate.

I know, for myself, I have a very distinct style, and I know what I like, and I know what I don't like. But it has been a process of learning how to cater to the different events that happen with Hollywood and how you might want to dress for red carpet and what things photograph well.

There might have been a point in my career where, because people have been telling me I'm an activist, I took on that label. But in retrospect, I don't think that's what I am - or what I've been - just because I'm vocal about my identity sometimes.

I would say runway is easier because your job is to look good or play a character that is just going somewhere. It's rather physical, whereas acting is terrifying because you're dealing with your subconscious, and those can be murky waters. But I definitely can say that I enjoy acting more as an artist.

I almost went to Central Saint Martins for fashion design. I deferred for a year when I graduated high school so that I could go model and make some money and immerse myself in the fashion industry for a year.

I went to an arts high school and was surrounded by drama students who dreamed of working in the industry. I almost feel a sense of guilt, because I didn't go to acting school.

I had been interested in trying acting, and, like, I went to school with actors and whatnot, and I was interested in the craft but didn't really push myself to do it.

Since it's no longer my singular source of income, I've withdrawn from fashion spaces a bit. However, I still have a deep love for fashion and want to continue to work with designers and houses that inspire me - like Rick Owens, whose show I would no doubt walk in again if the opportunity arose.

No matter what I've worked on or what art practices I've delved into, they've always been an attempt to world-build.

I don't think 'Euphoria' can capture the entirety of the teen-in-high-school experience, but I think it is realistic. It's scary in that sense because I don't think we get to see a lot of depictions of high school this raw. I think that truth might scare people.