THE INSIDER: JOY BRYANT

This model-actress isn't afraid to get her feet wet.

When dominating the classroom (Yale), catwalk (Victoria’s Secret, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger), and cinema (Antwone Fisher, Bobby) just wasn’t enough, Joy Bryant turned to the mountains and the waves. At a party last night celebrating the launch of photo tome Surf Girls Roxy we caught up with the badass beauty to talk “gnarly” waves and “sick” fashion.

Models and actresses are supposed to be pretty and girly. How did you get turned on to extreme sports?
Well, a couple years ago I was dating a surfer who was really hot, so he got me in the water. So there’s your story! But I think if I learned to do that stuff early on, I’d be so sick right now. I’d be retarded.

You’ve had photo shoots in pretty exotic places. Where are your favorite places to surf and snowboard?
I’ve been really lucky to go to some amazing places to surf. I think Tavarua, in Fiji, is kind of my favorite. There are mellow beach break waves. I think surfing’s much harder, because the water’s so dynamic. Not to mention, I don’t know how to swim! At least with snowboarding, it’s snow. It’s either powdery or not. And learning how to stand up and catch your own wave is so hard! I’m much bigger on snowboarding. I’m better at it. But mind you, I’m not a super gnarly snowboarder. I don’t do tricks!

Who are your favorite designers to wear when you’re not on water or in the snow?
I go high and low. Let’s start low: I buy a lot of my clothes from Target, American Apparel, Club Monaco. Now let’s go high: Stella McCartney, Missoni, Ralph. A lot more than that! I love Hussein Chalayan. I love Matthew Williamson, Alice Temperley, Zac Posen, Ann Demeulemeester…

And when you are?
Yeah, always! I might be falling on my ass, but I wanna look good while I’m on my ass!
NATALIE MATTHEWS



This story was published on May 21, 2008.