We’re starting to see a theme throughout Quvenzhané Wallis’s high-profile moments. First, she hit the Oscars red carpet in Armani wearing a dog purse she named Sandy. And then, in her upcoming remake of Annie, she (of course) starred opposite Annie’s faithful pooch, also named Sandy, whom she calls her “third dog” (after her pets Sugar, a German Shepherd, and Sammy, a Yorkie). And now Sammy is co-starring with the fifth-grader in her first ever modeling debut for Armani Junior.
Quevanzhané, 10, even applied some of the tricks she learned from working with the on-set Sandy to her own dogs — which came in handy for her Armani gig. Sort of. “[Sandy] is like my baby, she’s one of my favorite dogs,” the actress shared. “She listens! When you tell Sammy to sit, he lays down. I was trying, and I’d say, ‘Sit Sammy!’ And he looked at me, and I looked at him, and he just laid down. Like: ‘I’m not in the mood right now.’”
Jason Merritt/Getty; Courtesy Armani Junior; Nation
Diva dogs aside, Quvenzhan&ecute; thought modeling was a breeze compared to her “day job,” acting. “With acting you have lots and lots of lines. When you’re doing modeling you make faces, you dance, you just play around! And it doesn’t really matter what you do. With acting you have to be very precise with what you’re doing.”
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For her Armani Junior shoot, she tried on a few different looks, including a tiered dress and a sharp suit. “With a dress, it feels like you’re wearing a nightgown … if it feels really loose you feel free,” she says. The tuxedo however, required some more prep, including a fitting, something she’s new to. “With a tuxedo, it has to fit your arms right and your legs right,” she says. Will we see her in “menswear” again? “I really think I would [wear a suit on the red carpet], but it depends where I’m wearing it,” she says. “If it’s really fancy, I’m probably going to wear a dress, but if it’s casual but fancy, I’d wear a suit.”
Part of her easygoing attitude towards modeling designer duds can be attributed to the fact that getting into fashion “isn’t something I do — I don’t really care about clothing.” But her mom Qulyndreia, who picks out her clothes each day, says that she’s more of a fashionista than she lets on. “Quvenzhané is particular about what she puts on. She’ll say, ‘Mom, what’s the layout for the day?’ She’s concerned, but she just leaves it in my hands.”
Some things she is particular about: “I don’t really like plaid dresses,” she says. “I have to wear that uniform for school and I don’t like it!” Instead, she chooses polka dots and stripes, and says her favorite colors are pink, purple and blue, “but mostly pink.” And she loves press-on nails — something that’s for special occasions only until she’s allowed to paint her nails in sixth grade.
But what she doesn’t mind waiting on for a few years: High-heeled shoes. “I’m not going to wear them until I’m 15,” she says. “I’m scared they’re gonna hurt my feet!” We have a feeling plenty of Hollywood actresses wouldn’t mind telling her she might want to wait even longer until getting started on those.
What do you think of the star’s puppy-centric job choices? Do you love her approach to modeling?
–Catherine Kast
