http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/29/coco-rocha-jehovahs-witne_n_6069048.html
Coco Rocha: I've Had To Forego Modeling Jobs To Honor My Jehovah's Witness Faith
HuffPost Live | By Emily Tess Katz
- Posted: 10/29/2014 1:22 pm EDT Updated: 10/29/2014 6:59 pm EDT
Supermodel and Jehovah's Witness are both adjectives that could be used to describe Coco Rocha, but the two things don't necessarily go hand-in-hand. In a HuffPost Live interview on Wednesday, the famed runway star explained how she juggles the two -- while always putting her faith first.
"I'm sure there are some jobs I'm not doing because of what I stand for, but that's totally okay," she told host Ricky Camilleri in a Tuesday appearance to promote her new photo book, "Study Of Poses."
Those jobs would include shoots that are too salacious, and, presumably, any obligation that would take place on a Sunday, as mandated by the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Rocha recalled how she was originally ambivalent to inform employers of her religious background, not wanting to create any self-imposed setbacks in an already competitive industry.
"At the beginning of my career, I was nervous to talk," she explained. "I was just a very young girl. You don't want to upset anyone or frustrate anyone -- you just want to work."
With over a decade of modeling experience under her belt, Rocha's grown more comfortable speaking her needs and hopes younger models will do the same.
"I just say 'hey, I won't be wearing that, I won't be doing that,'" she said. "Most likely, people are just going to pay attention and go 'hey, no problem, it's okay,' which you're shocked to hear."
Watch the rest of Coco Rocha's conversation with HuffPost Live here.