Gabriella Lomm Mann isn’t here to meet your expectations. Miss Sweden 2020 may be an award-winning beauty queen but she’s also an accountant at PwC, one of the prestigious “Big Four” firms on the planet.
Although the 25-year-old Stockholm native has just landed two new international modeling contracts and was selected as Sweden’s representative for Miss Earth 2020, she admits that it’s her bachelor’s in Business Administration and Finance that generates the most surprise among fans.
“Today, we have a huge problem in that beauty and modeling often are connected to a lack of intelligence, independence, and education when it comes to women,” she rightly points out. Gabriella says that she’s met with shock when she tells others about her degree from Stockholm University.
If you’re one of her nearly 50,000 followers on Instagram — which she personally manages — then you’ve certainly noticed Gabriella’s empowering captions beneath her stunning photographs. “This is something I want to communicate with my social media: nothing is impossible and you, as a woman, don’t have to choose one way or another; you can be the best of all worlds at the same time.”
Gabriella juggles a fulltime career as a model and as an accountant yet still finds the time to connect with her followers. Although she reads and responds to as many comments as possible, don’t for a moment think that her life is a cakewalk.
“I am so thankful and happy to have gotten this opportunity, but there’s a lot of work and effort behind it that I think many people don’t see or understand.”
Raised with Independence and Strength
What makes Gabriella feel sexy? Confidence.
“I feel sexy when I can express myself in the way that I want.”
As far back as she can remember, Gabriella had a strong female support system present in her life. As an only child, Gabriella always dreamed of becoming something big, a dream that manifested in everything from music lessons to gymnastics to modeling. It was her mother’s commitment to making those dreams a reality that impacted the future Miss Sweden.
“She never created big rules at home because she believed in me and trusted me. This trust and this belief have made me the loyal, caring, and loving person that I am today.”
Gabriella’s support extends beyond her mother to her entire family, the many who stood behind her creative drive no matter what dream she wanted to pursue. It also helped that many of the women in her family were just as ambitious and empowered Gabriella to follow her passions. This support and self-confidence became invaluable when she signed her first modeling contract at age 16.
“The agency said to me, ‘Congratulations. From now on, you’ll never had heard so many people tell you that you’re not good enough.’ This sentence has followed me as a lesson since then.”
Aspiring models should take heed of Gabriella’s advice: Never change who you are and be prepared for a lot of criticism.
“When you become a public figure, you will always face hate and people trying to get you down,” she says. “The better you get, the more hate you will get — that means you should see it as a compliment.”
With such uncontrollable criticism aimed at all public figures, Gabriella insists that young models should believe in who they are and what they stand for — no matter the hate.
“Be you, do you, and believe in yourself. Show the world why you deserve the place you want and never stop working for it. The things you will put the most time and effort into will always be the things you are most likely to succeed in. Have patience.”
Miss Sweden. Miss World. Miss Moon?
“I am in a really busy and happy place in life right now.”
Like so many of us, Gabriella has faced the life-altering difficulties that 2020 has delivered and she sends her sympathies to those who have tragically lost their loved ones. Still, Gabriella tries to look on the bright side and admits that this year of reflection has encouraged her to embrace her creativity.
“I hope that this has been a huge reason why so many people have started following me in the last few years; I hope that I inspire people to become whatever they want in life.”
What’s next for Gabriella Lomm Mann? Don’t be surprised to see her own brands pop up on your newsfeed. “I want to keep up with what I’m doing, but I want to do it in an even bigger scale.”
She believes that her ambitions will take her away from Sweden as she sets out to accomplish her many global goals. Perhaps she’ll end up in the Maldives, a place she’s only experienced through photographs but would love to visit in-person.
“I would also love to go to the moon, hehe. I think I will never get the chance and it would feel like a really high-risk thing to do.”
