Destiny often makes better decisions than we do: a plan that never happened, a path that got diverted, or perhaps a career we never chose for ourselves. Unusual as it sounds, this is exactly how Kotryna Kozlovaite's story began. As a little girl in Vilnius, she had dreams of being a singer. And because she didn't much like cameras, she didn't ever imagine a life in front of them. But modelling found her anyway, and after almost half her life in fashion, she finally saw that it was her calling and something she was born to do. Now back in front of the camera, she talks to L'Officiel Arabia with rare honesty about luck and timing, the real meaning of dedication, what social media has taken from fashion and the dreams she sees for her future self.

Delna Mistry Anand: Was modelling ever on the cards for you, or did it take you by surprise?

Kotryna Kozlovaite: To be honest, I never dreamed of becoming a model, and it wasn't something I had ever really considered. Interestingly, casting directors would occasionally stop me in shopping centres, but I would literally run away because I was shy and a little scared, and really not interested in the fashion world at the time. Eventually, my friends convinced me to give it a try. They kept saying, "Just try it, what do you have to lose?" So one day, I finally decided to walk into a modelling agency on my own. Everything happened so quickly and almost immediately, opportunities started coming in, followed by my first jobs and trips abroad. So that’s why I say that I didn't choose modelling, it found me. 

And yet, there were times when you wanted to walk away from modelling, but something always brought you back. What was it?

I'm a strong believer in being in the right place at the right time. There was a point in my life when I was in a long-term relationship that I truly valued, and I felt I had reached a crossroads. I had to choose whether to continue pursuing my career or leave it all behind, build a family, and let modelling become a beautiful chapter of my past. But as they say life had other plans, and I chose to keep going. Coming back wasn't easy. I had to fall very low before I could build myself up again. This industry can give you so much in terms of incredible experiences, unforgettable emotions, opportunities to travel and meet inspiring people, but it can also be ruthless. The moment you turn away or show that modelling is no longer your first priority, there are countless other girls working incredibly hard and fighting for the same opportunities. Talent and dedication matter, of course, but so much also comes down to luck, timing, and simply being in the right place at the right moment.

Looking back now, I realise that many of the decisions I once questioned were actually the right ones. Had I made one choice differently, perhaps the next opportunity would never have come. Everything somehow led me exactly where I needed to be. I think what kept pulling me back was the feeling that I simply wasn't done with it. I couldn't walk away with a peaceful heart because deep down, I knew I still belonged in this world and still had so much more to do. Eventually, dreams that once felt very far away became reality. Of course, there were moments when I wished certain things had happened sooner, but now I believe there was a reason for the timing of it all. Perhaps the Universe had its own reasons for making me wait.

You've seen the industry change over the years, through social media and now AI. What do you feel has been dropped, and what has got better?

I think one of the things we have lost over the years is a certain sense of authenticity. Social media has created this idea of perfection, and sometimes I feel that individuality gets a little lost in it. When you scroll through Instagram, you often see very similar ideas of beauty, and personally, I have always found uniqueness much more interesting than perfection.

AI is another fascinating development. It can now help create an entire image or identity online, which is incredible from a creative point of view, but at the same time it makes you question what is real and what isn't. I think that balance is something we are all still learning. Social media has also changed the way we look for validation. Likes and comments can give us an instant sense of approval, often from people we don't even know. I sometimes wonder whether we have become a little too dependent on that.

But I definitely don't see social media or AI as something negative. They have completely transformed the industry in many positive ways, they have opened doors, created new careers and businesses, made communication easier, and given people the opportunity to build their own platforms and reach audiences around the world. AI can also be an incredible tool for creativity and can make many aspects of our work much more efficient.

For me, it is really about balance. I certainly love progress and I'm curious to see where technology takes us, but at the same time, I hope we don't lose the human side of things. In a sense, individuality, personality, imperfections and real connection. Maybe I'm simply a little nostalgic for those days when not everything had to be documented, filtered or shared. And sometimes I just wonder - what it would be like if Instagram disappeared for a month! Of course, not because I dislike it, but simply to see how differently we might experience the world and each other.