Aussie Rules
SAINT’s Depass swaps The Big Apple for The Emerald City
Published:Sunday | March 9, 2025 | 12:13 AM
A curious Naki Depass wanted a taste of life on the other side of the world. So the SAINT International top model, based in New York, packed her bags and headed Down Under.
Albeit not a rash relocation decision, as Depass explained to The Sunday Gleaner on a call from Sydney, where the time-zone difference between The Rock and Oz is 16 hours apart. She divulged that the germination of the move came from her model manager, SAINT’s head honcho Deiwght Peters. “He proposed the idea and introduced me to the Chadwick Models team here in Australia,” Depass explained. “I was super excited for this new adventure, so I was definitely on board with the idea and to stay for a while.”
With her contract with Chadwick inked in December, the Jamaican fashion star flew into the vast, multicultural country last month and immediately went to work.
First out: an editorial photographed by Edward Mulvihill for the March edition of ELLE Australia that just hit newsstands there. Co-starring alongside British model peer Kukua Williams, the pair was styled by Naomi Smith, with hairstylist Laura Mazikana and make-up artist Molly Warkentin rounding out the glam squad.
“We did the ELLE shoot in Sydney at a beautiful house in Bayview. All the shots were done in different areas around the house. Everyone was amazing to work with. It was my first time working with both Edward and Naomi, but I saw other projects they worked on before, so I knew it was going to be incredible,” revealed Depass, no stranger to frequent appearances between the pages of such international glossies as Vogue Mexico and the American and Brazilian editions of Harper’s Bazaar, the latter for which she made its August 2023 digital cover.
She is solidly engaged with near-daily fashion projects. Depass is tight-lipped on the specific clients but reveals that they include advertising campaigns, e-commerce assignments, and another editorial.
“I’m happy with how everything is going so far,” the model told The Sunday Gleaner. “I’m having a great time and loving the city. It’s their summer season right now, so of course, I’m happy to be in warm temperatures. It’s feeling a bit like home in terms of the tropical vibe and the nice beaches they have. I’ve connected with a few new friends, so I will be out exploring on my days off. I haven’t been able to do much sightseeing as yet due to my busy work schedule.”
As to her absence from the still-in-progress Fashion Month cycle of designer shows that comes to a close in Paris this Tuesday, Depass justified calling a time-out.
“I do enjoy doing the shows and being on the runway, but I’m enjoying what I’m doing at the moment as well, so it’s 50-50. I decided to skip this season and be here in Australia instead, but I still watch the shows and keep up with what’s going on.”
Given to wanderlust, prior to her Harbour City address, Depass had a months-long stint back in 2022 in Greece, where she was signed with Ace Models in the south-east European nation.
“Greece was lovely. The most memorable part of that visit was the trip to Santorini. I was there for about four days for two different jobs, and I absolutely loved it. The view was breathtaking. I would definitely like to take another trip there for a vacation,” she said.
A long-time jet-setter who began her international modelling career at 17, the proud Clarendonian said: “I love travelling for sure. It’s exciting to be able to experience different cultures and explore different parts of the world. At the moment, I’m not focusing too much on where else I would want to move temporarily for work. I’ll just see where the wind takes me.”