Victoria’s Secret Angel Josephine Skriver on travel goals, what's on her wrist, and WorldPride

Some people think of travel as a luxury – and it is – but there are others such as Josephine Skriver who see it as a kind of necessity. Even though work takes her to some of the most far-flung places around the world, the 26-year-old VS model still wants more.

Currently on vacation in beautiful Tonga, Skriver is always on the move – literally. When not cat-walking for the world's greatest fashion houses and of course Victoria's Secret, her schedule is packed with photocalls and video shoots.

And she trains, hard. Out of a shared passion for spreading the word on body positivity and healthful living, Skriver and fellow VS angel Jasmine Tookes started JoJa on Instagram.

We all know too well how working out can get really tough at times, so JoJa is all about encouraging and helping each other along the way and pushing ourselves to the limit.

As a self-identified rainbow kid – she was born via IVF to a lesbian mother and gay father – she always makes time for Pride Day. In fact, Skriver describes herself as a Stonewall ambassador who's always dragging her mother to the parade.

Good vibes beget good vibes, there's always something exciting happening in her life. Most recently, Skriver starred in the latest ad campaign for IWC's new Portofino 34 – a small watch with a big persona.

For it, she flew into the picturesque Italian town for a photo shoot also featuring Taiwanese actress Ning Chang. On a picture-perfect day along the Mediterranean coast, the girls strolled the beach, went out on a boat and drove around in a vintage car, stopping for gelato before day's end.

"I couldn't imagine beginning my relationship with IWC in a more perfect place," said Skriver. "Portofino is a magical location, and I have had such a great time with Ning Chang. One of the true joys of being a model is that I can encourage people to be bold in their fashion choices, and the new Portofino designs really represent this philosophy, as they can be adapted to suit your look or your mood."

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She's referring to the 13 different strap options crafted by Santoni in hand-coloured shades such as grey, light grey, black, blue, dark brown, bronze, orange, burgundy, raspberry pink, aubergine, green and indigo blue. A Milanese stainless steel mesh bracelet is also available.

IWC's Portofino 34 campaign featuring Skriver and Chang launches end July 2019.

Hi Josephine! We're super stoked to be in touch with you. First up: what's keeping you excited and motivated this summer?

The buzzing of summer promises adventures to come. Usually during the summer time I'll find a window to go and explore the world. There is such energy and enthusiasm during the summer months, which is unlike any other time of the year. My biggest passion in life is traveling. Anything I can do to see the world, and to learn from the people in it, is always first on my summer to-do list.

You might think that with all the traveling this job demands of me, I would want to sit still and not get on another plane, but for me it's just the opposite. Traveling for work is amazing but also kind of a tease because I'm in these amazing places, but I often finding myself so busy with work, I rarely get to take them in fully. All I want to do is get lost and roll around in some dirt for a bit! Meet the people, taste the food, overload my senses. Summer is a perfect time to get out of the house and chase a dream or a destination.

"Anything I can do to see the world, and to learn from the people in it, is always first on my summer to-do list."

Where's work taking you next? What are you going to be doing there?

Yesterday I actually found out that next I am going to Tokyo. I can barely contain my excitement! There is something about that city that keeps me coming back for more. The energy, the kindness of the people, the culture, and of course THE FOOD! It's a respectful chaos! I love going to Asia because I have found that some of the kindest people in all of the world come from there. One day I hope to buy a place in Japan, Vietnam, Singapore (or maybe even a place I haven't been to yet!) to get to know it better and to live a new chapter of my life.

"One day I hope to buy a place in Japan, Vietnam, Singapore (or maybe even a place I haven't been to yet!)"

To recharge and reconnect, where do you go and what do you do?

I travel. I go as far away as I can. Places where nature still rules and dictates your schedule. I enjoy being in places where WiFi isn't really a thing. Where I can learn from other cultures and broaden my horizons. I just want to see the whole world. The real world. I feel like, to reconnect with yourself, you have to travel because that allows you to gain perspective, and perspective is key to figuring out your place in the world, what makes you you, and what recharges your batteries. To be in touch with yourself, you must be in touch with those around you.

How do you make your fashion choices? What fashion trends are you obsessing over right now?

A lot of the time I find that my personal style is very much inspired by the season or the place I'm in. If I'm in NYC in the hustle and bustle of it all, I usually go with more clean lines, darker tones, and classic sleek outfits. It has a lot more of an edge and tomboy vibe. Whereas if I'm in Portofino, Italy on vacation you will see that my inner classic girl comes out. That's when I would keep the darks and blacks at home and bring out the light airy outfits, which are perfect for those romantic settings, where I want to feel like a movie star. The one thing that is sort of a constant factor in how I dress is how I am inspired by the 90s/00s. I am super inspired by those years and they really shape my style. I love how a lot of the 90s is trending again. I love mixing vintage/throwback styles with modern ones.

"My personal style is very much inspired by the season or the place I'm in."

What are your views on sustainability in fashion? How are you advocating that?

Though fashion has been making a few strides in the right direction, we can certainly do more. We can ALL do more. We use too much plastic. We waste too many clothes, when people around the world can't afford even a t-shirt. We spill dye and trash into our rivers. We need to, first of all, stop wasting. Stop making everything in excess. We need to find materials that can be re-used, recycled, and resourced more easily from places that don't hurt the environment. In my personal life, I try and educate myself to the best of my ability on the subject, and make conscious choices to support the brands that do try to be sustainable. But sometimes that can be hard. The first step is talking about the issue, asking questions like this one, and raising awareness, so people know what damage is being done and so we can begin solving the problem.

You're wearing the new IWC Portofino Automatic 34, which is ultra-feminine and has a cool strap-change system. How does the watch factor into your daily style and which strapcolours do you like best?

I consider watches to be an essential part of my jewellery curation, every day. When I pick one, so much depends on where I'm going, what I'm wearing, or even my mood. But that's why I love the Portofino collection so much. The watches are so versatile and stylish; they work with any look and fit seamlessly into every outfit I plan. The new Portofino Automatic 34 features all the signature elements you'd expect from IWC's heritage, but it's been presented in a sleek and modern way.

One of my absolute favourites is the 18-carat 5N gold case edition. I love the fresh and uncluttered silver-plated dial. The combination of that, with the gold-plated hands and diamond index markers, has such a pure look. The 34mm case size is the smallest design IWC offers, and is so feminine and comfortable. The easy-to-use strap change system also allows me to adapt the look of my watch, whenever I want. It's hard to pick a favourite strap colour, as there are 13 different ones to choose from, including 12 premium leather ones in different colours and a Milanese stainless steel mesh bracelet. I guess by day, I'd style it with the green alligator strap for a more laid-back look, whilst at night I'd probably switch to the Milanese bracelet for a luxe finish.

How did you celebrate Pride Day this year? What is your message to the world on this issue?

This year was WorldPride in New York City, as well as it being 50 years since Stonewall! As a Stonewall ambassador, I celebrated the Friday before pride with the celebration of the 50th anniversary, with a pride rally, where I gave my first public speech about my upbringing in the LGBTQIA+ community, as a rainbow kid. For WorldPride, I dressed up with full glitz and glam and celebrated with the whole parade. It was amazing to see how huge it was. So many people came together to celebrate love, which comes in so many colours, shapes, forms, and sizes. My message is that love is love. Family is family. There is no right or wrong way to define your truth and love, and there is certainly no way to define the true meaning of family. Both 'love' and 'family' are feelings and cannot be easily defined in one short and simple way.

"My message is that love is love. Family is family."

What is your definition of femininity?

Femininity is being whatever woman you want to be! Whatever woman you were born to be! A world where we are powerful and equal and have the same rights. Go be the best version of yourself, and do not let anyone tell you what you are worth. Let them live their sexuality. Let them shine and reach for the stars. Don't raise them on society's standards of what they should be, but instead raise them to be the women they could be and what they want to be. As a woman, it's about living without fear, without limitations. Being a woman shouldn't be a burden or a hindrance to one's dreams. Being a woman should be about being a human. In a perfect world, as humans, we should all have the right to dream as much as possible and to be cheered on the way to making our dreams a reality.

"Raise them to be the women they could be and what they want to be."

When you're not working, what are you most often doing?

If I am not working, you can find me trying to better myself in some way. Whether it's traveling to gain empathy and perspective, reading a book to gain knowledge, going to my home in Nashville to unwind and figure myself out, or working in the gym to push my body to its limits. It's also about working on projects that I am a part of which can hopefully make the world a better place. I always want to be sure I am growing as a human being and always learning.

"I always want to be sure I am growing as a human being and always learning."

Where is the one place apart from home that you want to visit over and over?

Actually, I think the key is not to do that! The key is to never get comfortable. It's easy to get in a routine and to love things so much that you keep only going back to them. However, the more I have travelled and lived, the more I have realised just how big the world is. Just how beautiful it is. Just how many incredible people are around me. I try to push myself to always see new things, and to not get comfortable with this world, because I don't want to ever get comfortable with me!