Smilla and ACHTUNG, we’ve been through some things. Only good things though, because when Smilla’s on the call sheet it’s destined to be a good shoot with even better results. We had her smoking a Montblanc pen and chasing after a Dior bag we mounted onto a rod and held out of a rental car for ACHTUNG x FAZ Magazine June 2025. Touring all of Berlin’s most historical bridges for ACHTUNG No. 44. Kicking a football around town for SEPP 2024. Climb the stairs of Berlin’s Siegessäule in a tight ioannes dress for ACHTUNG No. 48.. Certainly, Smilla has become somewhat of an ACHTUNG in-house model and friend. So when this submission by photographer Sven Bänziger and stylist Izabela Macoch reached our inbox, we took an extra look and the chance to sit down with her and just talk like old friends do.

ACHTUNG: Did you get into modeling – or did modeling come to you?

Smilla Herbst: Both. When I was 16, I was an exchange student in the U.S. when someone asked me if I was a model. Back in Germany, I applied to an agency and got accepted. But things didn’t really take off at the time. So I quit and actually wanted to give up – until I was approached again. I stayed with that agency until I eventually switched to ICONIC.

A: Do you remember your first job? 

SH: St. Peter-Ording for Le Mile magazine with Edgar Berg.

A:  What was your worst experience on a job?

SH: Back then I thought it was awful, but today I see it differently. I had a shoot for a magazine that mainly features male or androgynous models. At the time it made me insecure, because I thought I looked like a man. By now, I actually enjoy showing my androgynous side. It taught me that in this job, you can be anything.

A: What’s your proudest moment?

SH: My first Loewe exclusive. That was like a kickstart. I wasn’t nervous at all when I walked the show. I used to be scared before every runway, and then suddenly it was this huge show in Paris – and it just felt natural.

A: Runway or editorial? What do you prefer?

SH: Both. After a show, I walk through the streets the next day and feel invincible. A dopamine rush. Editorials, on the other hand, are beautiful in a completely different way, because they often have more human closeness.

A: Favorite ACHTUNG job?

SH: When I had to run after a bag for the FAZ x ACHTUNG issue. Or the East-West story, where I look like a different person in every picture.

A: How do you balance modeling and studying?

SH: After my Loewe exclusive, I focused more on modeling. My psychology studies ran alongside, also because I study remotely. When I was writing my bachelor’s thesis, the focus shifted back towards studying. Both can be combined quite well, even though it’s clear that you can’t do two full-time things at once.

A: Do you still see a future in modeling for yourself?

SH: A few years ago, I would have said: definitely. Today, I see it differently – also because of AI. As long as people keep booking me, modeling will be a part of me. But so will psychology. I also work in research on the side, and I really enjoy that.