Coco Rocha Can't Wait to Reveal the Winner of 'The Face'

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By now, you know the story: Coco Rocha was "discovered" at an Irish step dance competition, and learned the modeling ropes in Asia before moving to New York. Her ballet background—combined with her made-for-the-camera face—helped the Toronto native become a favorite of Karl Lagerfeld and Jean Paul Gaultier, and a frequent model for Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, and Diesel. (This season alone, she's surfaced in new campaigns for Longchamp and Banana Republic.)

Rocha's not walking the Paris catwalks this year, but the social media queen sits front-row to support industry friends like Karlie Kloss, and also to promote her new TV competition show, The Face.

We spoke with Rocha just before Giambattista Valli's Fall 2013 show at the historic Place Vendôme.

ELLE: You've been working on The Face on Oxygen since last summer. Are you sick of talking about it yet?

Coco Rocha: We finished filming it in October, so we already know the winners. It's killing me a little bit that I can't talk about it, but I think it kills other people more, because they know I know which model wins, and if Naomi [Campbell] or Karolina [Kurkova] or I coached the winning girl. And they know I can't tell them!

ELLE: The Face is kind of like The Voice for models. But other shows on TV, even though they're popular, don't seem to actually help up-and-comers launch fashion careers. Why will yours be different?

CR: Don't get me wrong, America's Next Top Model is fantastic. They've done 20 seasons, so they've obviously done something right. But I think what ensures that the winner of The Face will become a working model is the prize—a year-long contract with a cosmetics company is huge. And most of the girls on the show are already models. They're not famous models but they're also not girls off the street.

ELLE: In your opinion, how has street style evolved over the years?

CR: It's different than when I was starting. I mean, I find it funny to look at people who are people-watching, and don't get me wrong, I like to people-watch, too. But it's an interesting thing when people on the street just stop and ask you, "Are you Coco? Can I take a photo of you?"

ELLE: Do you think it's because of your television show, or because you have half a million Twitter followers?

CR: I don't know, but sometimes, things get weird. The other day, someone was interviewing me over the phone, and they thought they were talking to Coco—as in Ice Loves Coco.

ELLE: They thought you were a blonde who is married to Ice-T?

CR: Yeah, and it was amazing. It was the best interview of my life! They were asking me the strangest questions—you can only imagine! But I thought they were just bizarre people. I didn't realize until I'd hung up the phone what was going on! Eventually they called back and apologized. I was like, "Please don't say you're sorry. This is the funniest thing I've experienced all week."

ELLE: What's on your must-buy list while in Paris?

CR: I'm not going to lie. It's makeup remover.

ELLE: I thought you were going to say "A Céline bag." Or at least macarons.

CR: No, it's makeup remover; the liquid, clear kind. You know what I'm talking about—you can only buy it here and it's the best stuff.

ELLE: Do you mean Bioderma? Xiao Wen Ju said the same thing in her interview!

CR: All the models know about it! And also, when I'm here, I buy sleeping pills. They're the best you'll ever find, anywhere in the world.

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