Off Track is a new interview series with folks at the intersection of culture and sport.
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At Bandit HQ we take some things more seriously than others. On the take seriously list we have: our product, our people, our stories we tell, and our community. On the more than others list we have: ourselves, mainly. Please stay with me. My point is, building a creative campaign each season is a beautifully stressful process because of how much time and effort we give to it... AND because of slight self loathing, we shoot everything on film so essentially blind. About a year ago we stumbled upon our ace in the hole to help us sleep a bit better at night. Enter Mikella Lefebvre-Oatis, professional model, former D1 athlete, international high jump medalist, and overall 10/10 person. 2 editorial campaigns, and double that in ecomm shoots, Mikella has been a professional in every sense of the word. We'll keep her around. So after another amazing performance in our latest Spring Campaign, we caught up with Mikella for her first B-Mail feature. Read below.
Tell us about yourself
Born & raised in Montreal, fluent in French, youngest of 3 sisters, obsessed with drama series and reality TV, moved to California to be a UCLA Bruin in 2016, yet graduated Cum Laude from the University of Maryland in 2020, Rihanna is my favorite artist, and my favorite meal is poutine or my dad’s homemade biscuits.
What would Mikella Lefevbre-Oatis be doing right now if she wasn't a full time model in NYC?
Living in Santa Barbara, finishing up the 3rd year of her PhD program, training for the 2024 Olympic Trials. She would probably also be flying home every other week because she misses the East Coast so much.
How/why did you get into the high jump?
My dad was a track athlete before he played in the NFL, and both of my older sisters ran track as well, so it just felt like I had to try it out myself. At my first competition, I had so much fun in the high jump (and it was also my best event). I tried the 100, 200, relays, long jump, but my heart was with HJ. I stuck with it, and one year in, I made the u18 World Athletics Top-30 list. At that point, it felt like I should see where this takes me. And at the end of the day, who wouldn’t want to bounce around at practice all day instead of doing repeat 400s with the sprinters? #Jumpsquad forever baby.
What have you learned from your athletic career that helps you today as a full time model?
We may need to write a whole chapter on this. Whether you were an athlete in high school, college, post-college, or all 3, you are building your professional skill set, and perhaps without knowing it. My ability to receive, and ask for feedback has definitely accelerated my development as a model. The way that I communicate with my agents and clients is very similar to a Coach-Athlete relationship: I want to know what needs to be done, how I can do it best, and I will be looking for live feedback on my performance. The mind-muscle connection and body awareness from being an athlete translates incredibly well to modeling, knowing how to move your body to get the perfect angle and shot. I could go on, because being an athlete has surely prepared me in more ways than one for my modeling career.
Favorite track & field achievement?
Receiving my track & field scholarship, and competing at NCAA Nationals.
So, exactly how high can you jump? Go offfff.
6’ 1 ¼” (1m86), UCLA #6 All-Time, Canada Games Record Holder (for my Canadians who are familiar with this meet), Pan American Games (Jr) Bronze medalist.
Three words to describe working with Bandit?
Inspiring, vibrant, family.
Favorite item in the Spring Collection?
Women’s Nova Crop in Black.
Favorite neighborhood in the city?
Bed-Stuy. My first neighborhood when I moved to the city!
New York or Montreal?
Both cities are similar in so many ways, both have so much to offer. I can’t choose one. The better question is, NYC bagels or Montreal bagels? And I’d have to pick the latter… Nothing beats St-Viateur bagels.
As a PhD in Sociology, how would you diagnose the Bandit creative team?
Innovative people-centric go-getters motivated by the ideal of unconventional functionality.
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If you made it this far, here are some unreleased gems from Spring 24.
Thank you, Mikella. We're lucky to have you on our team!
