Iskra Lawrence might live Stateside and have an American boyfriend [1], but did you know this model and body-positivity [2] activist is actually British? Her unusual name comes from Russia [3], but she comes from England — and doesn't have any Russian relatives. Her parents liked the fact the name means "spark." Speaking of her folks, Iskra's mother is from Northern Ireland, and Iskra calls her Mom/Mommy. That might be a bit confusing, given that most Brits say Mum/Mummy, but it's actually totally in keeping with where the model grew up, rather than being an Americanism — Mom/Mommy is commonly used in some parts of the Midlands, and Iskra hails from Kidderminster in Worcestershire.

The model referenced her upbringing in the Midlands town when she celebrated her Forbes 30 Under 30 accolade [4]. She opened up about her struggles to get where she is today and how she couldn't afford to buy Nando's chicken — the horror! On a more serious note, Iskra revealed that she had to move out of her flat in Lewisham, South London, because she had run out of money and didn't want to ask her parents after all they'd done, raising her whilst they were at university.

She's not forgotten where she comes from, working as a mentor for The Prince's Trust, the UK charity founded by Prince Charles, which provides support to vulnerable young people. Iskra also graces the front covers of British-based publications. Ahead, listen to Iskra's English accent as she speaks about The Prince's Trust and the lipstick she created with L'Oréal to raise funds for the charity, and scroll through to see fun throwback pics of the model with her mom, touching down in London, celebrating her dad's birthday, and championing her British magazine covers.