Alek Wek

I've always loved to paint - I was studying to do an art degree when I was approached to become a model - and I've being doing some design work as well. I also love just having a quiet time, sitting in my little library at home in Brooklyn and reading or watching documentaries or listening to music.

I always start the day with a cup of hot water and lemon - I find it really cleanses and hydrates me. I have very sensitive, dry skin, so I have to be careful about what I put on my face. My must-haves are Dermalogica cleansing gel and L'Or De Vie Creme Riche by Dior, which is thick and nourishing.

My recurring nightmare is that someday I will be faced with a panel: Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson all of whom will be telling me everything I got wrong about them. I know that Johnson's out there saying, 'Why is it that what you wrote about the Kennedys is twice as long as the book you wrote about me?'