In Vogue’s series, “The Secret Lives of Models,” we’re talking to models about their off-duty careers in medicine, the arts, and beyond.
Amanda Murphy is a Prada girl through and through. Ever since she clinched a runway exclusive in 2013 that saw her opening and closing the label’s show in Milan, the model has been something of a brand loyalist. Since then, she’s done everything from runway to modeling the Italian brand’s eyewear in shades of neon. Now, 10 years later, she’s still clearly a brand favorite: she most recently lent her face to the Prada Galleria campaign.
In between gigs for Mrs. Prada, Murphy has also covered Vogue Italia, Vogue Japan, i-D, and T: The New York Times Magazine. And in the past few months alone she’s graced the covers of Vogue Czechoslovakia and Elle Singapore, and modeled for Alexander McQueen’s pre-fall campaign.
But in the midst of her breakneck modeling career, Murphy has also found time to nurture a career in medicine as a radiographer. The Orland Park, Illinois native was inspired by her mother’s nursing career to pursue radiography school, where she helps provide x-ray imagery for patients in all conditions, from basic scans to life-threatening emergencies. And on top of it all, she’s an avid equestrian!
Below, Amanda Murphy tells Vogue about getting signed to IMG Models on a family road trip, how her modeling career helped prepare her for a career in medicine, and one of her most memorable experiences as a radiographer.
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When did you start modeling?
I started modeling at 17 in Chicago, and later signed with IMG in New York when I was 21.
How were you discovered?
I went to an open call in Chicago when I was in high school. Years later, I went on a road trip with my family to see NYC and Niagara Falls, and while I was in NYC I met and signed with IMG Models.
What do people recognize you from?
Mostly my Prada campaigns.
How did you get into your second career?
My mom was an ICU nurse and she inspired me to pursue radiography school.
What has been a standout moment in your second career?
I have quite a few but if I had to choose one, it was when I was still in school and was presented with a case where the patient’s legs were almost completely severed in an auto accident, and despite the shock I felt, I stayed composed and did my part to provide the x-ray images that helped the team prepare for and conduct emergency surgery.
How did being a model help or hinder your second career?
Other students were nervous about the interview process for getting a job in radiography, but as a model I had been interviewed many times, including multiple times in a day, so I felt prepared and confident in my radiography interviews. On the other hand, trying to juggle my commitments in both careers was very challenging.
How has your modeling career informed your career and vice versa?
As a radiographer I had to assist many different physicians. They are very particular about how and when they want everything done. Doctors really appreciate it when you remember how they want things done and you do it the way they want before they have to ask. Photographers and clients are often the same: they appreciate that I remember what they wanted me to do on one job, and that I do it that way on the next job. Because I pay attention to those things, it lowers the pressure on all of us when they feel like they can trust me to get it right.
