Susana Bicho: “In the 'influencer' world, those who do things badly are ridiculed a lot, and those who do things well are undervalued.”
We spoke with the 'influencer' and Springfield ambassador while she posed in trendy looks for this spring-summer.
By Carmen Pita and Photos: Pablo Mingo. Production: José Lupa. Video: Karlos Sanz
Long knit dress, Springfield (€39.99). Pillbox hat, Pardohats (€140). Handbag (€115) and lipstick holder (€50), Guess. Long quartz necklace, Isabel Guarch (€395). White necklaces, ZAG. Gold bracelet , Leke OSB Vintage bracelet (€110). Black and white methacrylate bracelets, Gabriela Mora (€20 each).
Her time on Big Brother changed her life in 2013. Now, Susana Bicho (Murcia, 1990) has a million followers on Instagram, is one of Spain's most recognized influencers , and has her own company: Womo, which connects content creators with brands to experience different locations. She has also become a style icon and is the face of powerful fashion brands like Springfield, with whom she shares positivity, naturalness, and a fresh perspective, as she herself states.
Despite all this success, she stays grounded thanks to her friends and her mother, which is why she's very aware of the privileges her profession offers. "I experience things that money can't buy. It's a very entertaining job, it gives you the freedom to travel, creative freedom, and you can be your own boss," she tells us. However, she's annoyed by the bad reputation influencers have: "I can understand it because, like in any job, there are good people and bad people, but I feel that in the influencer world, those who do things badly are ridiculed a lot, and those who do them well are undervalued," she adds.
If you could go back, would you participate in 'Big Brother' again?
Yes, I would participate in Big Brother again because it was a turning point, a before and after, where everything changed. I left my city and started dedicating myself more to the world of social media. I might have been very happy even if I hadn't gone on the show, but since I think things have gone quite well for me and I'm very happy with the life I have now, I wouldn't change a thing.
How did your time on 'Temptation Island' change your life?
Not really... 'The Island' made me move to a different city and change partners, something that might have happened to me a year later anyway. And, obviously, it gave me a boost in followers, which I'm also grateful for.
Your business is growing too, do you see yourself leaving social media in the near future?
Not 100%, because I really enjoy it and have wanted to be a YouTuber since I was little. Although, I would like to be more selective about what I want to do and have more free time when I'm older. If I have children, I don't want to be like I am now, with a packed schedule. Also, I'd love to have time to do more things on social media for leisure.
Blouse (€19.99) and shorts (€29.99), Springfield. Bag, Campomaggi. Shoes, Pretty Ballerinas (€299). Earrings (€299) and necklace (€600), Tous. Bracelets, Thomas Sabo (from €69).
You're getting married, is it going to be a big wedding or something more intimate?
I'd love to have an intimate wedding, but I know it's not really possible. I have to work with Guille (my partner) because he's a real people person; he has a million friends. So, we'd have to find common ground because I want a wedding where I feel comfortable with everyone, but I also can't leave too many people out, so I'll try to do something like a hybrid.
Do you know exactly what kind of wedding dress you're looking for?
I know exactly what wedding dress I want because this is something I've been planning since before I had a boyfriend (laughs).
T-shirt (€16.99) and jeans (€29.90), Springfield. Handbag, Laia Alen (€110). Sunglasses, Tous (€189). Choker, Swarovski. Long pendant, UNOde50 (€259). Red bracelet (€3,065) and green bracelet (€2,970), Isabel Guarch.
At COSMO, we place great importance on mental health, and you've mentioned that you suffer from anxiety. How did you realize it?
I realized I had anxiety because my followers told me on Instagram. It's very trendy now, which is incredibly good, but when it happened to me, nobody talked about anxiety or mental health. I felt dizzy all the time, I couldn't go to clubs, I couldn't be in crowded places or around strangers. It was a very strange feeling; I thought I was a freak. One day I talked about it on my Instagram Stories, and suddenly my inbox started blowing up with people telling me, "You have anxiety." For years I wouldn't even shower alone, and since then, things have changed a lot. Today, I think I can say that I've completely overcome anxiety.
Did you have any tools to cope with panic attacks?
As soon as I knew what was happening to me, if I had a panic attack, I would just say, "Okay, Susana, you're not going to die." It affected my driving to the point that I even sold my car, but little by little, and because I'm a bit impulsive, I forced myself to drive again, being very rational and knowing that nothing was really wrong with me, that it was all in my head, and that I could relax myself. It also helped to talk it out, to tell my friends.
You've written a novel, would you like to write another one?
Right now I'm not planning on writing a novel. It was never my goal, but I had a story and I started writing it during the pandemic. Then I was given the opportunity to publish it and I considered it a gift.
What is your biggest dream?
It might sound a bit conservative, but I dream of having a stable, peaceful family, and that's about it, really. Maybe I'm just not very ambitious, but if I have all of this, it means things are going really well for me professionally, my health is great, and my love life is great too. So that's kind of my ultimate goal.
To see more: cosmopolitan.es
MAKEUP: AGOSTINO FAGGIANO (ANA PRADO MANAGEMENT) FOR CHANEL. HAIR: JOSE LUIS RUZAFA FOR GHD. PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT: CHA BAEZA. STYLING ASSISTANT: VERO CRIADO. PRODUCTION: MARTA SÁNCHEZ. SPECIAL THANKS TO: ENSANCHEZ.