Her first job was for an editorial in KISS magazine. “At that time we didn’t really have social media.

We had Bebo but it wasn’t the same. I remember the call coming in on the house phone that I got the casting. I just didn’t know what to do with myself,” she remembers.

It’s arguably a glamorous role, especially for a teenager, but it had its pitfalls too. “I’ve been dressed up kind of like a mannequin since I was 15, to suit someone’s mood or someone’s vision… I think it took me a long time to find my own style because I was working when I was still in school so I would go to work and be dressed and then I’d put my uniform on and go to school. That was the cycle.

“It took me a while to figure it out. I guess I’m still… I think everybody’s still just figuring out their style but you just learn don’t you?

“You just learn what you like, you learn what suits you, and it’s a constant evolution.

“I don’t even know if I have a style, like the style you’ll see me walking around with my dogs is not the style you’ll see on a Saturday night like they’re very different versions of me,” she laughs.

The Dublin native’s career took on a life of its own after her teenage beginnings, and she has gone on to work with Louis Vuitton, Diesel, H&M and even a stint on RTÉ’s Dancing With the Stars in 2017.

“When I first started, I couldn’t believe they wanted me. It was like, “What do you mean?” Still to this day when I get booked for big jobs. I’m like, “What? Are you sure?”

“So I don’t think that’s changed in me, which is nice, but like to think of all the places I’ve lived, the people I’ve met, the brands I’ve worked for, the experiences I’ve had, I just would have loved to have been able to tell that young one all those years ago that,” she says with a smile.

The modelling work is just one facet of Thalia’s week. There’s also more than 55,000 Instagram followers to contend with, and brand ambassadorships with everything from food companies to the DSPCA animal charity.

Her latest collaboration is with car company CUPRA, which was a model within the SEAT company before branching out in its own right.

“I only ever really take on ambassadorships that really suit me or things that I believe in. So I would be quite picky with who I work with. [CUPRA], it’s really clever. It’s really innovative.

“When we spoke for the first time I just felt like it was really in keeping with my approach to using my platform and my voice for what I believe in and I just think they’re a really cool company,” she explains.

The photoshoot they worked on takes the traditional trope of models and new cars and turns it on its head, creating a look that is more empowering than it could ever be demeaning.

“We wanted it to be a collaborative shoot for all of us but also, like, I love my cars. I always loved cars. I remember going to Monte Carlo once when I was a kid and watching all these expensive cars drive by,” she gushes.

There are countless jokes about women being worse behind the wheel, but Thalia feels like the dial has moved.

“I love the fact that women now have a voice around cars, it’s very much a two way street. It’s not just for the man anymore. Powerful women drive powerful cars.”

But what drives the driver? “I’ve always been very ambitious. I guess. I just love being busy and I’m most satisfied when I’m busy, and I’m kind of on a path to doing something so I guess that’s always been my drive, just being the best version of myself and making sure that I can achieve that through hard work. I find that really satisfying,” Thalia admits.

That ambition pushed her on to a plane in 2022, when she moved to New York and signed with an agency in the States.

Having split with her partner of six years, it was a change of massive proportions. The breakup, in particular, was something many were curious about.

“I always say like, every job has its pits, and its perks.

“I share my life on my social media, so I have a responsibility to answer certain questions because I know when you break up with someone and you have them on your social media, people will ask questions, but I guess the beauty is that as much as I have responsibility because I do share it, I also have the control and the power to be able to not share everything,” she says.

“Social media is a highlight reel, and you never know what’s going on behind closed doors. I always try to tackle most things with kindness because you just never know do you?”

In 2023, she announced that she was returning to Ireland. Now, the 28-year-old is living in Dublin with singer Erica-Cody, single, and embracing the redirection her life has taken.

“I’m very lucky to live with my best friend. We’ve got an amazing house. I have my dogs. I’m right by the sea. I’ve got my family and all of those things keep my spirits high.

“But then obviously sometimes I’m like, ‘yeah but New York is New York, isn’t it?’ because you have these moments where I’m like, ‘What am I doing here?’” she admits.

“But I’m such a homebody. I’m really glad I made the decision to come home. There’s some really fun things happening at the minute.

“I can’t really speak about them yet, but I’m keeping myself busy and I’m doing things that I am genuinely really interested and passionate about.

” I think people don’t realise how hard it is if you haven’t emigrated before, and then to come back from it. But even just doing that, I’m pretty proud of myself.”

Thankfully, having been in the job for over 13 years, and being given the opportunity to travel and explore in the process, Thalia has got pretty good at handling change.

“I’m pretty good at just kind of rolling with the punches and as my dad always says one of my best phrases that I’ll always say is ‘we’ll figure it out’. Something will make sense. It’ll click, it’ll be fine. So that is very much my mentality around these things,” she explains.

“I think the minute you get out of your comfort zone is when you grow and you allow yourself to evolve. I think that is what this is, that big changes in life allow you to do that. So as much as it’s hard and as much as big life shifts can be really imposing and scary.

“I think that you can grow so much as a person by doing that. Change is scary, but I embrace it wholeheartedly.”