Amelie Lens was born in Vilvoorde, Belgium. When she was five years old, her mother passed away and Lens was raised by her grandmother from that point on.[1] She went to art school in Antwerp.[1] From an early age, she had a diverse interest in music, citing Nine Inch Nails, Underworld, Boys Noize and Ellen Allien as early influences.[2]
Lens became absorbed in electronic music at 15, after attending the 2005 Dour Festival in Belgium, an experience she describes as “life-changing”. She says: “As soon as I got home, I started reading about the history of electronic music and discovered so many new artists and labels. It was like a whole new world opened for me; I made playlists in iTunes, putting tracks in an order that I liked, kind of like a podcast but not mixed.[2]
Shortly after the festival, Lens was discovered by a modeling agency and subsequently began working full-time as a model, living in London, Paris and Milan.[3] She has walked the runway for Jean Paul Gaultier and campaigned for H&M.[3]
