Switching It Up with Model Terence Ingram

unnamed — Photographed by: Que T. @quentinetownsend_jr

When I first saw Terence Ingram walk down the runway at PLITZS Fashion Marketing, I was really intrigued… I suddenly wanted to know more about him. I thought he had a very striking look and when I met him, he was very sweet. Fast forward. I interviewed him for my blog. Fast forward. I took an FIT blogging class. Fast forward. I decided to make this feature more like a conversation. Fast forward. Then I realized that I never asked him for any of his personal modeling stories … whoops. Fast forward. I guess it’s time for round 2 for Terence’s interview. Fast forward. Now I’m sitting on the subway trying to edit this while stuck in the tunnel because there is “train traffic ahead of us.” Why is there always train traffic ahead of us?! Anyways, while I’m waiting for my subway to kindly move forward, I hope you enjoy my interview!

Meet Terence:

Jenny A: What do you love to do?

Terence Ingram: I love taking selfies and going shopping.

JA: Are you really into social media? What’s your favorite social media?

TI: Yes. I love Instagram. I look at it like an art. I think of which photos to post. I also love Twitter.

JA: I really thought you were going to say Snapchat since there are so many filters!

TI: Yeah, well I love Instasnap. My favorite is the dog filter.

JA: Where is the craziest place you’ve selfied?

TI: A haunted house! All these people were chasing us and I just thought this would be a great time to take a selfie!

JA: That’s really funny! Speaking of funny…What’s the funniest thing that happened to you while modeling?

TI: hmmm I think it was in either 2011 or 2012… before I went onto the runway I had my clothes on backwards! They actually stopped me right before I went out and turned my shirt around so that I could walk.

JA: I’m looking at one of your modeling photos where you’re holding a rose in your mouth. What was it like? What were you thinking about during this photo-shoot?

TI: I was actually laying in a tub of water. It was nerve-racking. I was thinking “Okay this is a cool idea” but I was nervous at the same time.

JA: Do you like doing adventurous modeling gigs?

TI: I love doing something out of the box that I’ve never done before. One time I did a fashion show in New York for designer Harold Wright and I had to wear very dramatic eyeliner …. I even had to wear a choker. It was a very out there look. I loved and hated it.

JA: Is there something you live by?

TI: “Dreams don’t work unless you do”[by John C. Maxwell]. I am always busy. I am constantly reaching out to different modeling agencies and designers just to get my face out there.

JA: So, what are your goals and dreams for modeling?

TI: I really want to be signed to a modeling agency. I want to be a runway model and be different in a model feel.

JA: What do you mean by that?

TI: I have Vitiligo and it’s not the “ideal” model look. But I want to offer a different side to modeling.

JA: Do you think your skin will help you in the fashion world?

TI: Yes and no. It might not be what they’re looking for. On the other hand, my skin might bring something new and different to the table.

JA: Do you have a model that you look up to?

TI: Winnie Harlow. She is confident and comfortable in her own skin. She doesn’t stop herself because of her skin. I think of myself the same way… nothing can stop me.

JA: With your crazy schedule what do you enjoy doing in your free time?

TI: I hang out with my friends and family. We love going to Dorney Park! One time my whole family took like 5 cars and we just went! We love the water park and the roller coasters.

JA: That’s awesome.

TI: Yeah! I go on all the craziest roller coasters. I’m the one who sits all the way in the font of the roller coaster.

JA: Great! Earlier you mentioned that you love shopping. Where do you like to shop? What’s your style?

TI: I shop at ZARA, H+M and Urban Outfitters. My style is natural, simple and urban. I’ll wear a white shirt, stretch jeans and a pair of Chelsea boots with my Gold God necklace chain.

JA: What is your secret to keeping in shape?

TI: I go to the gym. I love running, climbing and swimming. Actually I used to be more of a gym rat but now I casually go to the gym. When I was younger, I used to run track. Now when I go to the gym, I run on the treadmill.

JA: If you could be a fruit or vegetable, what would you be and why?

TI: An apple. Everyone loves them and you can’t go wrong with an apple!

You can follow Terence on Instagram: @modeltji

Model Yuliya Aranovska

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Meet Yuliya:

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Yuliya Aranovska is a Ukrainian born model who has both a big heart and a dazzling smile. She dreams of channeling her modeling career into making a positive change in the world. Her ultimate goal is to encourage kindness and help charities. She also hopes to one day have her own fashion line and store.

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Like a true New Yorker, her style is a mix between edgy and classy. She usually wears all black for castings, but loves to show color in her usual wardrobe. Makeup? She always uses a little bit of eye liner and mascara and BB Cream moisturizer with a high SPF. On a nice day you can find her taking in the gorgeous backdrop of the city. One of her favorite go to spots is the 230 5th Ave rooftop lounge.

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She loves the arts! She draws with all types of materials, such as chalk pastels, markers, sharpies, and paint. She revealed that has a deep appreciation for street style graffiti and photography. She loves expressing herself through dancing and writing. If she could be a fruit or vegetable, she should be an onion, since it has a lot of layers (for all you Shrek fans!).

Yuliya is a travel bug! You can find her traveling and just exploring. When she travels she likes to experience the world like a local. She’s been parasailing, surfing, and paragliding! One of her favorite adventures was ATVing in Costa Rica!

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During our interview she realized that her favorite animated characters are always the mischievous female leads like Angelica from the Rugrats and Helga from Hey Arnold! (go figure!). Maybe she was inspired by them to break the rules a bit.

At 5’7, an inch below the typical 5’8 height for female models, Yuliya has still managed to walk NY Fashion Week for Dan Liu & FTL Moda, Fashion Gallery New York, Philly Fashion Week, DC Fashion Week, and participated in presentations by Hellen Castillo from Project Runway, & many others. I think it’s very impressive because while it may seem like she is “just an inch below the standard”; an inch below the industry standard is a lot in fashion. Yuliya said that each of her experiences have been dreams come true & that is why she encourages all to never give up on their dreams.

You can follow her on Instagram: @Yuliyasofficial

-Jenny A.

Glamour Magazine’s Lauren Chan Made Her Dream Come True

You’ll never guess who came to my blogging class! Lauren Chan, the Fashion Features Editor for GLAMOUR MAGAZINE! Not only does she work for Glamour Magazine, she is also a former plus-size model! I was so excited to meet her! I love how lively and down to earth she is. She just tells it as it is. When she mentioned to the class that magazines can look at different blogs for content, it really opened my eyes to how important blogging is.

Back in March, I decided to take a blogging class at FIT so that I could work on my blogging skills and meet other bloggers. I figured that it would be a great experience and I just wanted to surround myself with people also starting their own blogs. I never thought that we’d have a guest speaker from Glamour Magazine, let alone a former model.

I love that.

A lot of the models that I interview for New Style Modé have so many different interests. I’m so glad that Lauren is able to use her experience as a plus-size model and follow her dreams to write for fashion. Believe it or not Lauren actually writes about trendy plus-size fashion, models and body diversity! You go girl!

I decided to do a little bit of homework and read some of Lauren’s articles. Personally, I loved her article about the interview she had with supermodel & plus-size model Ashley Graham. It was a great interview where they talked about Ashley’s experience as a plus-size model and some of the challenges she faced. What spoke to me the most was that even though Ashley faced a lot of obstacles, she didn’t give up…she still pushed forward and followed her dreams. I won’t go into too much detail about the interview but if you’re interested, you should definitely read it. Please note that some of the content in the article is a bit mature. [Click here for the link to the article.]

It might be cliché to say but keep follow your dreams. Just look at Lauren. She started off as a plus-size model for Ford Models, she kept working on her dreams and now she is an editor at Glamour Magazine.

What are your dreams? Are you still following them? Tell me about them in the comments below! I’d love to hear them. 🙂

-Jenny A.

Aspiring Model Noelia Baez

noelia 2 — Photos by: JR Pro Photography

Meet Noelia:

Noelia Baez is an aspiring Miami model from the Dominican Republic who dreams of becoming a fashion designer! She spends her time sketching, drawing and designing beautiful dresses.

Fun fact: Noelia LOVES to write. While she usually writes in Spanish, she is thinking of switching it up and writing in English.

Noelia shared that she moved with her family to Miami to have more opportunities and have a better future. “I am very proud of my mother,” she says. Her mother is her #1 role model because she is a hard worker and is always trying to do better for Noelia.

Noelia always wears a smile. She adores swimming and baking (especially cupcakes!). You can find her enjoying the Miami sun and taking a walk in the park.

If she could be fruit or vegetable she would be a strawberry because she is extremely sweet and friendly.

Fun fact: She absolutely loves to dance! She dances to hip-hop, Bachata and popular Hispanic songs.

Her favorite place to visit is an amusement park! You can find her running all over the park and jumping from roller coaster to roller coaster!

Fun fact: Her favorite Disney princess is Tiana from the Princess and the Frog.

Noelia has modeled in the Dominican Republic.

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You can follow her on Instagram: _queenyaya__

A special thanks to JR Pro Photography for their fantastic pictures of Noelia. Check out their page here!

-Jenny A.

Designer Glasses for the Fashionista

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I’m so excited because I just picked out my new pair of designer eyeglasses! While I usually wear contact lenses, sometimes I like to spice things up and wear glasses as an accessory. I can just throw on a pair of chic glasses and have a whole new look. Sometimes it’s difficult for me to find a pair of glasses that I LOVE.

Picking the right glasses that match my face isn’t always easy. I always have to look at the shape, size and color of the frame. When I was in the store, I tried on all different types of glasses. I tried on these teeny tiny pair of glasses which looking back, I’m not sure how people can see out of the lenses. I then decided to try on a pair of HUGE glasses which practically swallowed my face. Honestly, it looked like I was a bobble head!

I felt spontaneous and tried on a pair of sports glasses just for fun. I could not stop laughing at how funny I looked. Could you imagine showing up to fashion interviews with a pair of sports glasses strapped onto my face?? In order to stand out and be bold, I tried on a few pair of neon glasses. When I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t even take myself seriously! Not to mention that I saw a neon color rimming my vision – I felt like I was looking through a pair of neon binoculars.

Even if it takes a million hours, my advice is: don’t settle. Picking the right glasses is important because they’re the first thing people see when they look at your face. One of my tricks is wearing my contact lenses while I am trying on different frames so that I can actually see how I look. The worst thing is not being able to see yourself in the mirror because you need your glasses to help you see. I also recommend taking a friend or family member with you and asking them for their advice. Not only did I take my dad with me, but I also asked other customers in the store as to what they thought. At one point, I had a crowd of people surrounding me as I was deciding between my final 3 pairs of glasses.

Salvatore-Ferragamo-SF2777-500[1].jpg — I decided to go with the Salvatore Ferrangamo SF 2777

After trying on almost every single pair, I finally decided to go with a designer pair of glasses from Salvatore Ferragamo. Their purple frame compliments the beautiful flowers and cute cheetah print on each of the arms. I think they are the perfect pair and when I wear them, it just screams NEW YORK FASHION BLOGGER. Overall, it took about 4 hours to decide. I can’t say for sure but I think my dad was extremely happy when we finally left the glasses store.

Do you have any pair of glasses that you absolutely love? Tell me about them in the comments below!

Workout Plan Fail

The struggle is real. Everyone seems to be going to the gym, running on the treadmill and having a great time doing it. When scrolling through my Facebook feed, I see everyone posting selfies doing the duck face, working out on the machines and posing in front of the mirror. Me? Well let’s just say that I’m walking the other way while my boyfriend tries everything to get me to like the gym.

My boyfriend and I have been dating for almost a year and a half and he is the most amazing, loving and caring person I know. Unlike me, my boyfriend lives, eats and breathes the gym. He loves it so much, he even works there! He dreams that one day we’ll be a fit workout couple doing all sorts of fancy workout exercises but every time we go to the gym, I always seem to somehow hinder the process.

My boyfriend set me up with my own virtual yoga class so I could strengthen my muscles. He was so excited to have me start a class saying that I would absolutely love it. By the time he came back I was asleep on bench with 4 gym towels. 1 towel to sleep on, 1 for a blanket, 1 for a pillow and 1 as a face mask to block everything out.

Yesterday my boyfriend packed me a goodie bag filled with a bunch of snacks for the gym: 2 donuts, mixed fresh berries, and chocolate covered fruit. I was really motivated to get started at the gym but then when I opened my gym bag and saw the snacks, I decided it was time for a snack break.

Maybe next time I’ll get it…

Have you ever been to the gym and not worked out? Comment below and tell me about it!

The Key to a Fashion Model’s Instagram: How to be Instagram Famous

Instagram is one of my favorite social media platforms. Honestly, I love how simple and easy it is to use. Whether you are an aspiring model or a professional model, I think it is really important to have a stellar Instagram profile which reflects your image as a model.

Here are some tips & tricks I believe is the key to having the perfect Instagram:

1) Upload your modeling photos – Most of your posts should be of your work as a model. Don’t post pictures or videos of unrelated things on your Instagram page. You should post pictures that will enhance your image as a model. For example, post your latest photo shoot, not what you did last night.

2) Use a professional photo for your Profile Picture – Use your best head shot. Whether you have a professional head shot or even if you are just starting out and had your grandma take your head shot, make sure you look good.

3) Always give credit where it’s due – When posting a picture or video, make sure to give credit to the photographer. It could be as simple as tagging them in your post or adding them in your caption. You can also give credit to the designer, makeup artist or anyone else who contributed.

4) Be clear – Your Instagram reflects you. Be concise. It should tell other Instagrammers who you are. Always have your real name in the information section. You can also share your location and post direct a link to your website.

5) Engage with other Instagrammers – Be part of the conversation. Like, comment and follow other Instagram accounts that are part of the fashion world. Whether you follow your favorite designers or comment on other models’ photographs, remember to always support each other.

-Jenny A.