NYFW with Fashion Model Tommy Maksanty

As New York Fashion Week comes to an end, I thought it would be the perfect time to publish my interview with 2016 Mr. NYFW Model of the Year, Tommy Maksanty.

Meet Tommy:

Jenny A. (Me): Which celebrity do you think you look like the most?

Tommy (TM): People say I look like Edge the Wrestler if I were to put on weight.

Me: What is it like for you behind the scenes of a fashion show?

TM: I’m pretty much laid back. I just watch and take a lot of things in.

Me: Does it ever get hectic?

TM: I live in Virginia but I travel up to New York for fashion weeks. Some days I’ll overbook myself. In September 2015 I had 9 fashion shows back to back. I would go to a fitting where I would hop on my longboard and travel to the next fashion show. Last February 2016 during the snowstorm I snuck backstage during Style Fashion Week and ended up walking for M the Movement and accidentally closing Style Fashion Week for Richie Rich @richirichworld.

**Credit: @amconyc @soulmodelmanagement @clickmodelny**

Me: What’s your worst fashion experience?

TM: Back in April 2016 I had a fashion show up at the UN and my taxi cab drove off with my knapsack, longboard and all my stuff. It was a complete nightmare. I lost everything from February New York Fashion Week.

Me: If there was one designer you could model for, anyone in the world, who would it be?

TM: Tommy Hilfiger.

Me: How would you describe your style?

TM: I wear what fits and I make it work.

Me: What are your hobbies?

TM: Walking on the runway, longboarding, traveling and other outdoor activities.

Me: Where do you like to hangout?

TM: Anywhere by the water, somewhere on a mountain and sitting VIP at fashion events.

Me: What are 3 things you always carry with you?

TM: When I’m in the city I always have my longboard since I don’t like to walk –it’s too congested. I’ll also have my Bluetooth headset and portable phone charger on me.

Me: What’s your dream job?

TM: Getting paid to work out and smile.

Me: Who inspires you?

TM: My father. He gets up around 5:00am for work every day and doesn’t come home till late. He taught me how to be a hard worker.

Me: Who is your favorite demigod?

Hercules. I like the way people idolize him. He’s pretty cool.

Me: If you could be a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?

TM: A watermelon – because everyone loves watermelon and it’s my favorite fruit.

Me: How would your friends describe you?

Tommy actually had his friend Ben answer this question.

Ben: Tommy is like Johnny Depp’s stunt double. He’s smart, good looking, and has a great body with cut muscles. You can put him on any billboard and any product will sell– he’s the real deal.

Photographer: @sarosh_photography ; Designer: @imalandrinibeachwear

Tommy won the September 2016 Mr. NYFW Model of the Year by ASC Productions. He was even featured on a billboard in Times Square for winning! He was awarded Model of the Millennium by the King of Fashion, Andre Galliano. Tommy has modeled for New York Fashion Week in 2015, 2016 & 2017. Tommy also promotes onemama.org lolafo.com luminousworldwide.com eznethaircare.com.

You can follow him on Instagram: @TommyMaksanty

-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.

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!