Model Darien Willardson : Part 1

C50E95FE-2BFA-4DE2-B993-A8C8B84346F5 — Photo by Jennifer Alweiss

When model Darien Willardson told me he was visiting New York, I was so excited to meet with him. I really admire his determination, energy and creativity. Even though it was snowing, he put on his cowboy boots and trudged into the city for our interview.

I loved how much energy he had both in front of the camera as well as off camera. I have to say that I really appreciate his acting experience! He was really comfortable in front of the camera. When I was testing my camera, he started making funny faces! He made the whole experience fun – we were cracking jokes and laughing during the interview.

He didn’t mind when I made him do a few versions of his video interview which personally, was a huge relief. Not only was he patient while I got all the pictures and footage I needed, he also gave me different ideas for our interview.

Without further ado… Enjoy Part 1 of our interview!

Meet Model Darien:

D Willardson 4 — Photo by Jennifer Alweiss

What is your style? A mix between country, skater and hipster. I’ll wear skater boy shoes and slim fit jeans.

Where do you love to shop? H&M, Zumiez, PacSun, Calvin Klein, J. Crew, and Ralph Lauren.

Who is your role model? Johnny Depp because he plays all of his characters really well. Also, Heather Ledger.

What is your #1 hobby? Snowboarding. I actually used to be a snowboarding instructor at Powder Mountain.

Do you have any quirks? Hmm selective hearing? Day dreaming? I would say visually creating something in my head.

What is something that you can’t you live without? My friends and family. I like having people around.

What is your greatest accomplishment? Being a model and actor. I’ve been in 6 films – My top ones are Storm Rider, The Last Straw, Wild Horses and Noctrune.

What are your goals and dreams? I want write a book about my life and my recovery of being a heroin addict. I was addicted to drugs for a year of my life when I was 19-20 years old. Since then, I’ve been clean from heroin. I want to inspire people who are addicts to better their lives and dream big. I want them to think with an open mind and an open heart. I would tell the story about the young creative storyteller that went into drugs, got clean and is now acting in movies – It’s a huge jump. I was the black sheep in my family. Even the lone wolf – I want to show that you can change.

Do you have any advice for aspiring models? Find a hobby. You should have a deeper talent and broaden your talent spectrum. For example, learn how to snowboard. Also, you should also embrace your weaknesses.

B676B553-D707-432E-A2D9-EC3B40C28115 — Photo by Jennifer Alweiss

EC7AA8EF-5B44-4388-8188-25A198272E05 — Photo by Jennifer Alweiss

94F0A879-235B-40AD-B5D5-E279980FB440 — Photo by Jennifer Alweiss

Darien has modeled for Theory Clothing Line (NY), Magnum Bikes ( Salt Lake City) and Jane.com (Salt Lake City).

You can follow Darien on Instagram here: @darienwillardson

Stay tuned for Part 2, our video interview!

Love always,

Jenny A.

What It Was Like To Get My Makeup Done by Professional Makeup Artist Gabriella Golan

Life is short…but your lashes don’t have to be!

Have you ever wondered what it is like to have your makeup done by a professional makeup artist? One of my best friends, Gabriella Golan is a professional makeup artist! She has done makeup for celebrities, TV shows and models. I was so excited when she agreed to do my makeup for a family event.

Before any runway show, there is usually a whole team of makeup artists applying, brushing and touching-up each model. I’m really not a huge makeup person but I was blown away by Gabriella’s work. Whenever I do wear makeup, I’ll usually put on a little bit of eyeliner and lipstick.

I told Gabriella that I wanted a very natural look. She laid out all of her makeup on the dining room table for me. There was so much to chose from! There were so many foundations… eye shadows… lipsticks… I felt like a model getting ready for the runway! She mixed different colors together on a palette to get the perfect combination for my complexion.

I’ve never wore fake eye lashes but Gabriella convinced me to try some individual lashes. She glued each lash onto my lash line to give my eyes a fuller look. I felt like I didn’t even have to smile because she made my lashes curl upwards which made it look like my eyes were smiling.

We chatted about our families, boys and all the exciting things going on. It was so much fun! When she finished, she spritzed my face to keep the makeup in place so it wouldn’t smudge. I looked in the mirror and was completely awestruck by her work. I loved the way she was able to transform my face into looking like a professional model.

The Final Results:

Thank you so much Gabriella! Love you!

What do you think? Have you ever had your makeup done by a makeup artist? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

If you want to check Gabriella MUA out and see her amazing work, her website is: http://www.gabriellamua.com/

You can also follow her on Instagram: @gabriellamua

-Jenny A.

My First Video Blog Post

Hi Everyone!

I’m really excited to share my first fashion blog video with you! After taking a blogging class at FIT, I decided to make my blog a bit more personal by formally introducing myself. I thought it would be a great way to celebrate how much my blog has grown within the year.

Thank you for reading, subscribing and following my fashion blog. A huge thank you to all the models and photographers for all of your time and dedication. I also want to thank my amazing New Style Modé family and team for all of your hard work, encouragement and perseverance. Thank you for making this blog — which started off as an dream — into a reality.

Thank you so much!

-Jenny A.

Model Mama Touray

Meet Mama:

Mama Touray is a model who is constantly studying and working towards her nursing degree. She loves the nursing field because it makes her feel good to help others. While she is currently looking to volunteer in a hospital in New York, she hopes that one day she can return to her native country, Gambia in order to provide medical assistance there.

Mama Touray’s style is casual. She likes wearing jeans, a T-shirt and her hair up. She enjoys hanging out with her friends, watching comedies and eating red velvet cheese cake. Her favorite show is Once Upon A Time. She likes visiting places throughout the country such as Colorado and Tennessee. If she could be a fruit or vegetable she would be a mango, really sweet just like her.

P1050803 — **Photographed by: Jenny A.**

Mama Touray walked for PLITZ Fashion Marketing’s New York Fashion Week and competed in their Emerging Model of the Year competition. Mama Touray said that even though she was nervous to walk the runway, PLITZ helped her become a better model. She dreams of walking for bigger fashion shows with top designers.

-Jenny A.

Grace DiDomenico

Photographed by: Matthew Cacace @bo2m_photography

Meet Grace:

Grace DiDomenico is an energetic and creative model who loves to have fun. She enjoys dancing, cheerleading and talking on the phone. Her best friend and role model is her mom. Her favorite family trip was when she went to the Grand Ole Opry tour in Tennessee.

She dreams of living in Paris and walking the runway there. Grace’s style is wearing trendy clothes with an urban twist. She likes collecting makeup from Kylie Cosmetics by Kylie Jenner, BH Cosmetics and Mally Beauty.

Photographed by: Brittany Diaz @Brittanythemakeupgoddess

Grace is a girl scout. Her troop sang songs to the elderly and packed gift boxes for children. In the spring, they are going to Rocking Horse Ranch to learn how to care for horses. After all, she loves horseback riding.

While she doesn’t really like fruits or vegetables, if she could be a fruit or vegetable, she would be a kiwi…tart yet sweet. She likes watching Grey’s Anatomy, listening to 21 Pilots and snacking on some s’mores.

Grace was a finalist for the PLITZS Fashion Marketing’s 2017 Model of the Year Competition. She also competed in the 2017 PLITZS Fashion Marketing Kid’s Fashion Democracy show. Grace said that she gained a lot from both shows.”Backstage is a lot of fun!” It was a great experience where she was able to make friends in the fashion world.

You can follow her on Instagram: grace.didomenico

-Jenny A.

Model JOSEPH HALL

Meet Joseph:

Whether he is running track or walking the runway, Joseph Hall is always bringin’ it. Between his ambition and his determination, he has won gold medals for his athletic performance. He’s been running track with his dad ever since he was little. He looks up to both of his role models Michael Johnson and Usan Bolt, Olympic gold medalists and track & field legends.

Joseph creates his own style. He has fashion designers such as Vernis make his clothing. Joseph likes to stand out and be unique. He dreams of making it to the top of the modeling industry and helping his family. You can find him hanging out in Dave & Buster’s and working out at the gym. He loves chocolate cake. His favorite movie is Titanic. If he could be a fruit or vegetable, he would be lettuce.

P1050572 (2) — Photographed by: Jenny A.

P1050570 (2) — Photographed by: Jenny A.

Joseph walked in the 2016 Brooklyn Fashion Week. He recently competed in the 2017 PLITZ Fashion Marketing Emerging Model Competition.

You can follow him on Instagram: @trackstart

-Jenny A.

Top 5 things for Ringing in the New Year

Runway model Pauline Bynum shared her top 5 things for ringing in the New Year!

Here’s the countdown:

#5. Spend time with your loved ones. – It’s the perfect holiday to just be yourself and spend some quality time with your friends and family!

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#4. Go to a New Year’s party. – Cheers! What better way to celebrate than going out to a rockin’ New Year’s Eve party?!

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#3. Watch the ball drop. – Take a train into Times Square and wait till midnight…or snuggle up on the couch with your pet and watch the ball drop live on TV!

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#2. Write down your New Year resolution(s). – You can either save your resolutions or do something a little more magical like putting them into a sky lantern.

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