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Model or Role Model? Abby-Leigh is Both

RESPECT. EMPOWER. BE A ROLE MODEL.

In a world where it is easy to lose your way, role models are so important to have. They inspire you. They shape you. They empower you. I love how model Abby-Leigh strives to not only be a model, but also to be a role model. She wants to empower other girls and give them a voice. Abby’s biggest piece of advice is “Respect people for who they are.”

“Younger girls look up to me. I want to give them power even when I feel like I have lost mine.” – Abby

The most shocking part of our interview was when she mentioned that she wants to empower others even though she’s faced nasty comments from people that she knows. I find it extremely inspiring that Abby pushes through the negativity to shine though.

Abby stands up to be a role model.

My Interview with Model Abby:

Jenny A. (me): What is your hardest challenge as a teen model?

Abby-Leigh: The negativity I get from the other boys and girls. Sometimes they try to bring me down. I want to be comfortable in my own skin and lift people up. People say things about me – they call me names and make comments about my glasses. I’ve also gotten nasty messages which I have had to block or delete. Sometimes the nasty messages are from people I know. That’s the hardest part. Sometimes it’s from strangers. They are just doing it for a reaction.

Me: How do you deal with the negativity?

Abby: At first, it gets to me but then it makes me stronger and keeps me going. It makes me want to model more. Don’t let anyone get you down. Follow your dreams.

Me: Who is your role model?

Abby: I have a lot of role models but, my # 1 role model is my mom. She’s my best friend. She’s amazing and does everything. We talk about everything and even watch Prison Break together!

Me: Do you have a motto that you live your life by?

Abby: You can’t blame society when you are society. Younger girls look up to me. I want to give them power even though there are times when I feel like I have lost mine.

Me: You’ve spoken about beauty on Instagram, what does beauty mean to you?

Abby: It’s not about looks, it’s about personality. Beauty in the inside, not on the outside. Being nice doesn’t cost anything.

Me: You’re a model for Izzy Be Clothing. Tell us a little about the brand!

Abby: I love Izzy Be Clothing. It empowers girls. It lifts girls up and gives them a voice. I want to do that too.

Me: What has been your favorite modeling experience?

Abby: The time when a big crowd of people arrived for my photo shoot! It was outside and I was wearing a beautiful evening gown. I was so shocked that they all came!

Me: When you’re not modeling, what do you enjoy doing?

Abby: I love reading and writing. I’m also a gamer girl. I like playing Fortnite. Sometimes people call me a tomboy and sometimes they say I’m a girly girl. I say, I’m both.

Linda: What do you hope for your future? Do you have a goal?

Abby: I want to be a really big model like Victoria’s Secret models Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner.

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

Abby: I would be a pineapple just like the quote “Be a pineapple. Stand tall, wear a crown, and be sweet on the inside.” Everyone should be a pineapple.

I want to hear from you! Who is your role model? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Also, be sure to subscribe to my blog and follow my blog’s Instagram @newstylemode. You can follow Abby on Instagram @abbyleigh7504

Love always,

Jenny A.

Andres Aquino’s Turbulent Waters Swimwear Collection at New York Fashion Week

P1080446 — On the runway at Couture Fashion Week

New York Fashion Week is one of my favorite times of the year! Over the weekend, my brother and I went to Couture Fashion Week where we saw designer Andres Aquino‘s Turbulent Waters Swimwear Collection. Personally, I have always adored designer Andres Aquino. He’s very creative and I think that his work is stunning.

I really enjoyed seeing his swimwear on the runway. Each model strutted down the runway in one of his bathing suits matched with a pair of high heeled black boots. Most of his designs were black and gold pieces.

My most favorite piece from his collection was worn by the award winning model, Samantha Speulveda. She wore his finale piece – a gorgeous black one-piece bathing suit with elaborate gold sequined sleeves.

I think the most shocking part was that designer Andres Aquino’s swimwear were all one-pieces! I can’t tell you how excited I am. I don’t usually wear bathing suits but when I do, I try to wear a one-piece.

P1080524-2 — Jenny Alweiss on the runway with model Lyubov Pylyponyuk

Honestly, I’m in love with the sexy sequined bathing suit look. Recently, I’ve seen videos on Facebook of one piece bathing suits with sequins. I wonder if they’re waterproof!

It’s a little crazy for me to think of wearing a bathing suit when I’m still bundling up in all of my winter gear! I guess when it’s hot out, I’ll be ready to hit the beach in style 🙂

Be sure to follow my blog on Instagram @newstylemode

Love always,

Jenny A.

Model Bonnie Sofia at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival

Bonnie Sofia shared what it was like to model for the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Here’s the inside scoop!

1) How does modeling in France different from your runway experience in New York?

In France the designers took a lot more risks on the runway. They were less likely to shy away from nudity. I have some runway pictures from France that I can’t even post on social media. I never had this problem with my runway pictures from New York. Another difference I noticed is that France is more tolerant of diverse looks when it comes to models. Even though the height requirement is still strict, there is a much higher tolerance for models who are different from the “cookie cutter” look.

Bonnie Sofia (left); Becca Avill (right)

2) What was the craziest thing that happened behind the scenes at the Cannes Film Festival?

I consider myself a very low drama and down to earth model, but I guess even I have my limits. During this particular show, there was an organizational mistake. Usually models are not allowed to book designers who are showing their collections one after another. However, this time they did not clarify, so all the models booked back-to-back designers.

Since I hadn’t come back from the runway yet, one of the organizers told my next designer to give the dress I was supposed to wear to a different model. It did kind of break my heart because the dress was an absolutely stunning creation from German designer Luciana Adulari. I was excited about being able to wear it on the runway and have pictures in it. So when I saw another model sewed into my dress, I couldn’t hold back the tears! Someone from the hair team got me a glass of champagne while 2 other hair stylists told me jokes to cheer me up.

Bonnie Sofia (left) and Lucy Bale (right)

3) How would you describe the atmosphere? Did you like any of the fashions or designers ?

The atmosphere of the show was incredible. It was definitely one of the best that I had ever been to. Designer Andres Aquino is a perfectionist and his shows are always flawless. One of the things I liked most about the show was its diversity. There was a wedding dress collection by Hany ElBehairy, as well as a lingerie collection by Duonvlang. One of my favorite designers at the show was Kelsy Dominick from DiDomenico Design. It was inspirational talking to her and walking for her, because she is just full of enthusiasm and motivation. She is an example of how far you can go in a short amount of time.

lucy3 — Designer DiDomenico Design. Photographed by Lionel Madiou

4) Did you experience a language barrier while modeling at the Cannes Film Festival? If so, how did you manage?

Fortunately, there was not too much of a language barrier. Since most of the designers and models were international, the lingua franca was English backstage. There were a few French models who didn’t speak English, but I have enough French to get my thoughts across at least. [But even for the non-French speaking models, it was not a problem at all, because the designers and organizers spoke English. ]

Bonnie Sofia (left) and Lucy Bale (right); Designer DiDomenico Design

5) Did you meet anyone interesting at the Cannes Film Festival?

One of the most interesting people I met was Lionel Madiou, the photographer for the DiDomenico Design team. He is absolutely phenomenal. I’ve shot with him twice since Cannes and each time I was just blown away by the results.

6) What was the most challenging part of your experience?

For me, the most challenging part of any runway show is surviving the castings. I’m considered short for a model (5’8”), so I’m not always a top pick for designers with floor length gowns who need to ensure they are not going to be tripped on by the model. Kelsy of DiDomenico Design was the first of three designers who selected me. As soon as she did, I breathed a sigh of relief. I’m also thankful to my boyfriend, who was nice enough to let himself be dragged to this casting with me. He kept telling me not to stress. I think it doesn’t matter how long I have been modeling, castings will always be stressful.

Lucy Bale (left); Bonnie Sofia (right); Designer DiDomenico Design

7) What was it like after the show? How did you feel? Did you go to any after parties?

One of my favorite parts of a show is after it is over. Haha. This may sound strange, but this is a very special moment where everyone–designers, organizers, and models–collectively breathe a sigh of relief, pour themselves a whiskey, and bask in their accomplishments. The atmosphere after the show was unusual because there was an after party at the venue itself. So the runway turned into a dance floor! The guests, models, and designers all mingled and danced together. It is one of my favorite memories.

You can follow her on Instagram: bonniesofia

-Jenny A.

An Inside Scoop of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival

Becca Avill (left), Lucy Bale (center) & Sophie Levine (right)

Meet Models Becca Avill, Lucy Bale & Sophie Levine:

Lucy, Becca and Sophie gave me an inside look into what it was like to model for the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. Here’s the inside scoop!

1) What was it like to model at the Cannes Film Festival? What was the atmosphere like?

Lucy Bale: It was one of the best experiences. Everyone was excited to be there! Before every change, it was chaotic and mad. Everyone was yelling. But it all came together and was absolutely AMAZING when we got onto the catwalk. Before a show, I can be shy. But when I get onto the runway, I am a different person. Shout out to Jera, my modeling agency. Thank you!

Becca Avill: It was chaotic, super busy and fun! We were booked every day that we were in Cannes. During the mornings we had castings and during the days we had rehearsals. I love doing catwalks because they are a lot more social and I get to meet other models.

Sophie Levine: It wasn’t the most organized but it was a lot of fun. When we were getting ready for a show, people were joking around and just having fun. The makeup artists and hair stylists were really nice. My hair was short for the shows so when I heard the words “slicked back” while they were talking about my hair, I was so nervous. It actually came out amazing!

lucy (2) — Lucy Bale modeling for DiDomenico Design. Photographed by Lionel Madiou

2) Have you ever modeled for other international fashion shows? How was it different from your runway experience here?

Lucy: Yes, I have also modeled in the UK. Cannes is more structured. They pick their models beforehand. They know what they want. If you’re not what they’re looking for, you’re out. In the UK, it’s less structured. When you show up to a fitting you can change their mind and show them why you’re there. Also there were a lot more people working at the Cannes Film Festival.

Becca: I started modeling internationally across France and London. When I was in Cannes I was asked to stay and model for a few more days. I would say a major difference between my experience in France and in the U.K. would be the food. In the UK, it’s unheard of not to provide food and refreshments during a modeling event. In London, it’s important to watch over the models and give them food.

Sophie: Cannes was my first professional show… Though I have done student shows. In the student shows they’re always indecisive about what you’re wearing. They’ll have all the models try everything on before deciding who wears what. In the Cannes Film Festival, they were more decisive on what the models were wearing. They would give us something to wear and say wear this. I prefer Cannes. It was more relaxed.

becca7 — Becca Avill modeling Luciana Adulari. Photographed by: Lionel Madiou

3) What’s the coolest thing that happened behind the scenes? What was your most exciting moment?

Lucy: Being given the opportunity to do more shows. Designers would come in after a show and ask if we wanted to model for them. Yay! It was very self-uplifting… it was awesome!

Becca: I met Leonardo DiCaprio! Oh and I met Fat Joe and Tiger at one of the places I went to. Cannes is a very good place for networking for international modeling agencies.

Sophie: Meeting everyone and especially the other models. Everyone was very friendly. The models took each other’s pictures backstage. It was cool how people recognized me after the show. They would say “you were on the catwalk!” It was also really nice to meet the designers. Some of the dresses were absolutely stunning.

sophie1 — Sophie Levine modeling for Tjaša Škapin. Photographed by: Lionel Madiou

4) What was the funniest thing that happened?

Lucy: All of the models were hungry and were trying to sneak out and buy croissants to feed everyone. I learned that next time I have to pack a lunch!

Becca: Going out at night directly after a catwalk – I made some fairly bold fashion choices on a few occasions.

Sophie: Walking around with my hair and makeup. The hair stylists were dancing behind the scenes while they were doing my hair! With no music!

lucy8 — Lucy Bale (left) & Becca Avill (right) modeling Luciana Adulari. Photographed by: Lionel Madiou

5) What was it like to be backstage?

Lucy: Models would be half naked and the people working backstage would come up to us and help us change into our outfits.

Becca: I’ve done a lot of fashion shows and they’re always very fast paced and exciting. The only downside is that people do seem to forget you’re human and everyone and their mum wanders in while you’re changing.

Sophie: Everyone kept an eye out when the models were changing. The media would come behind the stage and just start filming even if models were changing in the background. I liked how all the models would stand in front of the camera so that the other models that were changing could have some privacy.

sophie3 — Designer Andres Aquino. Photographed by: Lionel Madiou

lucy6 — Designer Tjaša Škapin. Photographed by: Lionel Madiou

lucy4 — Designer Tjaša Škapin. Photographed by: Lionel Madiou

becca4 — Designer Hany El Behairy. Photographed by Lionel Madiou

becca2 — Designer DUONVLANG. Photographed by: Lionel Madiou

becca1 — Designer Luciana Adulari. Photographed by: Lionel Madiou

I’d like to thank Becca Avill, Lucy Bale & Sophie Levine for giving me their time to interviewing them. I’d also like to thank Lionel Madiou for his beautiful pictures. Thank you!

-Jenny A.