Photographer: Juan Carlos Guevara; Designer: Jude Charles; MUA: Steph Hair and Beauty
I met model Robbie Dema at the Unique Blend Models fashion show in New York City. When I first arrived, I was given a masquerade mask to wear! The first show was an all men’s fashion show. I really loved how much energy there was both on the runway and in the audience. Whenever a model walked onto the runway, the audience would cheer them on. Robbie had just finished walking the runway before I interviewed him!
Meet Robbie:
Robbie Dema is both an actor and a model! His passion for acting led him to his newest passion, modeling. He says one of the biggest challenges in modeling is staying fit while keeping a strong mindset. He says it’s important to always stay positive.
He works out through weight training, lifting and doing cardio which keeps him in great shape. Robbie shared that his daily eating habits are based on a heavy protein diet and not eating simple carbs like pasta and bread. He does admit that he loves eating dark chocolate and that his “cheat foods” are pizza and burritos.
If he could be a fruit or vegetable he would be a pineapple because it is both sweet & edgy, just like his style. After all, we all have our spikes to us! 🙂
Photographer: Michael Katlow Cox; Designer: Diplomacy Clothing; HMU: Jude Charles
Fun facts:
#1 He is an exercise rider / assistant at Belmont Racetrack. Did you know that his barn had a horse named Gavin in this year’s Kentucky Derby?
#2 Robbie’s style is clean cut. He loves to dress up and wear a suit. SUIT UP!
#3 He just moved from Long Island to Manhattan.
Photographer: Michael Katlow Cox; Designer: Diplomacy Clothing; HMU: Jude Charles
Robbie modeled for Unique Blend Models which was his 3rd time walking on the runway.
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!
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.
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.
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.
Meet Jennifer: From skydiving to bungee jumping, Jennifer Liu is a model who loves extreme sports! She wants to fly – but actually, she loves the feeling of flying. In fact, if she could have any superpower, it would be flying. She hopes that her next adventure will be paragliding this summer.
Jennifer came to New York for 2 things: modeling and finance. She works in the fiance world by day and models on the runway by night. On her free time she loves tasting food and wine. One of the top things on her bucket list is seeing every single country in the world!
Modeling on the runway, being in front of the camera and doing extreme sports give Jennifer a rush of adrenaline. gives Jennifer the same feeling as when she is doing extreme sports. Jennifer has modeled in a number of fashion shows and for a number of designers in their print and media campaigns. Her editorial work with designers has also been published in various magazines.
Allison Holland is a model who has a passion for modeling and the law. From fashion shows to law books, Allison dreams of leading the way to bringing the legal & fashion worlds together! Even though she is a freshman in high school, she has started reading law books that pique her interest.
Right now she is a student leader and serves in the student counsel at her school. Allison is athletic and is part of the varsity volleyball team. She started playing volleyball when she was only 3 years old!
You can find her hanging out on the beach, shopping at the mall or enjoying a delicious meal at the Olive Garden. Her favorite food is anything that has avocado on it! If she could be a fruit or vegetable she would be a strawberry since they are her favorite. Three things she always carries are her phone, Chapstick and a pair of flats.
She says that Jeremiah 29:11 from the bible best defines her. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Allison walked the runway at New York Fashion Week’s Couture Fashion Week showcasing the spring 2017 collection.
Victoria Jade Goode is a model who dreams of becoming a top fashion designer! Through her ambition and wit, she hopes to one day be able to have her own famous retail businesses. Victoria is very spiritual and has a deep connection with god.
Victoria enjoys shopping & partying. Her guilty pleasure is playing video games! On her down time she likes watching cartoons while eating a bowl of cereal.
From flip-flops to sneakers, you can find Victoria on the beach or working out in the gym. Victoria is a doodler who loves to draw. Her style is one who loves to travel a lot! If she could be a fruit or vegetable she would be a red cherry!
Victoria modeled for New York Fashion Week where she walked the runway at Couture Fashion Week’s 2017 spring collections.
RISA is a Japanese model who loves to dance! From hip-hop to jazz, RISA is always on her feet! She absolutely adores shoes and when she visits New York, she always buys a new pair for her collection. She enjoys traveling, shopping & finding new and exciting places to eat! RISA is a city girl who spends her time walking and biking through Tokyo!
RISA describes her style as a fun traveler – she loves wearing one piece outfits and always has an accessory item that has a cute design on it such as stars, rainbows or even a unicorn! Her favorite Disney princess is Ariel the Little Mermaid & she likes to eat a delicious grapefruit and dried figs.
Her biggest accomplishment is when she was the 2nd-runner up in the Miss International Japan 2014 beauty pageant.
