What generation are you? What year were you born?
96. So I'm like millennial border.

What year did you start modeling?
Well, I was signed for a year, so last year, but then I'd been freelance for five years prior to that in New York.

Who are your first beauty icons and who do you admire today?
My first beauty icon is probably literally my mother. And probably still today is her. And also my grandmother, both my grandparents. Every time I think about the concept of beauty, I always think about family. 

When did you move to New York?
I moved here in 2014 to attend college. I've been here for 10 years.

How did beauty advertisements make you feel when you were growing up in the Philippines?Well, first of all, there was zero queer representation. Second of all, we weren't taught to value our Asian heritage. I feel like the beauty advertisements are always looking towards the Caucasian West, specifically the American West. And everything was about skin whitening, skin whitening this skin whitening that. That was a lot of the beauty ads that I was exposed to growing up in. And no male representing anything. Beauty is only for women.

Is there any kind of Black culture or Black community in the Philippines?
So the origins of the Filipinos is that we're like Malay people. So we came from the Indo States, but then we have people who came from Africa too. So if you go up to the mountains, a lot of the indigenous people are actually black. 

What year or around when did you start modeling?
I started in 2009, so when I was 16 years old.

Who are your first beauty icons and who do you admire today?
So I would probably say Rihanna and Beyonce as beauty icons in general. And that was probably around more my teen years, but when I was very young, I'd say probably more like Britney Spears. Back then it was more about musicians versus fashion. But then when I started modeling, Coco Rocha was the most iconic for me. We had the same agent in Toronto. And so when I first started, she really mentored me and I admired how she treated everyone with such respect and grace and genuine love. She taught me how to give shape and create characters in the clothing I was wearing. And then today I would say Alton Mason, I mean, for obvious reasons, he was the first black male model to walk for Chanel. So he is just inspiring and I admire that. He just is this amazing powerhouse and he's breaking the industry. I think it's pretty cool that in 2018 he was the first black male model to walk for them. So that pretty much says it all for me in terms of his impact in fashion.

How did beauty advertisements make you feel when you were growing up?
When I was growing up, I loved them. I loved the glamor of it. I loved the sex of it, of the heterosexual role play of it all. Now when I look back, I feel a little differently because the industry was obviously racist, transphobic, homophobic, and coded with misogyny. And it still is all of those things. But now you can sort of see through and sort through which brands are still participating in those ways and which brands have this different intention of selling their product to people outside of conservative, white, cis America.

How have you seen the beauty industry shift from your youth to present day?
I've literally seen a shift in the casting. It's kind of wild. The same casting directors, or you could call them gatekeepers even, that used to only cast all white shows now claim that they have always been inclusive. But I used to be backstage during Paris Fashion Week and all the other models and all of the artists in the room were all white. And I would just be asking people, do you notice that there's not one black person in this whole room? And it was the time of the Russian Doll aesthetic and it just made me sick and nobody was talking about it and nobody seemed to care about diversity. I see the same thing happening now with trans models that back then happened with black models. They do the odd diversity cast, but for the most part, casting directors and brands in general are scared to cast trans models who don't fit into this white passing aesthetic. I am an optimist. I do believe it will change over time, but right now there's this illusion that trans models are getting paid work because of a few celebrity models in the media. But these things take time, and I do see a shift ultimately. 

What effects has the inclusivity boom in beauty advertising had on you personally or professionally? For better or for worse? And what about for your community? 
Obviously more inclusivity and equality, including equal pay is always the goal, but it's definitely not where it needs to be. And I do see things getting better for the trans community, but I don't think it's going to happen overnight, just the racism and in the industry fighting against transphobia through advertising will take time, especially because these cis white men pretty much run the industry. It does take the hard work and patience and persistence of our community to keep going and showing up to these castings. I think the boom that happened was in general great.The intention behind it was probably not as pure of an intention. This industry is based on sales. So whether it's Gap trying to sell more jeans by providing bigger sizes and therefore marketing. And it does come hand in hand with social media and the internet and the influence of that outside voice being like, we need to see ourselves and they can't really ignore that because they want to make money. So it's confusing and it's layered because as much as there might seem to be a general sense of, oh, there's more inclusivity, it's not equal, a lot of these people are not getting the same pay as high fashion model or it's just not equal. And especially with trans people, a lot of people that I talked to are only getting paid for these pride campaigns. Models like Raya Martigny, and Memphy, they’re changing the game. Memphy, she's another trans model and she's doing Victoria's Secret and she's amazing and she's walking runways, but it's like her and Raya have been showing up to castings for years and now it's catching on. But I would like to see trans men welcome in the same spaces as well because in my experience, there's no space that's welcome for us at the table of high fashion yet. And I'm coming from a background of high fashion. Yes, I've done commercial work and campaign work and I have been considered a commercial model, but the root of my work is high fashion and it's runway and there's been no opportunities and really no space for me welcome in the high fashion realm, which influences the commercial market. And so as much as that boom happened, there was no boom for trans men. And that boom wasn't really for trans women either. It was more for curve models and including all ethnicities. It's not as inclusive as I think it should be yet. 

In taking steps towards more diversity and beauty products and beauty advertising, what are companies still doing wrong and what could they be doing better?
It can start by hiring trans men in their campaigns and in their runway shows. And I'm thrilled to see some brands starting to be inclusive with trans women and non-binary people. But I don't see much if any representation of myself, especially as a man who doesn't have top surgery, they don't know what to do with me. And I can tangibly feel the fear in the room when I step into a casting and they see my facial hair, they see my packer bulge, and then I have a pre-op chest, and I notice the creative teams want to assign me as non-binary. They want to use they/them pronouns on set, after I said that I am he/him. It's almost like they don't want to accept that I'm a man. And it can get very awkward on set. It's interesting because we seem to be going in the right direction, being more inclusive with trans women. And it's like if a woman says, I'm a woman, she's maybe more believed than if a trans man says I'm a man. It's like, well, we're still going to call you they/them and well, can't you just take your binder off? 

Has your perception of beauty advertising shifted since you started modeling?
Yes. I now realize it's based on sales, and I do not buy into the illusion that it's anything more than selling product, but the difference now for me is considering how ethical that product they're selling is and how many women, how many bipoc and queer and trans people are involved and getting paid for selling that product.

What do you think you personally bring to the fashion and beauty world?
My charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent. You watch RuPaul's Drag Race, but yeah, jokes aside, I just think my authenticity, just being myself, you can't duplicate that.

Is there anything else that you want to share or say?
Yes, hire trans men. We are men and we deserve to be walking down runways next to cis men. We deserve to be photographed in men's wear collections and campaigns next to cis men. That's about it. Just hire trans men.

Additional Question Posed After the 2024 Presidential Election Results
How do you feel the results of this election will impact you, both personally and professionally?
I believe it will impact me professionally by discouraging brands to hire transgender models. Personally it means trans people are in a very vulnerable place and if we didn’t feel safe before we surely do not now. Who knows what they will do, how far they will push their Project 2025 agenda. I live in Canada now so I am grateful to be in a place that is somewhat removed from it all. I feel for my trans family. Having access to gender affirming healthcare is life saving. It’s almost too much to talk about because they are threatening so much. It’s insanity.

Where do you think your power lies in the face of these results as a model?
These results do not affect my power. No change in authority can waver my sovereignty and my personal authority. If brands and industry leaders are strong and wise enough to cast me then that will show how as a people and collective we can rise against this energy of hate and separation and fear. My power is in my presence.

What do you think the beauty industry can do to support you in the coming years?
They can start hiring transgender models. Start hiring trans men. Put me as the face of your brand as an act of rebellion against the dark forces of the world. It will be very telling how brands deal with this energy, who they choose represents the face of their beliefs. Who are the faces of this new age, you know?

What year did you start modeling?
I started modeling during the pandemic, so I want to say 2020ish. 

Who were your first beauty icons that you recall and who do you admire today?
I mean, I always of course love the look of Grace Jones, but I also loved Pink because of just how her hair looked. Any sort of female that had short hair, I saw myself in that. 

What did beauty advertisements make you feel when you were growing up?
Growing up, because I did grow up as pre-transition and stuff, I found makeup to be a really huge trigger for me when I was younger, basically, because whenever I would put on makeup, I would be met with a lot of over exaggerated praise, which I could tell wasn't real. It was more just to confirm the gender identity, to lean into being like, oh look, they're actually wanting to wear makeup and stuff. But over time I remember making peace with putting on makeup because I was doing theater back then, so I would put on makeup in what I think of as a drag sense where I was putting it on for show and then very much taking it off. I did make my peace with it. Now I don't put on makeup that much anymore, but when I do, I will actually take the time to sit down and really do it. Do it up.

When you said that makeup would bring up some negative emotions, would that be when you were by yourself in a CVS, for example, and seeing the advertisements would bring up an emotion or was it mostly how people would communicate to you about makeup?
I don't think it was seeing it that made me upset ever. I think it was just sort of the affirmation of being praised for putting it on. But I do remember advertisements as a kid, never even seeing anyone looking like me. I was raised in Texas, so I'm not sure how advertisements went as far as makeup in specifically Texas, but I remember there was a very huge lack of diversity in stores when I was a child.

In the south in general do you think that if there was more inclusive advertising that it would eventually persuade people into being more open-minded just by being exposed to it over and over and over again? 
I do think if it was put on a platform and visible, people would lean into actually seeing other people and seeing differences. There's many times where even my mom, if we’re watching tv, she'll just randomly say, “that looks like the model we saw” and name a specific store. And even now that I am a model and my mom knows about it, she's getting used to recognizing different models, and she does keep up with models that are diverse and specifically at Target. The Target by my house does have a few people actually from We Speak. So every time we go in, it is nice for her to be like, oh, it looks so diverse and it's nice in here, which I love that Target is like that. Thank God.

What effects has the inclusivity boom in beauty advertising had on you personally or professionally, for better or worse?
I was born with extremely ethnic features. My mom is Mexican and my dad's Ecuadorian. And where we were in Houston, we were at a school that was predominantly a white school. So I was surrounded by Western beauty standards. And a lot of the times I didn't feel pretty. A lot of the people around me were really leaning into their femininity and I had no idea how to do that. I was a kid that didn't really know how to do their hair, wasn't really taught how to do their makeup. When I finally actually came into myself in college, I felt somewhat of an imposter syndrome when I started getting modeling gigs. And I remember even telling my parents, and at first they were kind of surprised. They were like, oh, me being trans, someone trans can do this. They didn't even know that trans people could be represented in a way like that. And my parents, they don't really know too much about the industry, but it is nice to see that they see that inclusion has an impact, even if it doesn't happen in Texas so much.

Do you think that the timing of when you got into modeling played a part in your success? 
I'm not even sure if I would've ever been considered to model before 2020, whenever that huge shift of the diversity happened. I do remember even in just the art world in general, everybody was trying to push for that big shift, and it did have an impact in fashion. I do feel like the DE&I movement lost a lot of traction though. I would like to up the ante. 

In taking steps towards more diversity in beauty products and beauty advertising, what are companies still doing wrong or what could they be doing better?
I think with any sort of makeup for example, just to show off a sample of the makeup, I want to see it on either very dark skin, or any sort of rough skin. I want to see it on some sort of texture. I think that even with shoots before you do a makeup shoot, they very much clean you up first. Even if it's a natural makeup shoot, you're still wearing natural makeup. A lot of the times the skin does seem very softened, which I understand they're still selling something. They want to make it look pretty, but I want to see something real. I'd much rather shop somewhere that's going to show something real, and I don't want to be lied to with the product then try it on my specific skin type, and it'd be like, oh, okay. Well, it doesn't even show what they represented.

What do you think you personally bring to the fashion and beauty world?
I do think I bring somebody that hasn’t been seen before. I didn't know anybody that looks like me, and I'm really glad to be sort of paving that way. A lot of my following right now is a lot of people that are younger than me that have messaged me and been like, “Hey, I think I will look kind of look like you when I grow up,” and that is so cute to me. No, the first time I heard that I was like, it's so cool. So I love bringing that in and it's really cute to see them hype up and they get so excited for the modeling stuff. The community is there. There is a want for this. It is so nice to actually have them see people that look like them and to see them platformed in a way like that. It's so important.

Additional Question Posed After the 2024 Presidential Election Results
How do you feel the results of this election will impact you, both personally and professionally?
With the current election results, I do feel worried and scared for other trans people like me who are not just worried about access to healthcare, but also scared for the widespread hatred of trans people this campaign led with, and to see how many people think the same, and how incredibly misinformed some people are is disappointing. Professionally speaking, I already am seeing a decrease in trans talent booking work in fashion, branding and media. Even my agency dropped me. I’m afraid the public got “scared” of what casting a trans person meant for them, and we know corporations hate taking a stand, even if it is the right one. As a Trans Model, I’m already seeing the differences of how some of us were treated 2 years ago to now, there’s a stark difference. 2 of my personal friends who are also trans were also dropped from their agencies at what is I think a very trying time for Trans People, especially when these companies have the power at this time to take a stand against hate.

Where do you think your power lies in the face of these results as a model?
With these results, my power lies in the resilience of the queer people that came before me, the women in my family, and the unbreakable spirit of the hardworking Latino. My parents have always been incredibly hard workers, which in turn, made me into quite the hustler while living in New York. Now I know we will manage, we will make do, and that things will get done ‘cause they have to. We’re back at the bottom again, but we’ve been here before. The only thing to do is to live as authentically and as loud as possible for people who can’t. Maybe the next four years will feel like another mountain to climb, but the view from the top will be worth it.

What do you think the beauty industry can do to support you in the coming years?
The beauty industry can truly support trans individuals by actively booking more trans people for campaigns, collaborations, and representation. I want to see them everywhere. If they really want to help, highlight them over your cis counterparts. Book trans people that pass, that don’t pass, book fat trans people. Book brown trans people. Listen to trans people. Highlight trans talent. Show the world how many different colors we actually come in, maybe take a stand and show you’re with us rather than against us. By prioritizing booking trans people, companies can show genuine support, promote diversity, and empower the trans community.

Do you have Black people in advertising in the Philippines?
Yes, we do. Now. Before it was very sparse, very rare. The Philippines, it's really a product of colonization. The western world did a number on us, and even I myself can say that I contributed to ignorance when I was younger because I didn't know any better. This kind of deeply ingrained racism that people don't even realize or talk about, but then you see it because they consume all of these skin whitening products and don't even take a second look at it. They don't second guess anything. But because the white man is doing it or on television or whatever, then that's what you're supposed to do. I feel like the culture in the Philippines, they’re also really obsessed with celebrity culture and Hollywood, and that was something that the Americans gave us,

What effect has the inclusivity boom in beauty advertising had on you personally or professionally? For better or for worse? And what about your community?
Well, I honestly feel great about it because I finally see people who look like me. And I feel seen, and when I was a kid, that's all I ever wanted, and no one could give that to me because no one could understand, because no one was queer. And now I have that, but there's also the downside of there are still people in the industry who don't like it and make you know that they don't like it. So I guess that's the only frustrating part. But other than that, I think we've moved so far in terms of how we approach branding, marketing, and how we represent people. I mean, there's always more work that needs to be done, but as a person who grew up outside of the U.S., everything is so major to me. It's like I can be this person. I can be who I always wanted to be, who I am meant to be. And I feel like advertising now can give that sense to people because I feel it. And I know the kids who are growing up now in this time definitely do feel it because I walk around the street and I can't help but smile because it's like all these people, not one young person looks exactly the same, and everyone is doing their own thing, and it's so beautiful, and I wish I had that, but it doesn't mean it's ever too late.

In taking steps towards more diversity in beauty products and beauty advertising, what are companies doing wrong or what could they be doing better?
I think that something doesn't need to be pretty in order for it to be beautiful. And I think that's the only thing I can say because I feel like people are so fixated on the idea of like, oh, we have to put this pretty person in a beauty advertisement because that's what beauty is, but that's literally not it. And I think that we're not completely there yet in terms of fully covering diversity, but in terms of casting people who are fluid with their expression, people who have different skin imperfections, all of these things, we got that down. But I feel like I want to see more, as they say, “real people” in the industry. And I feel like that would be more impactful because what about people who have disabilities, visible disabilities? Why don't they deserve to be beautiful? Why can't we put them in advertisements and all these things for beauty products? It only shows us the human spectrum. 

Given the inevitability of AI models in our future, how would you want to see it exist? If we're going to be doing a blend of AI models and real models, is there a way that you could see that peacefully happening or not really?
I feel like it could in some way, but it would have to be, coming from an original concept, you would literally have to birth this AI from scratch. You wouldn't steal the image of other people. It's like, if you don't replicate my image, then that's fine. If you're making something completely original like your little sim or something, then that's fine. But if you're going to use my image repetitively without paying me my dues, then that is not okay. But it's also the whole idea of there's been situations where runway models faces have been changed in post production of the photos, but you can literally tell that behind the eyes is nothing. It's like nothing. And then how are you going to be able to sell your product if there's no life behind the model that's trying to sell the garment or whatever it is? People are drawn to human connection. That's how marketing works.

Did you always know you wanted to model and what encouraged you to actually pursue it?
I feel like I've always known. It's just I never saw myself that way. But when I did my first gig here in New York back in 2018, I was literally just picked off the corner of the street to be in a jewelry campaign. And that's how it started. People saw things in me that I couldn't see in myself, and then started putting me in ads and campaigns and stuff like that until I could see it for myself. Now I got here and I decided to sign that contract last year or a year and a half ago because I decided I wanted to take it through and I decided that I could do it, and I decided that I could be a voice for the future generation and all the little Filipino kids that just want to be themselves. So I dunno, it's more like I'm not doing modeling to be a model. I'm doing modeling to become an advocate for something.

What do you think you personally bring to the fashion and beauty world?
I bring my country. I always carry my country with me in everything I do, because my goal is to build up and then bring back. So eventually I'm going to go home and do something to help people.

Additional Question Posed After the 2024 Presidential Election Results
How do you feel the results of this election will impact you, both personally and professionally?
Right now I choose not to expect anything, leaving myself open away from expectation is preventative of major disappointments.

Where do you think your power lies in the face of these results as a model?
I choose to continue to navigate life the way I wish and to continue on with my advocacies and the image I personally represent as a model.

What do you think the beauty industry can do to support you in the coming years?
To continue marching forward, to further diversify, break boundaries, and represent.

When did you move to New York? 
Seven years ago.

What year did you start modeling?
So I started modeling in 2013, but then I was freelancing the entire time until I signed with We Speak in 2018. Freelancing in the way that I never made any money. Yeah, it was cute. It was definitely experience building, but yeah. Never paid a bill.

Who are your first beauty icons and who do you admire today? And this could be celebrity or someone in your life.
Celebrity wise, Rihanna. Especially being Caribbean, something about her presence and her energy always feels very, very relatable to me, as well as Coco Rocha and honestly, a young Janice Dickinson, like OG Janice Dickinson, who was just breathtakingly gorgeous. And then in my life, my mom. My mom is gorgeous, but then very similar to Rihanna and never trying too hard, but always coming off stunning. 

How did beauty advertisements make you feel when you were growing up?
Honestly, I didn't relate to them at all growing up because I never associated the word beautiful or beauty along with myself. I don't know, I guess I just didn't think like that. So then I feel like if it was in my presence, I just didn't pay it much mind.

Do you think it was related to gender that you never paid attention to beauty ads as a kid?
Absolutely. Especially because I feel like a lot of my shift into the beauty industry was because of my hair, and I wasn't allowed to grow my hair growing up. So I started growing my hair when I was 18 and doing everything that I just wanted to do for myself. 

What effects has the inclusivity boom in beauty advertising had on you personally or professionally? And has it been for better or worse? And what about your community?
Well, I'd say first, professionally, it's definitely affected me positively because it's my entire reason for even getting opportunities. I don't know that necessarily in my youth, if I had been the age I am now that I would've been able to break into an industry like this. Not to say it would've been impossible, but less likely. I feel like it's allowed me to also develop personally in ways that I may not have imagined before, even in my identity and my openness with my identity, I guess, when the question of pronouns comes up, I'm willing to embrace any form of what myself can be. And I do credit the beauty industry to a degree about that, and I feel like other people in my community probably feel the same, being Caribbean, being queer, being male.

So it feels kind of like a safe space?
It feels safer, yes.

In taking steps towards more diversity in beauty products and beauty advertising, what are companies still doing wrong or what could they be doing better?
I feel like while inclusivity, diversity, things like that are progressing, I still feel like they exist in a way that they're hot as opposed to it being the norm and without even having to say it's inclusive or it's diverse, it just is. So I would like to see a shift in that direction where it just happens. Because again, if you go on the street and you see all of these people, everybody's beautiful in their own way and seeing how to highlight that and I mean, I think that would be good marketing.

We've talked a lot about the trend of inclusivity and it unfortunately impacts many different communities in terms of what's currently cool in inclusivity or not, or if it’s old news.
Yeah, it leads to tokenism.

What effects has the inclusivity boom in beauty advertising had on you personally or professionally, for better or worse? Since you've been working prior to that, have you seen a decline since then?
Yeah, I feel like it's kind of slid back a little bit and I'm starting to see more of that cookie cutter effect, and I'm like, oh, it's kind of reminiscent of before. And it makes you wonder if the progress was real.

Do you have any thoughts on using AI in beauty advertising? 
Bad feelings about it, bad gut feelings about it. I don't think that helps anybody in the long run. It seems almost like a cheat code. In the way that none of us win in that, it's kind of like the idealization of beauty, I guess. And then it goes back to beauty being in the eye of the beholder, and I feel like a huge part about AI, it's artificial intelligence in the way that it's, it's created by somebody. It's not organic. This is somebody's views, somebody's values poured into an algorithm. So I think it leads to all the things that we were trying to avoid. And in beauty, it's no different and we already have unrealistic beauty standards. So I think AI talent would exacerbate that. Even for someone to say “Oh, we didn't have that demographic” is very suspect because it almost implies that the people don't exist. But then to me, what it really implies is that the people who do exist aren't fitting the ideals that you are seeking. So you will create something that does fit those ideals, which again, to me, is incredibly dangerous. 

Did you always know that you wanted to model and what encouraged you to actually pursue it?
I did not know I wanted to model at all. My parents tried to push me into modeling, I want to say late middle school, which is a funny time to try to make somebody do that. That was probably where my self-confidence was at its all time low, so I was like absolutely not, totally rejected it. It wasn't until I found my way into photography. Then a year or two into it, I was like, you know what? I kind of want to be on the other side of the camera, and one of them feels like there's a time limit behind it. So then I started to model and I was like, you know what? I'll return to photography. 

Has anything now that you've gotten to see behind the curtain, if you will, has anything surprised you or shocked you at all in terms of the way things are done or I don't know, just something you wouldn't have thought of?
I guess I was a little bit naive to the post-production of it all. I thought that everybody was just literally flawless. A couple times I've seen my photos and been like, oh, now I get it. Got it, got it.

Like what? Tell me.
Like the smoothness, to look just like porcelain. I think it's a little unethical. And actually you made me think of where I've really found this is because I've booked more hair jobs now that I've found my way in. The difference between some clients, won't name any of 'em, but some of them that have had me in the past show up with my hair routine and whatever I've done already, and then shot it as theirs, essentially without saying it, they're like, our products will make your hair look like this. Versus the ones that on set will completely wash and style my hair with their products. And then understanding that, oh yeah, these people on these bottles, these people on these packages, you don't really know. They'll say the photos are unretouched, but they don't say, we've only used our products on their hair. I found that pretty interesting. But I guess for that reason, it is hard in beauty because everyone embodies their own beauty recipe who needs different things, so it's hard to then market to the masses. Especially when you start factoring melanin and natural hair and things like that where I feel like we already don't have enough of an understanding and yeah, there's such a spectrum within natural hair types, complexion, all of those things. I mean, on the bright side here we have a lot, because when I was in Europe, people kept asking me what I do with my hair, and say “We don't have any of these products here.” And I'm like, there are still parts of the world that really are just beginning understanding what to do with curly hair and whatnot.

What do you think you personally bring to the fashion and the beauty world?
I think I bring a little bit of jerk spice, a little bit of heat, a little bit of Caribbean flavor, and I think I bring fun. I like to make everything fun. I feel like if you're not enjoying what you're doing, then reevaluate.

Additional Question Posed After the 2024 Presidential Election Results
How do you feel the results of this election will impact you, both personally and professionally?
I think both personally and professionally it’s kind of a wild card. While the obvious terrors are readily apparent, I also think it will fuel a lot of resistance and we can all benefit from a better sense of community and combatting oppression. None of this will be easy but then again, what is?

Where do you think your power lies in the face of these results as a model?
To remind people that change created is here to stay no matter what the powers that be and their propaganda machines try to have us thinking.

What do you think the beauty industry can do to support you in the coming years?
Abandon tokenism and find a true sense of inclusivity! But more importantly BOOK ME!

DYLAN

What is your preferred name and pronoun?
Dylan, and it's going to be he/him.

Where did you grow up and what generation are you?
Ridgewood, New York, and I’m Gen Z.

What year did you start modeling?
I officially started modeling back in 2018, 2019. It was right before I was a junior in high school.

Who were your first beauty icons and who do you admire today?
Definitely my parents. When I was younger, they would go out a lot and they would go to parties in the city and all over New York. Every weekend they would always get all done up and it was exciting to see that. 

How did beauty advertisements make you feel growing up? This could be in media, on social media, in magazines, in stores.
I think definitely seeing advertisements, especially ones with elegance, influenced why I'm doing what I'm doing now, where I'm the one modeling. Seeing advertisements growing up, I was like, oh my God, these people, they're so beautiful! It just had such a strong appeal to it, it drew me in. And even now as the industry is evolving and changing, it’s so nice to see so many different types of people doing it now, and especially people who are with my agency or people that I've met over the years doing beauty advertisements and having ads in Target or in Sephora. It's super exciting to see that. And it's sort of a celebration of culture and of life, and I think it's a beautiful thing.

You said as the industry has evolved, you're seeing different types of people shown in the advertisements with the glitz and the glamor and the fabulousness that you used to admire in the advertisements, was there a part of you that didn't feel represented or was there another side to how you felt?
Definitely, part of the appeal did seem at the time that it was an exclusive group. It was only for a certain person or a certain people. I think that was more appealing to me because it was like a challenge or a goal, but I knew it's not always going to be like this. I would see an ad and it could be the very stereotypical standard model, but now I walk into Sephora and I could see somebody who looks like me, who identifies as a man who's five foot four and has crooked teeth or whatever.

How have you seen the beauty industry shift from your youth to present day?
Growing up, a lot of what I was seeing was very Eurocentric, where it was these supermodels who were six feet tall and very skinny, and these were beautiful women. Growing up I spent a lot of time with my mother, so I would always be the one going with her shopping and going to all these different stores, to buy makeup or popping into Victoria's Secret and always seeing these stunning supermodels in all of these ads. And I think now the definition of a model of a supermodel has shifted so much. I think that's such an empowering thing because the definition of what that was at the time was very limiting.

Do you recall seeing men in advertising when you were growing up and what that experience was like?
Honestly growing up there was always a very stark division in the ways in which I would see men and women in advertisements, especially in the places where I was going for example with my mom to Victoria's Secret, it would be very sexy women and lingerie. If I were to go to a makeup place, it'd be traditional makeup photography with women, solely with women. But then the only place I would ever really see men advertise was if I'm in Target and it's like an underwear package and it's like a shirtless ripped man. 

Do you have any thoughts on the way that that progress occurs in terms of if it starts out as performative or fake, but then it turns into authentic? 
I think that's definitely interesting to think about because in the most ideal world, a company would want to strive for progress because there's nothing inherently wrong or undesirable with wanting to have a wider platform of people and of ages and sexes and genders. Unfortunately, I feel like a lot of the major players in the game had to have a little push and shove in that direction by the general public, which I don't necessarily think is a bad thing. I do see the issue in forcing a company to have progress because it's not authentic, but as a person who doesn't necessarily fit every statistic for what might be marketable, I'm not even sure if I would want to be attached to a project or to a company that five years ago didn't want me. Honestly though, even having been in situations where I have to make the hard choice, do I want to work on this project even though I know why I'm in this room and it's maybe not for the best reasons? But then it's also like, fuck that. Because even if they don't want me here, I'm here. I think I should definitely use that opportunity to put myself out there and get that representation out there. Because if even one person sees this ad, maybe it can make a difference. 

In taking steps towards more diversity in beauty products and beauty advertising, what are companies still doing wrong or what could they be doing better?
If I were to have any critiques or any commentary on how it could be changed, I think adding more authenticity to a product and what's being promoted and what's being sold. At the end of the day, the purpose of these campaigns and these ads is to sell you something. These companies are trying to turn a profit, that's the end all be all, but I think there could be a nicer blend of understanding that there needs to be a profit, but also they could incorporate more authenticity into the project at the same time. And I know sometimes authenticity, or perceived authenticity, may not seem like a selling point to investors. But I think looking at it from a ground level, anytime I see something that's authentic, I can tell. I'm not sure if it's just being creative or perhaps even being a consumer, but I think consumers are smarter than these corporations assume.

Did you always know you wanted to model, and what encouraged you to pursue it?
I actually never knew I wanted to do it. Growing up, I always thought modeling was a very cool thing, but I also said it seemed like a very exclusive club. I'm very short so it didn't really seem like it was for me. But when I was in middle school, my brother started modeling when he was in high school. Eventually, when I was a junior, he got an opportunity to do an editorial with my parents and him and me. That was the first time I ever modeled, when I was a junior, and then I kept modeling after that. I did a couple campaigns for Awake New York, and right before Covid, I did an editorial again with my parents and my brother for Vogue. It was a really beautiful thing, and from there, I was like, yeah, I want to do this. 

What do you think you personally bring to the fashion and beauty world? 
I bring my upbringing, my experience, my own story to the table. I think an opportunity to have an interview like this where I get to speak about my life and my opinions and the world I've grown up in is a very beautiful thing. Being able to speak about my experience, that's what I bring to the table, my perspective.

Additional Question Posed After the 2024 Presidential Election Results
How do you feel the results of this election will impact you, both personally and professionally?
These past couple of weeks have definitely given me much needed reminders of the communities I find myself in. I’ve witnessed a beautiful union and movement of the people I know in various directions to ensure that we as a whole are equally protected as we are informed and knowledgeable. Knowledge, wisdom, siblinghood; there is much which I’ve been reminded of in both my personal and professional lives as of late. By finding comfort, and purpose in myself, my identity, and my people I’ve found a sense of calm and a safe haven amongst all of which is to come.

Where do you think your power lies in the face of these results as a model?
I believe outreach and community are a powerful and beautiful tool that can be utilized to protect ourselves and others in ever changing times. Similarly I believe being able to use any platform one has to spread love, positivity, and other aspects of a joyous livelihood will help. It’s important to remind ourselves of our roles in the communities and spaces we find ourselves and all do our part to be there for one another, yesterday, today, tomorrow, and forever.

What do you think the beauty industry can do to support you in the coming years?
Uplift, highlight, and focus on what continues to make us individuals both beautiful and worthy of belonging. More-so a sense of belonging with no strings or stipulations attached, to understand that we are where we are because we are worth it, we belong, and we deserve to occupy these spaces.