SOJOURN
Photography & Creative Direction: IRVIN RIVERA
Styling: PHIL LIMPRASERTWONG
Fashion: MOODS OF NORWAY USA
Tell us about your story.
Well, I wasn't much of an "artsy" kind of guy. Growing up I played almost any sport you can name; primarily baseball- looked at by a few colleges but decided to go to American University instead to push my comfort zone, get new perspectives on life, and for job opportunities. I came into modeling after enough people at school nagged me and I got sick of it. The rest has been what its been and I've modeled for almost a year now.
Tell us more about your hometown.
It's a very small town, barley 3,000 people. Weird to think that such big things can grow from such a small town. I was always outside, ice skating at the beach, long-boarding on the CT river, or just walking around town. Everyone is old there so me and my friends were always getting yelled at for breaking things and running around. We always seemed to get out of it though. Our favorite was playing man hunt in town at night, that would be when you could run through boat yards and climb on roofs.
Where are you currently based? Which city do you see yourself in?
Right now I'm in Washington DC. Growing up I always saw myself as a NYC kind of guy, but the longer that I stay here the more I see myself living here.
How did modeling start for you? How were you scouted?
Pretty much my whole life I have been getting comments that I should get into it but I never took them seriously. Than I got to college and everyone that was on my freshman year floor told me to give it a go. I never really cared for photos so I still didn't. Than one of my friends dared me right before spring break to try it. I went home and got a couple of head shots done and that's when WINGS picked me up. From there I was sent into the city to meet about 7 different agencies. Red showed the most interest in me and in a matter of 2-3 months I was in the industry. Never thought anything like this was possible until it happened.
What inspired you to be a model?
I never really had an inspiration... just more of something I enjoy to do now.
How long have you been modeling?
Coming up on about a year soon! But most of it doesn't really count because I was at school for 8 of those months where I didn't even think about modeling, or anything that came with it... so probably only a few short months.
What's the best part of being a model?
Seeing the photos after a shoot that was fun/ I had a lot of anticipation for. Its always nice to see when your work comes out the way you wanted it to. Getting photos back is always guaranteed to put a smile on my face.
What's your most memorable experience in modeling so far?
Flying to LA and shooting 7 times in 3 days than coming back to school and taking my finals... that was nuts. If I can get through that I can get through almost anything.
How do you manage your time as a model?
Its pretty tough because I'm at school too, so I have to section out my day out for school work, working out, and modeling. Usually I have to dedicate about an hour a day to keep up with everything, sometimes more. Social media really takes up a lot of time.
Top 3 songs on your playlist right now.
That's a tough one...
1. Line of Sight- Odesza (feat. WYNNE& Mansionair)
2. Oceans Away- ARIZONA
3. Bored To Death- Blink 182
Early Bird or Night Owl?
NIGHT OWL
What is your dream project?
That's a tough one.. But I've always been drawn to Gucci. Id love to model Gucci, maybe just because I have expensive taste, but something about Gucci's aesthetic that I love. Id love to shoot this in really fancy cars, I'm a huge car guy so just once id I want to pair to of my favorite things, cars and fashion
What comes next after modeling?
I'm getting my degree in Finance, so you'll probably hear of me next as the second "Wolf of Wallstreet". Haha not really but something to do with stocks, they fascinate me.
Advice to any aspiring models out there?
Take control of your shoots, only shoot what you want to, not your agency or the photographer. Its what you want. Also social media is huge, everyone knows that but no one understands how important it is until it starts doing your work for you.
Book that you're currently reading
Not a big book guy, I'm a really slow reader. But occasionally a re-read of a Harry Potter if it catches my attention.
If you are going to have a book title, what would it be and why?
"A Man Without Enough Time" I have so many interests (most of them are action sports). Such as surfing, longboarding, wakeboarding and wakesurfing, skiing, traveling, hiking, anything out of the ordinary that will get your heart racing or take your breath away because of its beauty. I try to exercise all these activities as much as possible but there isn't enough time to explore everything I want to, but I can promise that I am going to try.
If you will be given the chance and opportunity to help a specific charity, what would it be and why?
I'm a big finance guy... so id have to go with the Financial Literacy Organization. I believe it is essential for people to understand retirement and how to properly fund it. By the time my generation (the youth population) become eligible to claim Social Security or Medicare, the funds will have run out. We wont have a crutch, therefore it is essential for us to understand how to properly finance our lives so we wont have to work into the elderly ages, when we should be pursuing new found passions and enjoying time with our families.