2015 has continued to be an incredible year! From landing new roles to reaching and celebrating new milestones, the hard work I have been doing has continued to pay off!
I am beyond thrilled to announce that I have been invited to walk in New York Fashion Week (NYFW)! If you’ve been with me on this journey or if you follow any of my social media accounts, then you know that I have been modeling for quite some time now. This, however, is going to be my first time walking in the prestigious NYFW and I am overjoyed that this longtime dream of mine is actually coming true!
Growing up I never put limits on myself. While I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would actually be walking in NYFW, I never let my circumstances define me or what I would be capable of. I knew that I would have to work incredibly hard for anything that I wanted in life and I have lived my life thus far doing exactly that.
I wasn’t born into a family of Hollywood actors or people who had connections into the industry. Everything that I wanted and everything I have accomplished was from nothing more than my own hard work and dedication to chasing my dreams.
I have been getting a lot of fan mail from young girls from all around the world who are trying to chase their dreams of becoming either a model or an actress or both! They are writing to me not only to ask for advice, but also to express their grief about the fact that they have so many people telling them that they aren’t good enough and will never succeed. While this absolutely breaks my heart, I have been there too. I know how it feels to be shut down by “haters” who didn’t want to see me succeed but I learned that if you believe in yourself, that is more than half of the battle. Let me be your inspiration! Let my humble beginnings show you that you’re the only person you need to make your dreams your reality! I am your fan and I believe in you. Now you just need to believe in yourself and let that fire drive you through the journey of chasing your dreams like it’s done for me!
When I was approached to model for the award-winning Uomo Moderno Magazine in their New York Fashion Week show I was ecstatic. For those of you who don’t know, Uomo Moderno Magazine is the only fashion and lifestyle magazine from Italy. The show I am modeling in will be showcasing five Italian designers, one of which was awarded “Best Emerging Designer” in Italy! I love all of the brands that I will be walking for so this really is a dream come true!
I have been fortunate enough to get to know Francesco Di Miao, the mastermind that is not only behind the fashion show, but the Uomo Moderno Magazine itself! He first approached me to model for him because he had seen some of my work from previous modeling ventures. When he got to know me more and learned that I am mainly an actress, he was blown away! After learning more about my acting career he invited me to participate in a special event right before the show with some of Manhattan’s Elite. This way he could introduce me to everyone and I could meet some of my fans! What an honor! When you chase your dreams and put your heart and soul into it as I do, you never know what kind of opportunities will present themselves!
Having been asked to model for Uomo Moderno Magazine in their NYFW show is so special to me on so many levels. Being of European decent myself, I am so proud to be representing all of these European designers! Not only that, but New York is my home. Getting the opportunity to walk in one of the biggest fashion shows in the WORLD that also happens to be in my backyard is the most amazing thing to me! I am also so proud to be part of a show that is giving back to New York. For those of you who don’t know, this event will also be raising money for the 9/11 Memorial in New York. I would love to see as many of you there as possible!
This is going to be my first time walking in NYFW which means I have a LOT of work to do! I have been working hard on my walk for the catwalk which you can see in a few of my social media photos! I have been using every platform imaginable as my catwalk and have been having an absolute BLAST with it! The world really is my stage! ;) Since I always try to eat a healthy diet and exercise daily, getting more in shape for the fashion show hasn’t been as excruciating as it could have been. I have been eating more lean proteins and doing more yoga which is one of my favorite exercises! It has been quite enjoyable preparing for NYFW in between preparing for my next movie roles!
There is no question that acting is my biggest love. It is what I believe in my bones that I was born to do! But that doesn’t mean that I don’t have other dreams or other things that I aspire to accomplish as well. As you know, I am all about chasing my dreams and encouraging others to do the same! Looking back, it still amazes me to this day to see how far I have come. I was never handed anything and all of the accomplishments that I have had are the result of my hard work and dedication. We all have the choice as to whether or not we are going to let our circumstances define who we are and what we are capable of. I hope that you can follow in my shoes to be the person you believe you capable of being! I like to think that our lives are our own personal canvases. We should paint these canvases with our experiences and our journeys to chasing our dreams! And remember this – nobody ever said you could only have one dream! XO