Today we’d like to introduce you to Melania Velasquez.
Hi Melania, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started my journey studying Mass Communications and Media Studies. I was influenced by my mom who was a journalist for different media outlets in South America before moving to the United States. When I was in my late teens I started noticing there was a local community growing in fashion and photography in Upstate New York.
With my family’s help and support, I started putting myself out there and helping artists bring their visions to life and now here I am. Having the pleasure of being interviewed by you. I was able to work with the Regional Transit Service, I started doing fashion shows in Buffalo, NY, and Bridal shows as well.
Eventually joined Wilhelmina Models of Rochester NY, and I learned lots of valuable lessons in my time there. However, that only lasted one year and I was only sent on one casting call. I decided to work as a freelance model hoping to normalize models who are petite in an industry where tall models are the most sought-after.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say that putting yourself out there in front of other models and casting directors is not that easy. A person in this line of work has to work on their self-esteem, and self-worth, and probably develop a thick skin to make it through. Although everyone I’ve encountered has been beyond nice, there can always be mean or rude people anywhere you go.
Aside from the given “musts” of the job, such as: taking care of your skin, body, mind, face, hair, etc I’ve found it somewhat hard to be taken seriously as a runway model. It’s due to my height, being at almost 5’5” puts me in the petite category. While the industry seeks for female models who are 5’7” and taller. Especially in big cities and agencies, they would even go as far as only casting models over 5’9” – 5’10” and up.
I would love for petite models to have more opportunities in the industry. Locally in San Antonio, there haven’t been any setbacks in that regard, so I’m extremely glad. However, agencies in LA and NYC could improve in this aspect.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I currently work in Marketing and being a model. I specialize in both print modeling and runway modeling. Most recently, I’ve worked with Models of Texas. And I’m extremely happy to see the fashion community, the photography community, and the models come together for their shows.
I’m also working on building my social networks to work on User Generated Content as a Content Creator. This makes me extremely proud because I get to work in the industry I obtained my Bachelor’s Degree. In the meantime, I’m looking for local boutiques to create content for and help bring local awareness to their businesses. This is my active goal at the moment.
What sets me apart from other models is that I have formal education and experience in both the modeling aspect and marketing aspects. And I love to help new models understand the best ways to make a good and professional impression on the jobs.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
I used to love to play being a journalist. I would carry binoculars and pretend it was a camera and some sort of object as a microphone. I used to pretend to do research on plants, animals, and the weather to conduct these interviews.
My mom used to take me and my sister with her to work sometimes and we got to see firsthand what her job entailed. I didn’t realize it until now but I would play that game because of her.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/melaniavmodel
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/melaniavmodel?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelaniaVelasquezEchevarria?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@melaniavmodel?_t=8cGSUoCOg9K&_r=1
Image Credits
Boris Calderon, Cesar Baez, Jane, Amador Rivas, Adam Robledo, and Hector Romero
