By Pablo Breton | Facebook | Twitter
Editor, IndieFashionDaily
Lyndzi Trang is a fashion stylist, model and co-founder of ModelURL, a model networking site. She is also Creative Director of Zooey Magazine. We first met Lyndzi as a runway model for a BrightLightsLA show at El Cid in Hollywood. Since then she’s gone on to become a stylist with a very cool collection of work, as well as co-founder of the aforementioned ModelURL. We spoke to Lyndzi about her career path and plans for the future. You can find more of Lyndzi’s work at www.LyndziStyles.com, and follow her on Twitter @lyndzitrang.
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IFDaily: So as I recall, we first met you at a runway show at El Cid in Hollywood. It was a great show, though I also recall Beckie and I had some problems with the manager, haha. It seems like you’ve been super-busy since then. Tell us about your journey from model to stylist to website co-founder / Creative Director.
Lyndzi: Thanks Pablo. I somewhat fell into everything I’ve done, but don’t regret a single thing. I appreciate every opportunity that I’ve come across. I remember the runway show back in El Cid, to be honest I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do then.
Modeling was fun but I needed something more promising and stable… I couldn’t stand going to auditions and castings and not know if I was going to get a paycheck that week or not.
I love fashion and clothes. What girl doesn’t? My family came from a background in the textile / fashion industry and after working with many photographers / stylists as a model, I felt that styling was something I could definitely get into. The connections were there, so why not? So I tried it, and I have loved it thus far.
IFDaily: Tell us more about Zooey Magazine and what makes it unique in the marketplace (or why you’re enthusiastic about it in general).
Lyndzi: Zooey Magazine is a fashion, lifestyle and entertainment magazine catering to 18 to 25 year old women, printed on 100% recycled paper – a movement we encourage all other magazines to follow. Many of the fashion and entertainment magazines out there are widely dispersed / divided. There’s Teen Vogue andSeventeen that cater to 13-18 year olds and then there’s Cosmo, Marie Claire, etc. that cater to women 25 and older.
We need a modern voice for young women, especially “college student” aged women.
That generation is so crucial in empowering all things positive, and that’s what Zooeyfocuses on. I was asked to style their September and October issues, and am so proud and grateful to now be their Creative Director, beginning with the current issue. It’s still surreal to see my name on the masthead; I didn’t think something like this would be offered to me so quickly!
IFDaily: How did ModelURL come about exactly? What need does it fulfill, and what makes it different? (And what does a Community Manager do?)
Lyndzi: ModelURL is an ongoing project my friends and I decided to start up.
There are many online networks for the modeling industry, but nothing like ModelURL.
It’s user-friendly, socially active, and combines all the tools and social media outlets that other competitive sites don’t offer. I encourage everyone to sign-up – it’s free and will give you some basic industry knowledge if you’re interested in becoming a model or photographer
My role as a Community Manager means I am pretty much members’ “go to” person, somewhat like “Tom” of MySpace. I am the face of ModelURL, where users can freely write / message me with any questions / concerns they might have regarding the industry and the site.
I like to offer this to them because it’s like saying, “Hey, I am a real person, not some creepy GWC behind a computer.” I also update the newsfeeds and blogs and am active in the Forums to answer any questions that I, well, can.
IFDaily: How did you get started in fashion?
Lyndzi: This question always seems obscure to me, haha. I feel that everyone has their own sense of fashion; just some people (like me) care about it more than other people. I’m the youngest of five and have three older sisters. So I was lucky to have ALL of their hand-me-downs when I was younger. They always loved to dress me up like I was their own Barbie doll. Each of my sisters has their own unique sense of style and I seem to have grasped all of theirs. My mom was also a Levi Strauss seamstress for over 25 years; sewing the inseams of the classic 501 jeans.
IFDaily: What makes you most excited about the fashion industry today?
Lyndzi: I guess what everyone says: that the fashion industry is constantly changing / revolutionizing. It never remains the same and every day is a different day.
I feel that fashion has hit one of its high marks in terms of evoking high self-esteem and empowering beauty inside and out to people everywhere.
For instance, celebrities have to take on a lot of pressure from their jobs / gigs, media / paparazzi, yet also be a role model for the viewers that look up to them. Celebrities’ bodies, figures, and how they dress are highly promoted in the news / media outlets.
If I can spark some positive energy with readers because of how I dress my clientele, then I did my job.
IFDaily: What makes you most frustrated?
Lyndzi: Perfectionism frustrates me the most. I tend to stress out when I shouldn’t have to! I was talking to a photographer / friend of mine the other day and we were discussing the pressures of being just “you” at work. I always want to give 110% and make sure I deliver it at all times. I never want to disappoint myself or other people I work with… and that, in itself, can be frustrating.
IFDaily: In a sentence, what is the key to your success? Or, for that matter, to success in general?
Lyndzi: Success is a state of happiness and knowing that you’ve done, and went out of your way to do, all that you can in life. It’s not a state of content or satisfaction; I can never sit back and be “satisfied” with everything I’ve done. What do you want to accomplish and with whom … with ALL of your life?
IFDaily: On a more personal note, do you have any fun vacations or trips planned? Any fun news?
Lyndzi: Funny you ask! One of my 2011 resolutions is to travel more. This February and March, I will be in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Austin, and Hawaii. All for work and pleasure. I hope to hit Asia the end of this year and expand my styling endeavors overseas!
IFDaily: Have fun!
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all support for lyndzi!! <3