Fashionably Late

What initially drew you to the world of fashion modeling, and how did that shape your creative career?

I think what drew me to the modeling world was an inherent desire to express myself creatively. I wasn’t exactly sure how but I had friends in the fashion industry, like designers, and creative directors, who helped me plug in with some of their projects, and things sort of took off from there. Entering the modeling world helped shape my creative career by introducing me to so many other creatives and helped me get involved in different initiatives and projects

What sparked your passion for the behind-the-scenes aspects of event production, and how did you make the transition?

As a model who has walked in many runway productions I noticed a stark difference between a well run production and a disorganized one. I found myself backstage at a lot of shows thinking “there has to be a better way” my priority in working behind the scenes is to create an environment where everyone feels confident, informed, safe, and comfortable because I truly believe that it shines through in the front stage production. That applies to any event, not just fashion shows. But when it comes to fashion shows, my priority working backstage is to ensure my models have the most positive experience possible.

Can you tell us more about how the collaboration with Lunar Imaginations and Viktoria Marchev came about? What made this project special?

I did a previous collaboration with Lunar Imaginations when we were both first starting off in our careers. He was still navigating photography best practices and I was a judgement free subject to take photos of and bring his styling vision to life. We hit some road blocks and worked through them together, which proved us to be a pretty well abled team. So almost a year later, he reached out to me again when he was given an opportunity to do a show room pull for Viktoria Marchev. He wanted to film a commercial to showcase his passion for videography. I agreed, and we went to work. I think what made this shoot special was the people on board. Izzy the makeup artist had amazing energy and we clicked right away. As two CT natives, we weren’t shy of topics to chat about while she did my makeup. Viktora also lives in CT so our common chat broke the ice immediately. During the shoot we all laughed, listened to music, joked through bloopers and just had a really organic and genuine time. The shoot was super authentic because coming back to my point I made earlier, when the model feels comfortable and happy, it shines through in the shoot

The project marked your team’s first showroom pull. What was the most rewarding or challenging part of coordinating that?

Mike (lunar imaginations) handled the heavy lifting of the pull, but the challenging part was coordinating a fitting once we had the items. He drove all the way to my apartment to bring me the items to try on, along with his own prototype shoes that he had designed to wear during the shoot. The most rewarding part however was being given the opportunity to wear unique items to showcase in my own personal way

You mentioned the dynamic energy during this shoot. How did that atmosphere influence the outcome of the project?

I might sound like a broken record here but I truly believe that if a model is comfortable and happy this shines through in the final result. To be able to go through this shoot without feeling stressed or insecure allowed me to show up as my authentic self in front of the camera

As a Sponsorship and Event Coordinator for Dream Build Connect, what are some of the bold and innovative ideas you’ve helped bring to life?

For a company who has only been operating for 7 months, we just had our 10th sold out event. It was a panel discussion surrounding the creator economy. We had award winning industry leaders on stage discuss topics about how to launch a successful brand campaign, what brands are looking for when collaborating with creators, how AI is changing the creator landscape, and more. We curated a list of 100 top social media professionals, marketers, PR professionals, influencers, and media specialists to come listen in and have the opportunity to network with one another. The one thing everyone has in common is a dream, and we always ask our community members what is theirs. The more people talk about their dreams and aspirations, the more they may inspire others or find that someone else has a similar goal and they can work together to accomplish it. That is the collaborative environment we foster at our dream build connect events.

What does a typical day look like for you when managing operations or overseeing a campaign?

Emails and outreach is what I eat sleep and breathe. I maintain a spreadsheet of potential brands that may want to collaborate with, or sponsor our events. I spend a lot of time messaging them on Instagram, sending out emails, just trying to get our name out there. Once a company is interested it’s game time. I set up meetings to highlight the value that partnering with us brings to their company and negotiate on a plan to execute the vision. I spend a lot of time on the phone with my business partner, just brainstorming and talking things out, speaking things into existence. I have to stay organized so Google drive is definitely my best friend. I have countless spreadsheets to track everything I do. I do most of this at night as well, considering I have a full time tech consulting job

How do you blend your love for fashion with your expertise in organization to create memorable events?

When it comes to fashion I want the designer to have full authority on how they want to showcase their visions. It’s my job to execute it and make it happen seamlessly line a well oiled machine. I thrive off energy and that allows me to wear many hats when it comes to production and just be that go to person who can answer the questions, keep things on track, and lend a helping hand when needed. When an event is organized it runs so smoothly and the audience feels that.

You’re juggling a career in tech/finance consulting alongside your creative pursuits. How do you manage to balance these two distinct worlds?

It’s not easy to manage because there’s not enough hours in a day to achieve all that I want to. I have an obligation to my employer to show up as my best self every day and work my butt off. And while this is a promising career, I can’t help but be a creative at heart. The corporate world can easily dim that light so it’s imperative for me to have a creative outlet. Once I’m done with my first job, job number 2 immediately kicks in and I’m on my other laptop blasting out emails, organizing spreadsheets, interviewing interns, and brainstorming on the phone. While it might be stressful, the excitement of a well executed event makes it all worth it in the end.

Your journey showcases adaptability and collaboration. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from navigating multiple industries?

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that not everyone deserves your energy. For a while I was a yes girl, I said yes to any opportunity that came my way even If I wasn’t sure if I would have the time to do it or if it even really benefited me. But now that I am juggling so many different things, I am very selective in where I put my energy because I need to ensure that every single project I work on benefits me in some shape or form. Otherwise it’s not worth the stress, because I put my all into everything I do even if it’s at my own expense.

What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue a career in both creative and corporate fields?

I would encourage anyone who works corporate to find a creative expression and if you can make money off of it it’s even better. While it might come with some sacrifice like sleep, or free time with friends, it’s extremely rewarding. I always joke that I’ve never been the “starving artist” type, so to me, prioritizing this side of my career is what pays my bills so I need to prioritize it too.

What’s next for you? Are there any exciting projects or goals you’re working toward in the near future?

What’s next is NYFW, I will be assisting with multiple productions, primarily @donnysangelofficial who has been instrumental in my breakthrough into this industry.

I am also working on so many amazing opportunities with @dreambuildconnect for our community. I really want to see this community grow and thrive and our events get bigger and better so that our members can get the most possible value in attending them. We will be rolling out a paid membership soon which will act as a social club with benefits, like access to brand deals, free photo shoots, free access to our events, creative consulting, and so much more. We are building the talent agency side of Dream Build Connect which will form us into a media agency specializing in influencer marketing and are looking to sign more talent in 2025. So many exciting things coming and a lot of hard work to get there.

Makeup Artist: Isabella Oliveira @izzythemakeupartist

Fashion Designer: Viktoria Marchev @viktoria.marchev

Wardrobe Stylist & Creative Director & Photographer & Retoucher: Michael Gordon @lunarimaginations

Model : Gianna M @g.montanaro_