Ayanna
Who:
Ayanna Negi (@ayanna.negi) — 180 cm / 5’11” — American from Annapolis, Maryland, USA — born September 23rd — she/her.
Where:
Q Model Management NY (New York – mother agency)
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I am a huge Harry Potter fan: I have read all the books and am obsessed with the different houses and storylines of the series.
2. I love oranges. In 8th grade, I ate ten oranges in one math class in order to prove my love for oranges.
3. I am very passionate about baking, specifically with oats. I love their versatility and texture. From baking cookies to cooking pancakes, oats are my go-to ingredient.
— Who is your favorite entertainer?
Hassan Minhaj is my favorite entertainer. My family and I would enjoy watching his Netflix specials on Friday nights and I love how he incorporates Indian culture and Asian American relatable jokes in his standup comedies.
— An issue or cause you are passionate about?
I am passionate about young girls having good influences to look up to, despite their economic/home situations. During COVID, I became aware that many underprivileged young girls did not have guidance from upperclassmen like I did. So in my Junior year of high school, I created a mentorship program called the Sunflower Project. This project helps underprivileged middle school girls who are struggling with maturing and confidence connect with high school leaders.
Francisco
Who:
Francisco Cruz (@franciscomfcruz) — 186 cm / 6’1″ — Portuguese from Cuba, Alentejo, Portugal — born May 22nd — he/him.
Where:
Karacter Agency (Lisbon – mother agency), Metropolitan / M Management / Makers (Paris), IMG Milano, Elite Spain (Barcelona)
— What’s your most prized possession and why?
My most prized possession is a little mug I made for my father when I was about 7 years old on Father’s Day. He passed away a few years later and it’s a gift that reminds me of him every day and every time I look at it I feel an unimaginable amount of happiness.
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I’ve loved touching/petting ears since I was little.
2. I taught myself how to read in Portuguese when I was 3 y/o.
3. I love watching the worst romantic comedies of all time just because they are funny as hell.
— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
I’m actually an undergrad student in Computer Engineering and no one ever believes me. I actually had to show my student ID as proof a couple of times.
Hazz
Who:
Hazz (@souljahazz) — 186 cm / 6’1″ — British from Kismayo, Somalia — born September 15th — he/him.
Where:
The Eye (London – mother agency), CREW Model Management (Milan), Milk Management (London)
— Who is your favourite entertainer?
Sheck Wes is a musician who is a big inspiration of mine based off his personality and character. He used to model when he was younger as well. He’s also spoken at Cambridge University and my favourite song of his is YKTS
— Who is someone you admire and why?
My friends Alex and Blayze run a clothing brand called Corvidae. I admire them because they both had somewhat similar upbringings to mine and seeing them do well and go after their dreams really inspires me.
— How did you become a model?
I got scouted by Ola Ebiti, a stylist on Instagram who booked me for Bethany Willams and Tiscarespadas. Once those shoots were published my mother agency reached out to me and got me signed with MiLK.
Nitin
Who:
Nitin Baranwal (@ninkala__) — 183 cm / 6’0″ — Indian from Mumbai, India — born May 26th — she/her/he/him.
Where:
A Little Fly (India – mother agency), Storm Management (London)
— Who is someone you admire and why?
One day during my office lunch break I came across a newspaper article about the movie Desert Flower. I was fascinated and watched the movie. I was deeply inspired by Waris Dirie, her courageous story and her heart. She is a model, author, actress, and human rights activist. Her story, struggle, and achievements are a real inspiration for me. She is my hero.
— How did you become a model?
After finishing my interior designing course, I started working as an interior designer to gain in-depth knowledge. But my dream was always to be a model and I wanted to explore modelling. I was receiving good compliments about my looks and persona so I started working on test shoots during my free time. Gina Narang, the founder of ALF, scouted me through Instagram and signed me on in 2019. Due to positive feedback and more work I gave up my full-time job and started working as a full-time model, but I still continue to work as a freelance 3D interior designer.
— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
Breaking boundaries and the stigma as a non-binary person and the right to live independently on my terms and make people more conscious in the world is what I strive for.
Taryn
Who:
Taryn Slattery (@tarynteno) — 175 cm / 5’9″ — American from Tucson, Arizona, USA — born July 30th — they/them.
Where:
Arizona Model Management (Tucson – mother agency), ONE Management (New York), Why Not Model Management (Milan), Models 1 (London), ONE Management (Los Angeles), ONE Management (Chicago)
— What’s a story your family/friends like to tell about you?
I was very self-aware and imaginative as a kid, and even starting kindergarten I knew I wasn’t listening in school. So I decided it was important my teacher knew I was having a hard time due to the fact that I was raised by coyotes in the desert, where they had no rules of course and had only recently been adopted by my parents. This was my reason as to why I couldn’t follow directions or pay attention, as my new parents were working with me. I was diagnosed with ADHD about 5 years later. Now we all look back and laugh.
— Who is your favorite entertainer?
What do you like about them? I’ve loved Eminem since I was little, always wondered if he really knows how many kiddos he taught to be confident and indifferent. He literally coined pointing the middle finger at anything you don’t believe in and at anyone who doesn’t believe in you. I think he’s one of the biggest badasses of all time.
— The most interesting thing about your family:
I have an enormous family that extends all over the world. Few of us are blood-related so what we consider to be family is a bit special. My father spent fifteen years living in Mexico, and so I have an entire family down there. My grandmother took in and raised a young girl from China, and so I have family there too. And I’ve got cousins and relatives all over Europe and who knows where else. I’m an only child with a small family… but have a million siblings!
Teo
Who:
Teo Lissoni (@lissonii_matteo) — 188 cm / 6’2″ — Italian from Saronno, Lombardy, Italy — born September 17th — he/him.
Where:
Manuel Scrima (scout – mother agent), I Love Models Management (Milan), MGM Models (Hamburg)
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I became an uncle when I was just 10 years old.
2. I feel in harmony when I spend time in the mountains. You always have to struggle at the beginning, but when you reach the top you feel rewarded by the view. I love nature and the landscapes are unreal!
3. Right now I’m studying economics at the university here in Milan and I’m pretty happy with the choice that I’ve made because each day that’s passing by I fall in love with the subjects… so… if any of you need an economist in their team, feel free to contact me ;)
— Who is someone you admire and why?
My grandpa is a key figure in my life. When he was younger he had a successful career as a businessman and now that he’s retired he’s still full of life and always on the move. He never stops. One of the best things about my grandpa is that he’s a very joyful person.. you’ll always see a big smile on his face! Another thing that I admire is how kind he is to people.
— One thing you never want to do again:
Stay friends with people that I don’t really vibe with just because I’m scared to be alone. Growing up I learned that it’s better to have few friends who actually care about me.