World Premiere Interview: Ryan Taylor

Interview by Christopher Uvenio

"I was 15 when my mother decided she wanted a family photo taken of my brother, sister, and me. After the shoot the photographer suggested..."
"I enjoy doing shoots more than shows for two primary reasons. First is that for shoots there is the possibility to travel to locations outside of the fashion capitals, particularly exotic location..."
 "I am currently doing the Milan shows, and will after head to Berlin for the Hugo Boss show..."

-Hello Ryan I'm flattered you accepted to be interviewed for my blog! to start this interview off, please give me some background information.
I am originally from a little town outside of Toronto, Canada. I started modeling when I was quite young, so at that time I hadn’t even finished high school. I am currently living in LA where I attend university, act, and model.

-Let's look back at how you started modeling, tell me about how you got discovered.
I was 15 when my mother decided she wanted a family photo taken of my brother, sister, and me. After the shoot the photographer suggested I go see some agencies in Toronto. I was skeptical at first, but eventually took his advice as I thought it might be a great way to make some extra money. I was lucky enough to sign with an agency called Elmer Olsen, and from there got with agencies in New York, Paris, and Milan.

-Which fashion designer was your first fashion show for? What were you thinking during it?
If my memory is correct my first show was for Jil Sander in Milan for the spring summer season of ‘06. At the time I had just turned 16, so my father was traveling with me. I remember not being nervous at all, partly due to the fact that I was young and naïve and so I didn’t quite grasp how big of a designer Jil Sander was. My father, on the other hand, was not quite so calm. He must have told me over 100 times prior to the show to be calm and to not trip. Thankfully, I did neither.

-Let's talk about the fashion weeks, how would you describe the show season, from a model's perspective? When I think of show season I think of walking, walking, and more walking due to the sheer number of castings, fittings, and shows that you have to, once again, walk to every day. Joking aside, I view the shows as a great excuse to travel and a means of catching up with all the friends you’ve made in the industry. The pay is also appealing… but only a little ;).
-In terms of preferences, do you like to do photo-shoots for editorials and campaigns or do you enjoy doing the fashion  shows  more?                                                                      I enjoy doing shoots more than shows for two primary reasons. First is that for shoots there is the possibility to travel to locations outside of the fashion capitals, particularly exotic locations you wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to go to. Secondly, shoots tend to be a lot more personal due to the fact that the crew is apt to be smaller. Because of this, it gives you a chance to really get to know people and develop relationships that wouldn’t normally happen in a show setting.
I know you are a very successful model, please share with me some of your recent and upcoming projects.
In the past month I did a shoot for FIASCO Magazine, and did some stop motion work for the Louis Vuitton website. I am currently doing the Milan shows, and will after head to Berlin for the Hugo Boss show.

-Which Fashion capital is your favorite: Paris, Milan, London or NYC? Are the markets in Europe and in US very different?
I tend to enjoy being in New York more than Paris, Milan or London. I think this is largely due to the fact that I have a lot of very close friends in NY, and that I don’t speak Italian or French (yes I’m a stereotypical North American). With that said, I always enjoy spending time in the other fashion capitals as it gives you an opportunity to understand and experience other cultures. The markets tend to vary in what they like. Milan’s clientele are more inclined to like the exotic, muscular, classically handsome men, whereas the Parisian clients find the young edgy look more appealing. New York, in my opinion, is a mixture of both of these markets.

-Apart from modeling, what else do you enjoy doing? What are your other professional interests and hobbies? As strange as this may sound, I enjoy attending school. I’m currently studying Economics and Environmental Studies. Besides that, I act, paint, and when I have the opportunity I dork it out with my friends and play some video games.

-Do you do a lot of sports? What's the workout routine that gives you the best results?
I love being active, and so I do a variety of sports. When I’m in LA, I mainly play tennis and volleyball, and during the winter I ski and snowboard. With regards to the best physical results, I use Yoga and a workout routine called P90X. -Thanks for taking your time to answer my questions, it was a gift to me and my readers! It was no problem at all, Christopher...