Interview with Taylor Tran — Model and Highly Trained Hip Hop Dancer
Taylor Tran is a 20-year old model residing in Denver, Colorado.
How would you introduce yourself to our readers?
I was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, but my life now is all mainly Denver based. I’m a full time licensed hair and makeup artist and in my free time I’m either working out, modeling, at church or dancing with my hip hop crew – Academy of Raw/Hype 303 -check us out on YouTube!!- we perform, travel, and compete in various competitions around the US. My greatest priority is to love God and love people!
When, how and why did you first get involved in the modeling industry?
I was actually always told I should model since I was super young. I never really looked in to it much. I was in school to be a cosmetologist at the Aveda Institute of Denver and I quickly learned it was a pretty diverse industry, we have access to collaborate with some of Colorado’s best photographers and stylists and more. I saw a flyer for a model call in the institute for the NAHA competition and decided to go and was chosen. Through that, I was asked to model for fellow makeup artists and hairstylists and even photographers that came in to take photos of our work. I started building up a portfolio and just really networked a ton. The idea of being signed to an agency always kind of freaked me out but one of the photographers I worked with really encouraged me to submit to Donna Baldwin Agency and I got signed right away!
What are your personal and professional goals? Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?
Honestly, there’s a lot I want to do. I feel really blessed because it seems to me like my heart and mind have lined up with what God has planned out for me as far as my passions and careers go. I’m not aiming it super far out right now, I’m focusing on the beginning of my career as a hair and makeup artist because I just started 3 weeks ago, building up a stable clientele and making enough to travel and open up opportunities for myself. Do I hope to go further in modeling? Absolutely. That dream also scares the crap out of me because I also know though that it’s a very competitive industry, but I don’t think it’s something I can’t achieve. I hope to move to Cali in the near future.
How often are you modeling and what does it usually consist of?
It all just kind of depends, the past two months have been super busy for me as a model with Denver Fashion week and shoots and such but it’s all just mainly random. My agent will email me when a client is interested, I also keep contact with many different photographers and love collaborating artistic vision. For me, modeling consists of getting to sleep in and waking up and heading out on location looking like a scrub because they’re going to do your hair and makeup for you – which is one of the best parts. I do mainly print work and photoshoots and also runway, but not as much since I’m shorter than your standard runway model. I’ve done fashion, editorial, glamour, art, commercial, sports and others for portfolio work, magazines, a book cover, and more.
Please tell us about the best and/or worst experiences you’ve had so far in modeling.
Best experience was when a photographer and stylist found me on my agency’s site and flew out from South Carolina to work with me, I thought I’d just be traveling around my state shooting with them but I really had an intense spiritual connection with these people. We woke up as early as 4am and road tripped to Georgetown, St. Mary’s Glacier, and Garden of the Gods just shooting, eating good food and exchanging good music and having some really deep talks. It was amazing and I made some incredible friendships. I don’t really think I’ve had a worst experience, my very first photo shoot was for a hair competition and they dyed my hair neon orange which I thought was going to be awful, but it faded really pretty and I actually kept it for a long time.
Have you had anything funny, embarrassing or completely out of the ordinary happen during your modeling career?
Probably just the photo shoot I talked about with the people that traveled from South Carolina, totally out of the ordinary. Loved it though. I don’t think I’ve had anything embarrassing happen… Yet!
Is there anything you would change about the modeling industry if you could?
I noticed that it’s more common now so I guess it is changing a little! I would change the majority of the height requirements for top agencies to 5’7″… Mainly because I’m 5’7″ hehe.
Do you practice any sports and what do you typically eat? Please elaborate on the importance of nutrition and exercise in your life.
I do! Dance is probably one of my very greatest passions above most. I’m a hip hop dancer with one of Colorado’s finest hip hop crews called Academy of Raw, formerly Hype 303. We practice 4 days a week and do various performances, battles, competitions, an more. We also travel and compete around the US and have dance fam in places like LA, Hawaii, Vegas, even the UK. We do a lot of intense training and working out. I also try to workout on my own as often as possible, mainly cardio and strength training, I’m a fan of HIIT and I also run a lot. Nutrition has recently become a lot more important to me and I mainly eat clean. I drink a lot of smoothies and try to avoid chicken nuggets which is actually the hardest thing in the world. Just saying.
Please share something people don’t know about you.
I’m actually a very passionate writer. I write poetry, I write what inspires me, I write about my daily life, where I’m going, what I’m experiencing, and more. I have kept consistent journals from the moment I’ve been able to write when I was young and I know for a fact my life wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t. I don’t know why but I’ve always had a strong instinct to document and express absolutely everything in that way.
Would you change anything about yourself?
I want an inch! Just one more inch! I always say that. Haha.
Have you ever gone without wearing underwear all day? Why & what did you do?
Let’s be real here, I’m a very spacey person, always have been. When I was in kindergarten, I wore a really pretty and flowy light blue dress with blue and green flowers all over and and a blue cardigan to daycare one day, and as I was outside on the playground I noticed a breeze that I didn’t notice before. I panicked and sat down and cried and refused to tell the teacher or anyone why for hours because who forgets their underwear? Me, that’s who. I can remember exactly what I was wearing years ago on the specific day but I can’t remember my own underwear. That’s talent.
Visit Taylor Tran’s website for more photos and information