Interview with Anndrea — Multiracial California Babe
Anndrea is a 25-year old model residing in Los Angeles, California.
How would you introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Anndrea, but you can call me Dre. I was raised in Mountain View, CA in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area. My parents are my greatest role models; they are the most hard-working, supportive and loving parents a girl could have. I also have two amazing sisters and two handsome nephews. My family is my world and my motivation to succeed in life.
Attending UC Santa Barbara is where I fell in love with Southern California and I moved down to LA almost 2 years ago. I love to play soccer, go to yoga classes, and take my rescue dog, Daltry, out for walks on the strand with my boyfriend. I like to be crafty and paint or sew costume clothes. I also love to read, I’m currently studying for the GMAT to earn my MBA and pursue a career in public service, either in the nonprofit or political sector!
When, how and why did you first get involved in the modeling industry?
When I was a teenager flipping through Teen Vogue, overwhelmingly the models featured where Caucasian, with the occasionally light-skinned African American girl. Being a racially mixed girl, I always wanted to see more “flavor.” After graduating from UCSB, I moved back to the bay area and found an incredible job working for a furniture designer in her art studio. But I always longed to move down to LA and give modeling a real try. I knew I didn’t want to look back and regret not trying it. So I packed all my stuff into my lil Honda Civic and drove to LA. I started shooting with photographers and then booking jobs with e-commerce sites.
What are your personal and professional goals? Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?
While I would love to still be a part of the modeling industry in five to ten years, a greater goal of mine is to be making a difference in the community. Day by day I try to be a kind and positive energy in this world. While all the small things count, over the next few years I want to develop my impact of compassion and service to our communities and to the greater good, for a better and brighter future together on this beautiful earth!
How often are you modeling and what does it usually consist of?
I mainly do fashion, ecommerce and runway modeling. Generally I shoot about 3 to 4 times a month for fashion companies, and pick up 2 to 3 gigs a month for promotional modeling. I was shooting 3 to 4 times a week DTLA for a wholesale site, but I let it go to focus on applying to business school.
Please tell us about the best and/or worst experiences you’ve had so far in modeling.
You can meet some great people and you can meet some terrible, fake people. But I’d rather focus on the positive. It’s great to meet people that are passionate about their art- their clothes, style, photos, and more. And to be a part of creating that beauty and vision is very special!
Do you practice any sports and what do you typically eat? Please elaborate on the importance of nutrition and exercise in your life.
I love to go running, I play soccer, practice yoga, and do lots of at home workouts in my backyard, lifting weights and doing other exercise routines. I love Women’s Health 5 minute workouts to add great new moves to mix up my routines.
I can eat a lot without putting on weight, but I still choose to eat healthy! Lots of fruit, salads, smoothies, and sandwiches. I prefer to get my protein from eggs, nuts, beans, and others, instead of eating meat; I try to restrict my meat-eating to 2 or 3 times a week, animal farming is terrible for the environment. I also choose not to buy and cook fish, because industrial farming is hazardous and depleting our ocean’s populations of fish; Although, I do like to go out for sushi on special occasions. While I don’t eat organic everything and I love my bacon, I try to be environmentally conscious of my food choices.
Nutrition and exercise is everything. If I don’t exercise I get depressed. If I don’t eat well I have less energy and motivation. Neither of those things are acceptable to me; it’s a necessity to make time to eat properly and exercise daily. It’s simple as walking the dog or taking the stairs; it’s as simple as drinking water instead of a soda. It doesn’t have to be complex. The small things count and add up before you know it.
Please share something people don’t know about you.
I used to have dreadlocks! I did my dreadlocks myself and had them for five and a half years. After I moved down to LA I decided to cut off my dreads to have a more versatile look for modeling. I still miss them from time to time, but I’m glad I’m no longer stereotyped for having them.
Also, people always ask me what my nationality is, so here it goes: Spanish, Mexican, African American, Native American and Irish.
Would you change anything about yourself?
I would be one of those people that had endless energy and only needed to sleep a few hours each night so I could be ultra productive.
Are you currently in a relationship? How would you describe your partner?
He’s my best friend. Tall, handsome, adventurous, fun and kind. My favorite person.
Visit Anndrea’s website for more photos and information
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