Meet Cynthia E | Fashion Model

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cynthia E and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cynthia, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Consistency. I started modeling in 2020, right when the pandemic hit. So that first year was really slow on producing more content or booking gigs, especially since I’m a freelance model. Sometimes I had to shoot on my phone, in my driveway, backyard, or even in my room. Shout out to my best friend Ari who has knowledge on photography and was able to help during the first year of my career. She took most of my pictures. At the end of 2020 is when things started to pick up. Most of the shoots I didn’t get paid for, which I didn’t mind because I was just starting and trying to build my portfolio. But once I started producing the content and posting more, I noticed my followers going up, I noticed people reaching out to have me model, I noticed brands like Fashion Nova and Akira in my likes and comments. All of this lead me to meeting Xavier or X as I like to call him, we created sooooo much heat and both of our careers elevated. He opened my mind to being a creative director and set assistants. I always tell beginner models find about 2 photographers, that work you absolutely love and build a bond with them, you both will be helping each other grow, both of your portfolios will be flawless after awhile. I’m not saying don’t work with anybody else, always be open to working with others, just know who you can go to when you want to experiment new things without breaking the bank or being uncomfortable around someone you barely know.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Well, I don’t just model to make my income. I’m also an automotive detailer. I’ve always had a love for cars so being surrounded by them for most of my day is super fun. But it’s such a tedious job, and I’ve notice how disgusting some people could be. I’m in a male dominated industry, a lot of men don’t believe I know about cars, my favorite thing to do is prove them wrong. Working as a detailer made me realize that yes I love cars but this is not what I want to do for the rest of my life, this is not my true passion.

Taking the leap of faith to become a model was the easy part believe or not. The challenges in this industry for me personally is my height and that I have tattoos. A lot of agencies or brands want female models to be 5’7+, bare skinned or minimal tattoos that can be hidden, and a killer runway walk. I’m a little shy of 5’5 , I’m working on finishing my arm sleeve, and that runway walk is still a work in progress. I get told “no”, “sorry we decided to go with someone else” pretty often but I don’t let that stop me. I just keep going, keep showing the world why you should use me to model for your brand. High fashion models can be covered in tattoos and make magazine covers like Vogue or Bazar and it not be an actor/actress, singer or rapper. Some of the best models that’s I’ve met since the start of my career have a lot of tattoos and I love to see it, shows real world people.

It may look like my life is all glitz and glamour on social media but I would like the world to know that i am still a regular human being with regular feelings. I still enjoy time with my family and friends. I go through a range of emotions. I eat like a slob and don’t work out. I want to be an inspiration to anyone to go out and follow your dreams, live for you and no one else.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m more of let’s stay at home , watch some movies, play games , order some pizza from beggars and rink type of person. To be honest I’ll rather smoke weed(I wish they’ll decriminalize this nation wide but that’s a story for another day) than drink. When I go out it’s because my friends planned something or it’s someone’s birthday.

When I do plan to go out I like to go to arcades, bowling, skating, amusement park etc.. Places that give you an adrenaline rush or simply to have fun. I like places like Top Golf, Whirlyball, Main Event, Urban Air, Six Flags (Cedar Point is WAY better by the way) . Wicked is coming back to Chicago this year so that would also be on the itinerary. Food places will be the Chicago classics like Harold’s, Babas, Home of The Hoagie for lunches. I love Italian food, so for a fancy night out we can go to Gene or Georgetti, they have this amazing spicy shrimp pasta.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
It’s a couple of people I would love to shout out. First my cousin Juma, he’s a photographer. I always said I wanted to model but me being short put fear into my heart. Juma will always give the best compliments and always asked me so when am I going to have you in front of the camera. One day I decided to take him up on the offer, just to see if it was something I really wanted to do or was it just something that seemed fun. That shoot made me realize that I absolutely want to do this. He made me realize that I am way more beautiful than I thought. Secondly, I want to give a HUGE shout out to my cousin Nikita. I remember one day in church when I was high school she came up to me and said I should model. Fast forward some years later she’s started her own boutique, InsideOut Fashion Boutique, and immediately called me to ask to model for her. She gave me the confidence to just jump out and follow my dream for real and stop procrastinating on it. The love I have for Nikita is unmatched. I love everything about her and her brand. She uses models of all shapes and sizes so you never have to guess how something will fit on you. I’ll model for her free of charge anytime she needs me, even after I retire. If it wasn’t for her really pushing me I wouldn’t be here right now doing this interview.

Instagram: Cynthemodel

Image Credits
Craig Kennerson Xavier Leeds Charles Young