Meet Gary Javier: Photographer, Model, Makeup artist, Stylist and entrepreneur

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

Hi Gary, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
I’m inspired by the world around me. The smallest things will help me create some of my best work. I could hear a song and see colors or maybe hear a line and think of how I can interpert that in my photography or makeup. I can also say that I inspire myself. Vain I know right? I find myself looking at things I’ve done and I think to myself “how can I elevate from here?”. As most people, I am my own worst critic. That pushes me to work harder and be more creative in my process. Fashion is also a huge influence. I have loved fashion for as long was I can remember. I can see an outfit or think of a silhouette and be able to create a whole theme or concept around it. Thats one of my strongest advantages. I am lucky to have experience in modeling, fashion, makeup, set design which ultimately helps me with my photography.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I feel like my art is very unique to who I am as a person. The way I see things is very different from others. When I have an idea, it usually starts with a mood or lighting. I create with my emotions a lot of the time. I’m always excited when I come up with the idea. When I’m executing the idea I’m slightly less excited for some reason, and then excited again when I’m editing. a very strange pattern. I always look at my work and say what could I do better. Thats my biggest challenge I’d say. A good challenge though. I want the world to know that I put a lot of love and thought into everything that I create.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Living in Charlotte there are a lot of great places to eat and visit. Though I’m terrible at entertaining guests, I know how to keep them fed. One of my favorite places here is Haberdish. Its southern food with a slight modern twist, and they have brunch on the weekend. I also really enjoy Yume, the ramen is so good. There are a ton of places here to hang out. One of the most interesting would be Camp Noth End. there are shops, restaurants, and a lot of photographers use it for an industrial vibe for shoots. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people that I would like to credit. I’ll start with my recently departed great grandmother. She was the first person to truly encourage my creativity and uniqueness. I remember putting on “fashion shows” for her EVERY NIGHT. I would drape myself in my finest bedsheets or curtains and walk through our house with loud music playing perfect for my runway walk. She always encouraged my to keep going and to pursue fashion design. I feel like she saw a lot of herself in me, as well as her son, my grandfather who passed before I was born. Though I never met him, he is also an inspiration to me. My mother named me after him. She loved him so much, she tells me often how much I remind her of him. He was also a gay man and unfortunately passed due to complications of HIV. I guess I just took it upon myself to live the dream he couldn’t necessarily live fully. Another person that has helped me become the person I am is of course my mother. She is the strongest woman I know. We have seen the top together and we have seen the bottom of the bottom together. No matter the circumstance she still pushes me to create and be my authentic self no matter how crazy. I remember when I first started wearing makeup, before I really even came out. I walked in the house with foundation on. In my mind it was flawless and unclockable. She saw me and instead of flipping out she says “that isn’t your shade”. I was GAGGED. I didn’t even have on that much, but of course she noticed. I know inside she was having a panic attack because at that point she knew for sure. I think in that moment, that quick ten second mental moment; she had a conversation with herself and decided she was okay with this and accepted it. From that point on she has been nothing but supportive and I thank her for that. Just the other day she looked at me while I was dressed up and said “wow, I made all that” she had no clue that as I walked out the room I started tearing up, much like I am now. It was like she was so proud of me that she congratulated herself. All I want to do is make her proud, so that meant a lot to me. I’d also like to shout out my two closest friends Chris and Chynah. They help me in so many ways. To help me realize my potential from the beginning, helping me with ideas and inspiration, and just pushing me to be better. Chris is an amazing photographer here in Charlotte and we met during a fashion show maybe 5 years ago. He inspires me everyday with all his stories and opportunities. I’m so proud of him. He is going to go so far and I’ll be right by his side every step of the way. Chynah and I have been friends since high school. I complimented her eyebrows on the bus ride home and its been us against the world ever since. She’s still trying to find her place in this world but she’s a dreamer. That is one thing about her that inspires me. She has so many great ideas and it makes me want to try new things. She is so creative, and I can’t wait to see where that takes her. I can’t wait to her her up! Lastly I would like to thank all the people on social media that care about my work enough for me to have opportunities like this given to me. Instagram may seem like a random platform with a bunch of pictures, but it has truly given me a voice as a reason to continue to push myself. All of the messages I receive from people all over the world really touch me and I want to thank ever single person.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/gary.javi?igshid=ddmtn3m8ihtg

Image Credits
Gary Javier