Today we’d like to introduce you to Andy Mendez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Andy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Grew up in the capital of a third-world country (Dhaka, Bangladesh), I’ve had numerous stumbling blocks in the areas of creativity, as the country was in the lacks of its ‘fashion’ or the latest trends, in conjunction with me being a plump kid. But I’ve had a few triumphs in that occasion, my father used to be involved in the textile business, hence having access to all the latest trends outside the country and around the world right around when the styles came to production. So, ‘fashion’ for me had a whole different meaning since I was an infant.
I moved to The United States of America when I was 22 years old all by myself, had a full scholarship in Public Relations and Mass Communication at Minnesota State University, although had to move to New York City after two years, guess I wasn’t too much of a bookworm or someone who went by the rules as much .
New York was quite the learning experience I must say, spent two years over there, slept in my friend’s couches, had no place to myself for about three months, kind of left no stones unturned, found numerous jobs here and there, be it a dishwasher, host or a bartender. I even got a certificate in bartending (maybe if nothing works out I’ll move back to that, haha). Eventually, after getting a place in Brooklyn (the heart of fashion in NY), the borough had quite an influence on me in Fashion, even though nothing was quite clicking for me in that territory, I still managed to convene all things fashion around me.
My gypsy soul moved to Boston about a year and a half ago, after getting a call from a friend who was the only one I knew in Boston (not another single soul) mentioning he had some work for me that paid off pretty well.
Eventually, I managed to connect with like-minded creatives who wanted to make an ‘impact’ here in Boston and around with whatever they excelled in, I have always been attracted to voids at occasions where I tried to figure ways out to fill them and give something back.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I believe if you ask anyone in this situation, especially folks who have put in blood, sweat and time in, it’s a NO.
It definitely takes a toll on you at a certain level, rejections after rejections, photographers backing out, not the appropriate height, not having a steady job to even finance myself at certain times, so I guess you got to step back, pause a little and not push anything coming along the way. ‘Patience Is Virtue’ something that my dad engraved in my head since childhood. (Thanks dad!)
And on top of all of that, you got to be head-on with your social media skills, marketing management, public exposure, social meets, master your craft in every aspect of it.
I’ll definitely say it’s one of the esteemed times to be living in, especially as a creative in any aspect, wouldn’t put it as ‘easy’ but definitely of value.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m a freelance model and muse, I also do landscape and aerial photography, on my way to telling visual stories of humans and places. My styles in fashion especially involve editorial, street style, and men’s chic fashion.
I try to bring in the touch of my culture into whatever I wear or where I go taking pride in the fact that ‘little is more’ where my motto stands, and also help bring an impact to the upcoming models/influencers , specially the ones from South East Asia, that its not impossible to do anything that you put your head and heart into, it doesn’t matter whether you are dark, short and from a whole different continent, rather help them understand the do’s and don’ts while keeping it fun and challenging along the process of it.
I’m also a musician, playing at different venues around Boston or even private gigs (guess that’s a plus).
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
The first one to be deserving this is my dear Father, who never said ‘no’ to anything I’ve asked for, even on the decision of me moving all the way across the globe by myself, his courage and patience is what I look for at things, places or people. I wouldn’t say I had any ‘mentors’ to be exact. And as for the success, it was a long lonely road to where I’m now, not that there weren’t supporters or cheerleaders but rather when the time came, it was me running solo (and I take immense pride for that).
Definitely grateful to all the photographers I’ve worked with, since most of them helped me break my style and understand it myself, I watched my work more closely and from a third-eye perspective.
Matter of fact is, you grow every day in a certain way if you pay attention to yourself and focus on the goals you’re trying to achieve, pay attention to detail, get out of your comfort zone, talk to people, but most importantly, stay humble during all of it.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 8572947145
- Email: mylehigh@live.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/7thxheaven
- Twitter: @MylehighAndy
Image Credit:
Krishna Puppala, Tyler Viglione, David Covell, Michael Tilton, Erik Torres, Rhyan Mahelona, Oscar Alvarez, Marc Klaus, Vanny
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