Model lights up the lens

Model Taylor Genge strikes a pose. Photos submitted

By Tom Victoria

Taylor Genge is a striking new face in the modeling world.

The versatile model explained his passion for the craft.

“I love the art behind it and the atmosphere that I was introduced to in the modeling world,” he said. “I love that every fashion show and every editorial, every photo shoot has more of a meaning behind it than just someone trying on clothes and posing for a magazine or whatever they’re selling.”

Taylor, 18, of Miami appreciates modeling not restricting the apparel by masculine or feminine styles.

“Right now, I’m wearing a waist-length cropped shirt from the girls section,” he said. “I personally don’t care what anyone else thinks about what I wear. Sometimes, I’ll wear false lashes because it’ll go with the outfit that I’m wearing to this event that I’m going to. It just looks good with that outfit, so I’m gonna wear it with it. Or I want my cheeks to look a little more red than usual, so I put some color on my cheeks. It falls more into self-expression for me. I definitely do like dressing the way I like to dress.”

For Taylor, melancholy is the toughest emotion to portray for the lens.

“I’d say it’s sadness because it’s very hard for me to pretend to be sad on command,” he said. “I’m a very happy person. I’m a very uplifted person, so just doing that on command or trying to do that is difficult for me.”

Taylor enjoys taking advantage of his six-foot height to walk the runway.

“That’s my goal,” he said. “That’s the kind of model that I want to be. I want to do runways and a runway high fashion editorial. I am very happy that I am this height because if I was shorter, I would be sad.”

Taylor feels more comfortable in front of the camera.

“I don’t know what it is,” he said. “I feel like I know there’s a crowd behind the camera watching me, but I’m not physically in front of the crowd, so it’s less nerve-wracking. I’m not so nervous by how many people are looking at me.”

Taylor has another thing to safeguard against for runways.

“When you’re doing runways, obviously you have a crowd of people there,” he said. “Especially when you have friends sitting in the crowd, if you lock eye contact with them, I start laughing. It’s done. That’s why I hate bringing my friends or even my family to my runways.”    

Taylor recalled the first time a model captured his interest.

“It was back in 2010,” he said. “It was a Victoria’s Secret fashion show. That’s what really opened my eyes to realizing that this is more than just people walking down a stage in clothes. It’s more expressing how they feel in those clothes and telling a story about those clothes, the archives behind the original creators, where they came from.”

Taylor has some boundaries he won’t cross for a photo shoot.

“There has to be a limit at some point,” he said. “I’m not a nude model. There’s different kinds of modeling. There’s multiple kinds of models. I would go shirtless, but I don’t think I would do anything other than something in underwear.”

Taylor has another limit: creepy critters.

“It would probably be spiders,” he said. “Spiders and insects. I don’t do insects. I do not do bugs.”

However, Taylor is bolder than Indiana Jones. 

"I would do photoshoots with snakes," he said. "But definitely not with spiders or insects. Those just freak me out, but certain snakes are okay."

Taylor wants to take modeling as far as he can.

“Obviously, you have to get kick-started first,” he said. “But eventually I would definitely love to take it to an international level.”

Taylor utilizes social media to help get his face out there.

“It’s not just about posting my photos,” he said. “I also get to post my life. When I’m behind the scenes on a set, a lot agencies, a lot of scouts, they like to see you’re constantly posting and they like to see that you’re constantly active on your social medias. Even if it’s just a picture of what the set looks like from behind with a little caption. Agencies love to see that. Agencies stalk your Instagram page to a T. They stalk every inch of it. That’s why I had to make a whole new modeling Instagram besides my main Instagram because I wanted a more of a professional model.”

“It might not be right now, it might not be next week, it might not be next year, but eventually it’s going to happen and eventually you’re going to get to the place that you want to be.”

Taylor stays motivated to pursue his modeling career.

“What keeps me motivated is that I just try not to think it won’t happen,” he said. “It might not be right now, it might not be next week, it might not be next year, but eventually it’s going to happen and eventually you’re going to get to the place that you want to be. It just might not happen on the timeline you want it to be.”

Taylor keeps that philosophy in mind when applying for work.

“That’s how I try to go into castings, where you have to show off your walk in front of a bunch of models who are also trying to get casted,” he said. “And then you have to speak in front of all of them and tell them who you are, where you’re from and all that stuff. It does get nerve-wracking and sometimes the motivation does plummet a little bit. But I just try to reevaluate my situation and be like, at least I’m here, at least I came to the casting and I’m trying my best. If they see that, they see that. If they don’t, there’s going to be plenty of other castings and other opportunities for me to get my name out there and get me out there.”

Taylor dispensed advice to aspiring models.

“I know people have heard this so many times, but models aren’t supposed to pay anything,” he said. “We do not give anyone money. If anyone asks for money upfront, it’s a no-go. I was a big victim of that. I spent $4,000 for a place to build my resume. I found out that I could have done that all by myself. That’s the biggest piece of advice.”

Taylor cited another example for new models to avoid.

“They bring you on a casting call,” he said. “You’re getting casted for a runway, but you have to pay for their courses to teach you how to walk on their runway. You’re basically paying them $500 for them to give you one class on how to walk on their runway when you shouldn’t. You don’t know if you’re going to cast me to walk in your runway.”

Taylor added models also don’t work on major assignments for free, but can start out with smaller shoots to gain exposure.

“Free photo shoots, getting with photographers to build your resume or to build your portfolio is very, very important,” he said. “You need to build your portfolio and keep it updated.”   

Taylor’s modeling Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorgengee/

Taylor’s website: https://taylorgenge.modelingfolio.com/

Taylor’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/t4yl0.rrr