Andrea Spencer is beautiful, smart and a self-proclaimed sports fanatic who credits her family for making her the person she is today.
We are so proud to have her end an amazing 2016 with PMM as our cover model (View Andrea’s cover and editorial). We hope you enjoy her interview as much as we did.
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in a small town in Ohio just outside of Columbus and in May 2015 I moved to Miami, Florida and have been there since.
How would you describe your fashion aesthetic?
My fashion aesthetic is pretty simple in my opinion. I typically wear very simple outfits but I add accessories to glam them up a bit. To me accessories are EVERYTHING and are what can make or break an outfit. I have learned a lot about fashion since I started in the industry and as time goes on I am more comfortable trying new trends and going out of my comfort zone.
You kind of came on the scene in a very big way, modeling for plus size retail giant Lane Bryant! Did you realize how amazing that booking was when you first got it?
I will never forget the day my agent called me saying that Lane Bryant was booking me. Words cannot express my feelings and thoughts that day, I was beyond excited but also nervous because I knew how big of a deal it was! I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such an amazing company that is trying to change the way our society looks at plus size women. The first time I worked with them was just after their campaign #I’mNoAngel was launched, which made it even more special that I would be working with a company doing something huge in the plus size industry.
Not only was the booking huge for my career, it was even better for myself personally. Unfortunately in this industry people have a lot of negative thoughts and opinions and I was still struggling with learning how to handle them. After I worked with Lane Bryant I heard so many positive and uplifting things from all kinds of people, that is when I decided that if I was going to do this I was going to do it the right way and be proud of my body the way it is.
How were you discovered?
I’m not sure that I was ever “discovered”… When I lived in Ohio I always had family and friends of family telling me that I should get into modeling but I never pursued it. I moved to Florida in May of 2015 with all intentions of starting school in the Winter and one day I woke up and had at least 30-40 messages from people saying they had seen me in a Levi’s ad on social media. It got me thinking and I decided that I would look into agencies in Miami that represent plus size models. After doing a lot of research, the one name I kept coming across was Dorothy Combs, I eventually called the office and they had me send in some snap shots and the rest is history!
Looking into 2017, what are your goals personally and professionally?
I have quite a few goals going into 2017 and I plan on doing as much as I can to make sure I accomplish all of them. I want to start college again so I can get my degree, which is by far my most important goal for myself. I also want to find an organization or multiple organizations that I can volunteer with to give back to the community. I have been blessed with so many amazing opportunities and if there is anything I can do to help someone else I want to make sure I do that.
Professionally the goals are endless… Being on this cover is the most exciting thing that has happened to me so far and I feel that it has brought my potential to a whole new level. My main goal is to become even more comfortable and confident with myself, which will hopefully lead to more work. I also want to find a way to impact young women that struggle with body image and show them that it is okay to be shaped different than your peers. Since day one I have felt that the most important part of my job is to make other people happy and confident with their bodies jut the way they are because I know how difficult it is to feel that way in our society.
We have so many aspiring models in the industry, what is your advice to them about taking their advice to the next level!
I think it is great that women aspire to become models, but my first tip would be that it’s not as easy as everyone thinks. A lot of time, effort, and money go into becoming a model and you have to have patience and make sure not to force anything. At the same time you also have to know that it’s not going to be handed to you and that it is going to take some work. I also always tell girls to make sure that they are confident with themselves and are ready mentally and emotionally to hear and read the things people may have to say about them. It is an amazing industry and I am extremely grateful and happy to be a part of it and I truly hope more women are willing to take that leap of faith and follow their dreams.
Follow Andrea online:
For bookings, visit online at dorothycombsmodels.com
[divider]PHOTO CREDITS[/divider]
Cover sponsored by Avenue
Model: Andrea Spencer, dorothycombsmodels.com
Photography Stanley Desbas, stanleydesbasphotography.com
Photography Assistant – Mindy Colette, instagram.com/mish_mindy
Makeup and Hair Stylist – D. Kelly, styleseat.com/redcarpetfaces
Wardrobe Stylist – Spry Lee Scott, facebook.com/SpryLeeScottOfficial/
Produced by Madeline Jones