Today we’d like to introduce you to Alaya Manzella.
Hi Alaya, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was 13 years old and my cousin signed me up to model dresses for a prom and pageant store in Alabama. The second my mom and I left the shoot, I told her that I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. My mom started researching things about the industry, drove me to Atlanta and took me into America’s Mart where I booked my first showroom modeling job. I signed with a modeling agency in Atlanta my freshmen year of high school but soon learned that if I wanted to genuinely pursue this career, I’d need to move to either LA, New York or Miami so my family and I started driving across the country every summer to LA. We stayed with my aunt and uncle who lived in the valley and my mom and grandma would take me to open calls every Tuesday and Thursday. Two years in a row I was told I was too short to model by every agency but by my third year I hit a growth spurt and got a yes from an agency. We drove home, packed my car up and drove back across the country that same summer and I moved to LA. Since then my persistence, trusting my gut, my support system, believing in myself and practicing my craft has gotten me to where I am today.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Moving far away from family and friends has definitely taken its toll on me. Building a community here in LA over the years has helped but I’ll always miss the support and love I feel when I’m around my people back home. As far as modeling industry struggles, you become accustomed to rejection but that’s something I’ve always let roll off my shoulder. Rejection is God’s way of redirection and I always look at it as a blessing in disguise. Not all doors are meant to open for my journey and I’m okay with that. I’ve been really lucky and have had a very positive experience in this industry overall.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a professional model working in international markets. I wouldn’t say I particularly specialize in anything, I’ve done everything from commercials, campaigns, ecomm, runway, music videos, etc. I’m signed in Los Angeles, Miami, London and Manchester so I travel a lot for work. I would say when I first started modeling I was known as the “LF girl”, I modeled for LF five days a week for two years and would get recognized in public for it. I’ve recently done Garage campaigns in Montreal, New York, and LA and I’ve also worked for brands such as SavagexFenty, DAE Hair, Windsor etc. I’m proud of all of my work, anytime I see myself in a store window the little girl in me both screams with joy and cries because I can’t believe this is my job. I believe that my creativity and positivity sets me apart from others, I love to not only be a mannequin for the clothes but truly strive to contribute in any way I can on set, whether that be creative input or a helping hand. I also believe what sets my apart most is my strive to connect with people I work with, I love meeting new people and making new friends and I have such a unique opportunity to meet the coolest people from around the world so I definitely take advantage of that while working and I’ve learned so much about different places and their culture.
What matters most to you? Why?
Faith matters most to me. I’m a Christian and I believe that centering God in all that I do has gotten me into the rooms I’m meant to be in, and I believe that the values I hold have helped me navigate through this industry in a way that I’m proud of. Connecting to people is so important to me and I want to leave conversations with the other person knowing that I’m a kind and humble woman that cares deeply about others and my faith.
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