Check out an inspiring interview with our female model, Blair Bennet, here.
DORION BAUMAN, 20
His night job: Netflix Tech Support Team.
His dream job: Screenwriter.
Favorite recent screenplay: It Follows.
Best way to deal with a panicked customer: “First thing, reassure them.”
Where CL discovered him: Wearable Art, Dunedin Fine Art Center.
Why he’s a natural: Well, to start with, the cheekbones. And because of a condition called Marfan Syndrome, he’s congenitally thin (6'2", 160 pounds) no matter how much he eats.
Plus, he really likes the work: “I definitely want to be a fashion model.”
TAKEO FAISON, 18
Where CL discovered him: Wearable Art, Dunedin Fine Art Center.
What he’s doing when he’s not on the runway: Studying graphic design at HCC.
His personal style tip: “Even when you’re not super dressed-up, you still have to look good. It’s about the confidence you exert with your clothes.”
How he decides what to do with his amazing head of hair: “If it’s too hot, I’ll put it up. If it’s kind of a casual day, I’ll let it out. Sometimes you just have to rock the bedhead look.”
On local style: “I think Florida’s on the come-up.”
Creativity runs in the family: His mother, Kyoko Faison, is a printmaker and a vegan caterer.
Best quote of the shoot: “I got the hops!”
NICHOLAS TOWNSEND, 19
Where Michael Vollbracht found him: Working at Taco Bell in Safety Harbor.
How he reacted when he was asked to model: “I was excited.”
How his girlfriend, Nejra Colic, reacted: “You’re lying!”
And then: “I thought it was awesome.”
He’s not exactly a fashion plate: “I just wear a bathing suit and tank top wherever I go.”
But he’s got more on his mind than dressing up: He’s studying chemical engineering at USF Tampa, and Nejra’s studying biomedical science, also at USF. They’re one beauteous pair of nerds.
ACE ZIAS, 26
Where Michael Vollbracht discovered him: Working at his family’s restaurant, Cuvee 103 in Clearwater, during a Tampa Bay Wine Society Dinner.
What it was like being asked to model: A friend of his father’s had been a cover model for French Vogue; she’d asked him to send his photo to the Wilhelmina modeling agency in 2010, but he never did. So when Michael asked him (and he looked up his credentials), he was happy to give modeling a second chance.
His own style: “Sleek and fitting. I like to wear button-downs a lot. I like boots, leather jackets when it’s colder out, RayBan Wayfarers. ”
On Florida style: “Very casual. Mostly shorts and T-shirts. I’m from Long Island, so being in New York quite a few times I saw people who were dressed in fashionable ways. I don’t see that nearly as often down here.”
If you could have any article banished from men’s wardrobes? “Crocs!”
This article appears in Oct 13-20, 2016.