Snapped Caught: Manuel Mendez

THE MAN -THE MODEL- THE MESSAGE

They say that the 6 degrees of separation is a thing of the past.  With social networks like twitter and facebook, you never know who knows who these days.  For me,  I was first made aware of 

our latest Fashion Forward It-Guy, Manuel Mendez, thanks to dear friend  Jerris Madison but it wasn't until I saw a video of him on Ryan Brave's site that I got an idea of who he was as a person.  Although short,  the video, managed to deliver a very uplifting message in all the advice he gave.  Given the state of mind I was in at the time, it struck a cord.  I reached out to Ryan, congratulating him on the revamping of his site: http://finallybrave.com/ as well as telling Mr. Mendez how much much I enjoyed the video.  In turn, our latest It- guy responded back giving  FFM a compliment in return.  The rest is history I guess...

Not to take credit from Jerris and Ryan, but chances are none of us would have never meet Manuel if it weren't for his grandmother.  Migrating from the Dominican Republic in the 80's, his grandmother was the one who initiated the movement.  The rest of the family followed when he was only five years of age.

One of the reasons I particularly like interviewing people is that it pushes me as a writer.  No two people are the same, and as this Snapped & Caught   series continues to grow, it seems as though the more and more complex each individual in the series becomes.  Already accomplishing so much, I find myself somewhat baffled where to begin talking about Manuel, The Man, himself.   

Mendez was first introduced to the industry when he was hired to work with Beyonce for her I AM tour.  Although this set even more balls rolling for him,  this fresh faced model is not with an agency.  But after seeing him in front of the lenses of so many prominent photographers,  should this really matter? 

"It matters to a certain degree.  you can't do it all on your own.  Someone, or something will always be involved in in what you do, no matter what.  An agent/agency will advance you they have access to go sees, and the have a relationship with clients that you may not," he explains.

 Backtracking to Beyonce just a tad, I would like to mention that our latest It-Guy is in a relationship with fashion guru Ty Hunter.  So with being in the company of two fashionable souls, especially his boo, it was only natural to ask if his style of dress has changed at all, and if so, how?

"Ty has definitely had an influence on my style.  I was always very casual when it came to dressing, the simpler the better, but after being with Ty all these years, I find myself being a bit more daring, and like to explore more.  traveling has also had quite an impact on me," he says laughing.  

Although M.M. has broadened his personal style because of his significant other, I am sure that he has developed his bad habits all on his own.  Like  many of us, Manuel confesses that he has a tendency of placing his beverages on the floor next to the couch as he watches television.  Now this may not seem like a big deal, but forgetting that the drink is there when you get up and knocking what's left of the drink might.

And let's not forget about about his favorite phrase, you know what I mean? 

"Sometimes after trying to explain myself, I don't know what else to say.  It's a very bad habit of mine." 

Over the years, I have met many models... to many to keep count.  What is unfortunate about this breed is that a great many people think aside from their looks, they have nothing else to offer.  Although a model himself, Mendez doesn't consider himself one.  Not quite anyways.

"I consider myself a Transformational Leader.  As a model,  in some cases I am a role model.  I want people to be inspired by me, not because of what magazine I'm in, but because what I have done is also achievable for them as well.  I'm not just a model, I'm a motivator.  I want to be a driving force to helping people reach their goals."