Today we’d like to introduce you to Roxanne Gould.
Roxanne, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My first modeling job was when I was three years old. As far as I know, I have the second-longest modeling career in the fashion industry! There are so many stories to share because I was a true jet-setter and have had a life full of travel and glamour, but where to start? In my twenties, I supported myself full-time with modeling. I began in NYC then moved to Europe to build my portfolio. As luck would have it, my ‘look’ was right for that time and place and I ended up living in Europe (Paris, Hamburg and Munich) for a total of ten years.
It was in Paris where I had my first Vogue cover. There were many magazine covers to follow as well as runway shows and booking after booking. I starred in award-winning TV commercials and I acted in the lead role for a French film which premiered on Champs-Elysees. I learned to speak German and French and found a husband!
I moved back to the USA and moved to Coconut Grove and started a family. The fashion industry was booming in Miami Beach back in the 1990s and I was able to continue my modeling right there in Miami, so I didn’t need to travel very much.
Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of changes in the industry, which are mostly for the better. Models used to have to bring their own accessories and do their own hair and makeup. Not so today. Film was what photographers used before we went digital and it would take longer to get the shot. So some things are easier and faster today. Also, the industry has become much more realistic by representing a more complete image of our society with models who fall into the categories of plus-size, classic, androgynous, multi-cultural, etc. Because of this, I continue to model for wonderful companies who showcase the older woman, such as Eileen Fisher, SAKS, Vogue, Bobbi Brown, Soma, Lululemon and more. I love being a woman who represents older women and who shows that even as a woman ages, she is still relevant and is someone who can contribute to our society.
For ten years, I owned my own consulting business, which helped teenage girls build their self-confidence through modeling. I’m now creating a program to help women uncover their own beauty and embrace every stage of their life with grace and energy and happiness. One thing I’ve learned by having been in this industry so long is that beauty begins on the inside and everyone has their own unique beauty.
Has it been a smooth road?
It can be a struggle to keep going and getting your career off the ground when there is so much competition and rejection in the fashion industry. Sometimes it feels easier to just quit. When I was a teenager, I submitted my photos to the Ford Modeling Agency. I received back a note saying, “We do not feel you are qualified for a successful career in modeling.” Needless to say, I was devastated! But it didn’t stop me from trying even more and trying different ways to be a model. And you know what happened? Today, Ford represents me in Chicago. Let me say that when you have a goal (modeling) and you take steps toward that goal (submitting photos) even if you hit a wall (rejection), keep going by changing the path you’re taking to reach your goal (try a different way). Don’t give up on your dreams. If I had let that one rejection stop me from reaching my goal of being a model, I probably would have always felt regret and wouldn’t be represented by Ford today. This one lesson has helped me many times over in my life.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
On my website, I have an ebook for sale, which I finally finished! It’s called ‘Lasting Beauty Guidebook – Increase Your Beauty With Your Mind (and a little makeup, too).’ Something I offer for free is a special report called ‘5 Secrets to Beauty’, which you get when you join my mailing list from my website at www.roxmod.me. Also, I’ve started a YouTube channel under my name, Roxanne Gould, where I share the tips I’ve learned about going gray, creating a healthy lifestyle and habits to help you age well. My blog, which is on my website, covers the same topics. My Instagram account is really enjoyable to me because it’s creative and a great place to share my latest modeling jobs. Finally, when my online program for women, which is intended to help them age well with health and happiness, is up and running, that will be on my website, too.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
With COVID, there has already been changed in the fashion industry. For example, designers are sending the clothes directly to the models and letting the models take candid shots of themselves for posting. Large photo productions have decreased. Clothing production is down and even consumers are rethinking how much and how many pieces of clothing do they really need. So consumer buying is obviously down, too. But advertising will always be needed, so I think there will always be a need for models. Will it return to how it was before? I don’t think so because change is inevitable and as time goes on, new things are invented, new needs are discovered, lifestyles change and before you know it, it’s a different world. Accepting change in life helps to make change easier to adapt to and even makes it exciting!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.roxmod.me
- Phone: 720.432.9705
- Email: support@roxmod.me
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roxmod/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roxan.gould
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/user/roxangould
Image Credit:
Matthew Holler
Giampaolo Sgura
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