Devon Preston
August 8th, 2018
Model Behavior
Samii Ryan Catches Us Up on Modeling, YouTube, and Designing Since Becoming an INKED Cover Girl. Photos by @evyoptics When did you start your Youtube Channel? I started my YouTube…
Samii Ryan Catches Us Up on Modeling, YouTube, and Designing Since Becoming an INKED Cover Girl.
Photos by @evyoptics
When did you start your Youtube Channel?
I started my YouTube channel when I was around 15 or 16 years old. I was working for Buzznet at the time and would do videos on makeup, hair, fashion, hauls…pretty much exactly what I do now! I love sharing my words, stories and experiences with my followers—it gives them a look at the “real” side of me.
My channel has gone through a a lot cahnges. Today, I’m able to collaborate with friends who have huge YouTube followings and I’m focusing more on tattoo videos because people have shown such an interest in them. I’m continuously growing my channel and finding new ways to create weekly content.
I started modeling when I was 10 and got signed to an agency in New York City when I was around 16. I did a lot of commercial modeling and once I got tattooed, I became more of an edgy model. However, I still model for high end brands because I like to feature hype fashion, high fashion and editorial looks in my portfolio. I’ve also had the opportunity to be in music videos, billboard campaigns and even graced the cover of INKED!
I wouldn’t necessarily brand myself as a “tattoo model,” I’m a model with tattoos. I’ve been able to work with companies like Seventeen, INKED, Marie Claire, Playboy and Maxim because of the way I shoot and my creative direct. I’ve been really blessed to be able to have tattoos and still be considered a “model in the industry”. I try not to limit myself to one genre.
That was back in 2016, so as you can imagine a lot can happen over the course of two years. First of all, I have more tattoos, and I also have a clothing line called By Samii Ryan, which is sold on my website as well as multiple ecommerce sites. We are also available in Zumiez stores nationwide.
I started designing accessories when I was just out of high school. I would vend at Warped Tour, Bonnaroo and other music festivals to get my gear in people’s view. I started to send out pieces to publicists and my items have been worn by Ke$ha, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Chloe Bridges, Victoria Justice, Lauren Jauregui and many other successful women in the music industry. From there, we transitioned to clothing and the rest is history.
Zumiez has been one of the best experiences ever. We launched in December 2016 in 25 stores and we are now in over 700 stores in international locations. I am grateful and blessed to be able to have them support By Samii Ryan.
Social media plays a big role in everyone’s life— it’s how businesses expand, get new customers and market their products. I’m always on social media whether it be on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or YouTube. Creating new and compelling content is important to staying relevant.
I love to travel and my boyfriend is a very talented photographer, so we just decided to team up and do it together. We created a travel blog called Him & Her Travel where we shoot photos of our trips, the hotels, and what we did while we were there. So far we’ve traveled to Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Bali, Chicago, New York, Boston, Philadelphia and many other places together. I can’t wait for our next adventure.
I’ve learned that social media is only what the creator chooses to put out. People post their best moments to create a unique look at their life. Many, many people brand themselves to look like a different person then who they actually are in real life. Social media has helped me grow my brand and personal following, which I’m forever grateful for, however, whenever I can take a break and be offline it is really relaxing.
Well, I’m always working toward progression. We have new items out online and in Zumiez—and we will be working with them to expand our brand with other retailers. For me personally, I take modeling jobs, music videos, and acting roles to move my personal brand forward, but it always ties back to By Samii Ryan.
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