Model Lauren Luongo Joins Pop Culture Spin For Q&A

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laurenluongo

Image taken by Lauren Luongo.

Lauren Luongo is an emerging model from Connecticut who I had a Q&A with on behalf of Pop Culture Spin. Through her official website, it can be seen that Lauren has already done a mixture of projects early in her career. Her site also has a store section where a variety of items can be purchased. As of this Q&A’s publishing, Lauren has nearly 32,000 Twitter followers and close to 220,000 on Instagram. Expect these numbers to grow as she continues her rise.

Pop Culture Spin: Lauren, thank you for your interest in having this interview. To start our dialogue off, has modeling always been a dream of yours?
Lauren: No, it hasn’t. Although I was always focused on fashion and very photogenic, modeling didn’t become an actual aspiration of mine until my sophomore year of high school.

PCS: I see that you’ve done a range of work from fashion shows to commercials and more. Is there a specific area of modeling you prefer the most or do you view them all equally?
Lauren: Although all are essential in being a well-rounded model, I enjoy photo shoots the most. In particular glamour shoots.

PCS: Your website states that you’re nineteen years old. Has being young created any difficulties in the modeling world or does age not matter all that much?
Lauren: My age has not been too much of an issue other than a few instances that I can think of such as not being able to shoot in a bar location. I was not able to accept an offer to shoot for the cover of an undisclosed magazine due to the fact that the sponsor was a beer manufacturer. I also run into difficulty when I attempt to plan location shoots, as I am not old enough to secure a car rental (most companies require renters to be 24+). Last but not least, I would love to submit to Maxim however they also have an age minimum of 21 for consideration. Other than those nuances, age has been a moot point.

PCS: I imagine some people react to your photo shoots with support, others with jealousy. How would you summarize the overall response to your career projects so far?
Lauren: In general I find that I have an overwhelming amount of support behind me whether it be from friends, family, or newly acquired fans. The response has been positive. I feel very blessed that people have embraced my work and the amount of well-wishers far exceeds any pockets of negativity that occasionally surface.

PCS: You obviously appear super confident and comfortable in front of the camera. Have you always had confidence in your body or did this evolve over time?
Lauren: I would say that it has evolved over time. As you shoot more and more, you get desensitized to showing skin in a way that would normally make someone feel uncomfortable.

PCS: It seems difficult for women to maintain a healthy body image in today’s age given how ruthless certain people can be online. How can women stay positive in the face of internet criticism?
Lauren: The best way to remain positive is to not ever pay mind to negativity. The negative opinions of others don’t define you. Sadly, people are inherently competitive, jealous, cynical, rude, and condescending when hiding behind their keyboards. 75% of the people who make negative comments on social media would never repeat the same thing to your face. The moral of the story is that self esteem doesn’t come from other people, it’s something that you need to generate within yourself.

PCS: There seems to be a definite media double standard in terms of the backlash to provocative work by women versus the same for men. What contributes to this inconsistency?
Lauren: I don’t find that statement to be valid, so I’m not really able to elaborate on that observation. If anything, I think it’s the exact opposite. I find that the media more openly accepts provocative work by females than they do males.

PCS: Is society’s current standard of beauty fair or unrealistic?
Lauren: I think that society has taken on a more eclectic idea of beauty than in recent past. Every race, hair color, height, and body type is being embraced. The old fashion opinion of beauty would be a Nordic looking blonde haired, blue eyed American. That no longer sets the standard.

PCS: What attractive qualities do you seek in a person and are all of these traits recognized enough by society?
Lauren: I appreciate authenticity, sincerity, genuineness, kindness, intelligence, honesty, and transparency in a person. I do not think these qualities are valued enough by society. I feel that society as a whole places more of a value on social status than the integrity of a person.

PCS: I noticed that you regularly interact with the followers on some of your social media accounts. Why is this back and forth with your fans important to you?
Lauren: I’m grateful for the support and positive responses that I have received. I think it’s important to acknowledge people who take the time to like and comment on my content. I receive many heart-warming messages from fans in my inbox/direct messages who are inspired to work out and eat healthy or to pursue their dreams. I think it’s powerful that I can inspire others just by following my own dreams.

PCS: Thank you again for taking the time to talk with me on behalf of Pop Culture Spin. Speaking for the website, we all wish you the best moving forward and hope that readers gain knowledge through your answers. To end our Q&A, please answer a final inquiry – what’s in store for you in 2016 and how can fans best connect with you?
Lauren: I have a number of projects in the works that I am not at liberty to discuss. My social media accounts are:
Instagram: @LaurenTaylor05
Twitter: @LaurenTaylor05
Snapchat: @LaurenTaylor05
Facebook.com/lauren.luongo

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Tyler is the Editor-in-Chief for Hardwood and Hollywood's pop culture section. He has an unrelenting fascination with Lisbeth Salander and Omar Little. If you're looking to work on a writing project with Tyler or to be interviewed, reach him at [email protected].

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