Mandee Bence Talks Designer Work, Style, & Modeling in PCS Q&A

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Mandee Bence can be found in a mixture of creative fields. She works as a Global Accessories Designer at New Era, blogs about fashion/lifestyle, and models. Mandee’s creative pursuits make her an ideal interview source for us at Pop Culture Spin, and it was a pleasure to recently have a Q&A with her about these multiple talents. Read my interview with Mandee below and be sure to follow her on social media/check out her website which are linked at the bottom of this piece.

Pop Culture Spin: Thank you for joining me/Pop Culture Spin on this interview. To begin our Q&A, when did you start blogging about fashion and realize you had a major passion for it?
Mandee: I’ve always had a passion for expressing my own style, but I only started my blog website on the New Year (1/1/2016) I just wanted to be more professional about it, instead of just using social media. It sounds stupid when someone asks to see your work and you’re like “Oh just look at my Instagram!” Haha.

PCS: What influences have contributed to your personal style?
Mandee: I’m such a tomboy. I love the style from 90’s female hip hop artists.

PCS: Your Instagram page gives followers an inside look into the wide ranging clothes you wear. Out of everything in your wardrobe, what specific look is your favorite?
Mandee: My favorite thing to wear is ripped jeans and Nike’s with one of my boyfriend’s band tees that are a little too big for me. Once in a while I’ll dress up like a girl.

PCS: How rewarding does it feel knowing what you wear and promote on your social media/official website impacts the fashion decisions of other people?
Mandee: I don’t really think of it that way. I consider everyone on social media to be my friends, and we all use it to share things we love with each other. I always say that I don’t have any ‘fans,’ just a lot of friends all around the world.

PCS: I feel like you perfectly fit into the term “creative professional,” an area I’ve been interested in during my recent interviews. What do you believe is the source of your creativity?
Mandee: I definitely consider myself a creative professional. The biggest source of inspiration for me is travel. I’ve been lucky enough to experience going to many amazing countries and it’s amazing to see how different the trends are in each region. I often look at Japan’s forward fashion to inspire my work.

PCS: I mentioned your official website earlier, and I must say that it’s super professional looking. What was the design process like behind creating it?
Mandee: I’m honestly not a web designer, although I have an educational background in other areas of design. I can’t really work with HTML, so I just bought a template online and adjusted it a little bit. I got it from Georgia Lou Studios. She has really great work. (georgialoustudios.com)

PCS: So beyond blogging, you also work as a designer and model. Did you always plan to break into multiple fields like this or has it just happened spontaneously?
Mandee: I really consider myself a designer first and foremost. That’s my true career, and I love that work never feels like work to me. But modeling and blogging are my hobbies, and came to me organically. I’m really happy that I can mesh them all together.

PCS: I’d say it’s awesome how a good portion of successful creative individuals/models such as yourself have multiple beautiful tattoos. Would you say the overall tattoo stigma has decreased and people are more accepting of them?
Mandee: I definitely think people are generally more accepting of tattoos now, especially in my industry. I would love to see it become more ‘normal,’ so that people can stop asking me stupid questions like ‘did those hurt?’ Haha. And yes, they hurt. Anyone who says they don’t hurt is lying.

PCS: What’s on deck for you during the rest of 2016 – anything special or noteworthy you’re at liberty to speak on?
Mandee: I’m excited to go to Hawaii next week for vacation, then Japan the following week for a blogging trip with friends. I also get to work Coachella, and then do a factory/inspiration trip in Asia. Travel always keeps life exciting. As for the rest of the year, I’m just doing my regular thing, not sure what else but I try to keep it spontaneous. Maybe I’ll jump off a waterfall. Maybe I’ll get another dog. Maybe I’ll try to eat as many tacos as I can in one sitting. Most likely I’ll drink too much and say I’ll never drink again, then the next day I’ll drink again. Hello 2016!

PCS: Thank you again for having this Q&A with my website, Mandee. You seem like a super cool person and it has been a pleasure to discuss the creative areas you’re involved in. Lastly, can you state for the readers where they can find you online?
Mandee: Instagram @mandeebence and www.mandeebence.com

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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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