Models We Love: Ryan Schira

OUT: How old are you?
Ryan: 22

Where are you from?
The Bronx

What were you doing before you started modeling?
I was a sophomore in high school. I've always been involved in music and was in a band at the time I started with my brother.

How did you come to be a model? Were you scouted? Is so, where?
I was scouted down by St. Marks while doing service hours with friends (it's a Jesuit high school requirement) in Thompson Square Park (we were feeding the homeless).

What was your first shoot? Were you nervous?
My first shoot was for I-d Magazine with Randall Mesdon. I was super shy and nervous. I didn't really know what to expect. But model and friend Ambros Olsen broke the ice with a few jokes and helped me feel more comfortable and loosen up a bit.

What do you like most about modeling?
I definitely appreciate having the ability to travel. I've gotten to go to some really cool places and see and do some really cool things. To be able to do that at an early age and independently is a real privilege. I also like being able to meet so many new and different people. I love working with people and I've been able to meet some very interesting ones from all over the world. It really broadens your horizons.

What do you like least about modeling?
People, modeling and fashion can be really superficial sometimes.

What was your favorite shoot to work on? Why is it your favorite?
I shot a Saks 5th Avenue catalog with Carter Smith (who I had worked with a few times before) in Kauai, Hawaii. We got to take helicopter rides to these incredible locations; deserted beaches off the sides of cliffs and waterfalls in the jungle. It was really amazing and a lot of fun.

What is usually the reaction when you tell people that you're a model?
I don't really talk about it much...haha.

What's your fitness routine? How often do you work out? What do you do at the gym?
Protein shakes. Just protein shakes.

What's your diet like? What are your favorite foods? Do you have to avoid any foods to maintain your body?
Haha. I dont have a workout routine or go to the gym much or diet. And, no, I don't only drink protein shakes.

Who are some people you'd like to work with in the industry that you haven't yet?
I've had the privilege to work with some really amazing people so far, and there are still so many I haven't worked with. Anybody really, as long as they're passionate about what they're doing.

What do you see yourself doing after this?
I'm probably gonna grab a sandwich. Feeling a bit of chow at the moment.

Do you have any other side projects that you're working on?
Yeah. I've got my band Safe To Say and am working with another band at the moment as well as some solo stuff on the side. Also, I'm waiting for the film I was a part of, Tanner Hall, to come out. Looking into some acting classes. So that's always a possibility, too.

Are you particularly interested in fashion or is it just a job? Who's your favorite designer?
I wasn't like every other kid, you know, who dreams about being an astronaut. I was always more interested in what bark was made out of on a tree. Richard Gere's a real hero of mine. Sting. Sting would be another person who's a hero. The music he's created over the years, I don't really listen to it, but the fact that he's making it, I respect that. I care desperately about what I do. Do I know what product I'm selling? No. Do I know what I'm doing today? No. But I'm here, and I'm gonna give it my best shot.

For any booking inquiries, please contact Samuel at Request Models.