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    Out MagazineOut Magazine

    Brief Encounters

    Out.com Editors
    11/02/11
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    Brief Encounters 7

    Brief Encounters 7
      

    Name: Wendell Lissimore

    Age: 24

    Hometown: I was born in Iowa originally. My dad was in the Army so from there I moved to the Dominican Republic. We lived in Germany. We lived all over. Then I came here, to New York, when I was 10 or 11.

    How were you discovered? I was at a fashion show -- not as a model -- and this guy named Adrian saw me and said, "You need to model." And I thought, "Nah, I don't want to do that." While I was at the show, Adrian introduced me to an agent, George, who was asking me, "What number were you? What outfit did you have on?" and I said, "Oh, no. I was sitting front row. I wasn't in the show." He gave me his card and I threw it away [laughs.] Two days later, I saw him coming out of H&M. He tapped me on the shoulder and gave me his card again. That weekend, coming out of the movie theater, he tapped me on the shoulder again. I turned around and was like, "Wow...three times in one week. It's meant to be." I wasn't doing anything at the time -- I was 19, and my mom said, "Well, you're not doing anything..." So I called him and everything took off from there. I was in Paris and Milan three weeks later.

    What was your first big shoot? L'Uomo Vogue.

    Were you nervous? Super nervous, but I had done a few test shoots before that with Cliff Watts and that helped me feel more comfortable.

    What do you like most about being a model? Traveling. People think you make a lot of money modeling, but you don't. Vogue and the runway shows pay an editorial rate, but something like Macy's pays you a lot more. But definitely the traveling is the best.
    What do you not like about modeling? Waking up early. The bigger the magazine, the earlier the call time. You're on set at 5:00 A.M., but you don't even shoot the first look until 11 or noon. I don't have any hair, my skin is good, and so there's just a lot of waiting. But you have to be there.
    What's your favorite job you've worked on? Hermes. The first time I went to the Hermes team, I didn't know what I was going in for. Then, my agent in Paris told me they had put me on option and I realized how big it was. I've done every season since, flown to Shanghai for them, and do their look books.
    What's your fitness routine? I actually haven't worked out in six or eight months. I used to work out every day when I first started, but now I think its muscle memory.
    Do you have a diet? No! Actually, I was at Dallas BBQ last night. My favorite meal, besides filet mignon, is honey sticky wings at Dallas BBQ! It's the genetics and muscle memory.
    Do you do anything on the side? I had a TV show last year that was on BET, MTV, and VH1, and I'm reading scripts now. I'm trying to act -- do something else. It's all related, you know?
    Boxers or Briefs? Briefs. I like the cut and I'm too slim for boxers.
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