It’s really special getting to work with your partner and document parts of our lives together with talented people. Once I met Leo, I became his agent too-free of charge. I usually end up being great friends with all the companies I work for and it’s the same with Leo. I represent myself the way I want to be seen, so naturally brands who have the same lifestyle or ethos find me. As I haven’t had to rely on modeling as a full-time career-somehow magically I’m getting paid as an artist! It is possible, I promise!-I’m able to turn gigs down that don’t feel right or pertinent to my life. Having learned how to self-manage, I can curate myself and who I represent. Instead of the everyday model hustle-which is, to say the least, extremely difficult-I learned to be more selective with photo shoots and to only take jobs when I had time between my other life callings. For the most part, I was able to avoid agencies and work word of mouth, slow and steady. Taiana: Growing up in LA with a mother who was a model agent, I was thrown into the modeling world early on. How often are you guys taking modeling gigs? It truly was a chance transition into this “profession,” and I’ve been loving the ride working with a constantly changing, diverse set of clients-moms and pops, and companies that keep things bright and positive. Pretty quickly though, I realized I had to step up my game and get serious, and really figure out the design language I wanted to speak, as more established companies were reaching out. After that project, I started doing more small identity stuff for other people purely by word of mouth. It took me forever I must have given him 18 initial directions for a couple hundred bucks. A friend saw stuff I was doing and asked me to design them a logo, which I nervously did. It wasn’t until I graduated and was traveling for tennis tournaments that I picked it up again. Leo: Yikes, I don’t really remember I was always doodling as a kid, but gave it up during my high school and college years. What about graphic design-how did you take an interest in that as a profession? It was much more deep-rooted to them than just the act of surfing-that has always stuck with me. Thank goodness they were those who appreciated the old craft of boards and introduced me to the rich history that surfing has. It wasn’t until I gave up the competitive side of it that I met some friends who surfed and took me out. Tennis was my thing for the first half of my life-and still is. Leo: Yes, my other life has been exposed. Leo, you were a pretty accomplished tennis player, right? How did you first get into surfing? I left from time to time but always came back to this magical land. My parents took a drive up the coast one weekend a couple decades ago and on a whim decided to move here. Taiana: I was born in Beachwood Canyon in Los Angeles, then move to Santa Barbara with my family when I was 10. I saw a beautiful aerial-pre-drone-photo of UCSB with the splendor of the Pacific, framed with the Channel Islands and Santa Ynez mountain range, and felt, “Hey, this would be a great place to hang for a bit.” Coming into year 20 here in Santa Barbara, I laugh at how my path was driven purely by chance and luck. It’s eerily similar to Santa Barbara, just smaller islands out front, mountains behind the town, good people. Leo: I was born in a small seaside town called Makarska in Croatia. If this data is unavailable or inaccurate and you own or represent this business, click here for more information on how you may be able to correct it.Where are you from? How long have you lived here in Santa Barbara, and what drew you to the area? VIEW ADDITIONAL DATA Select from over 115 networks below to view available data about this business.
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