Today we’d like to introduce you to Rome.
Hi Rome, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Hola, me llamo Rome. I’m a Hispanic model raised in South San Diego. I’ve been a part of London Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week, LA fashion week as well as have worked with brands such as YSL, Guess Watches, JBW Watches, Fashion Nova, and several others. I also do photography, run marathons, and I’m Batman. I’m kidding about that last part. Though one of my goals in life is to be at least half as cool as Bruce Wayne.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There was bumps in the road for sure. Let’s cue in the violins (I do like to make light of my past hardships)!
When I was about 4 years old, our home burned down and that’s how I ended up in South San Diego. Losing a home, all your belongings, and needing to relocate is tough but looking back at it: I was blessed to have grown up in this community and having made lifelong friends here. Growing up in this part of town wasn’t all sunshine & rainbows though. Unfortunately, several of the people I grew up with passed due to health issues, others unfortunately fell victim to drugs, and some are in jail.
In 2022, when everything seemed near perfect, every aspect of my life took a hit. It was a tough time. I had to scratch & claw my way out of that day by day. Many sleepless nights were had, but I knew that if I continued to get through each day no matter how much the days/weeks/months felt rough, I was bound to see the light of the end of tunnel and I did.
Fast forward to February of this year, I was coming off back to back seasons of taking part of an official London Fashion Week calendar, and less than 48 hours later I suffer a bad knee/leg injury due to some random reckless person not following traffic laws. There I was thinking I was gonna carry the momentum from that show into the coming weeks/months, but instead I was now facing the task of rehabbing an injury. That flight back to San Diego was not fun. I was just sitting on the plain frustrated and a bit in disbelief. The ensuing weeks/months were painful, but most of all frustrating. I lost out of an opportunity to shoot a running shoe campaign for one of the biggest sports brands in the world cause of this injury. I can say that I’m blessed to be back and it’s looking like shows in Milan and Paris are on the horizon for me. Hyped to see what other opportunities present themselves to me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I started my modeling journey by posting pictures of myself on Instagram, so some of my friends would joke around and call me an “Instagram model.” I was highly blessed to have started developing a social media following. I believe in my talent 100%, but I also know that the people who’ve supported me on there are part of the reason why I’ve gotten to experience some of the things I have. Especially as I started with no representation. I’d say im most proud of the journey. Starting with just taking pictures with a cell phone to then getting to work with world renowned brands and doing runway shows in places such as London. Being a part of shows on the official London Fashion Week calendar is a huge honor to me. Many people have done runway shows in London, but few on the official calendar. I’d say what sets me apart from others is my work ethics, my highly competitive nature, and my passion for every project I set my sights on. It’s a borderline obsession.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Holidays with the fam. Hanging out with friends and just doing silly things kids do. Being amused by small, random things. For example, occasionally putting a soda can in between the bicycle and its tires thinking it’s the coolest thing ever cause it makes it sound a bit like a motorcycle. Telling scary stories with friends at nighttime and then having a hard time sleeping cause now you’re a bit scared. Having sleepovers & playing video games all night long. Watching WWE and then foolishly trying to wrestle each other. Im a grown kid; im still a big wrestling fan to this day.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/king_rome
