WJ: Hello Natalia! Congratu-
lations on being featured and
getting the cover of our 40th
issue of MyAlternative Mag-
azine! Tell us a little about
yourself and where you're
from.Natalia: Thank you so much!
Aside from many hobbies,
I’m a medical student study-
ing for my doctorate, and I
want to specialize in medical
research for rare terminal dis-
eases. I’m also from all over
the US and Canada. I grew
up in Big Pine Florida Keys,
Phoenix Arizona, and Cam-
bridge Ontario Canada.WJ: Wow that's amazing! I
hope you achieve all of that.
With such grand goals, what
inspires you?Natalia: Many things and
people inspire me. My best
friends and family inspire me
fashionably, intellectually and
they all inspire me to be more
than I want to be and become
more than what I think I can
be.WJ: How long have you been
modeling for? How did you get
started?Natalia: I’ve been profession-
ally modeling since January.I’ve been freelancing and
“modeling” for 12 years off
an on for myself, not official
brands or designers. As for
how long I've been modeling,
professionally, I got start-
ed in October of last year.
I attended my first Fashion
Week runway as a spectator.
A photographer by the name
of Proctor actually boosted
my confidence to join fash-
ion week. Personally, I joined
many years ago when I was
fourteen. My stepsister Kaily
Alissano was getting ready to
head out, and she just looked
so amazing. I asked where
she was going, and she said,
“I’m doing a photoshoot,” it
was just in that moment right
there that I decided I wanted
to be just like her. My moth-
er as well, growing up she
constantly told me I should
model. I never actually be-
lieved her.WJ: What does being Alterna-
tive mean to you, and how do
you think society views those
labeled as Alternative?Natalia: Alternative can
mean looking dangerous, but
being approachable. It can
mean looking very cute and
over the top with a flare of
your grandmas closet, all the
way to just wearing sometube socks, and my boy-
friend's oversized shirt tucked
into last nights party outfit.
Alternative is free to mean
many things. Society tends
to think alternative means,
piercings, promiscuity, lack
of clothing and grungy
foul-mouthed degenerates.
Well, they aren’t wrong. It
can mean that if that’s what
someone chooses to do with
their look and life. Many of
us alternative men and wom-
en feel alienated in everyday
situations. Many of us are
picked last, or not picked at
all. We’re turned away from
jobs, activities, events and
sadly fashion. Fashion being
one of the biggest heartbreak-
ers. A place where society
wants you to stand out, but
then chooses plain janes
because their “clothes look
better on them without all
your body art.”WJ: I couldn't have said it
better myself. That was one of
the reasons why I created My-
Alternative Magazine. I want-
ed a place to showcase people
who were Alternative. A place
where they could feel proud
of who they were, how they
looked, and how they lived.
A judgment free-zone per se.
A place they could be artistic
and feel at home. Do you have25 MyAlternative Magazine