OOPS!...

Your browser or window size is too small to veiw the contents on this page. Please Resize your browser or window larger than 800px(width) and 400px(height) to continue.


embracing Tahiry

Most familiar as the on again off again love interest of Joe Budden on Love & Hip Hop New York, Tahiry Jose is also an, Actress, Entrepreneur and Model on her way to becoming a household name. A woman of Dominican heritage, Tahiry born in Harlem, grew up as an ordinary New Yorker, attending NYC public schools and walking the crowded streets. With a degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, big dreams, and determination, Tahiry was bound for success.

Having graced the cover as model for KING and pages in other magazines including Complex, XXL, and VIBE she used her beauty and brains, to capitalize off of her growing fame deciding to release her own 2014 calendar called "Intimacy" ; opening of her own club, Suite 135. Located in Harlem, NY, the venue is 7,000 square feet, two floors, and has three bars and even her own nail polish line.

Currently, Tahiry is working on a fitness DVD and taking acting lessons to improve her acting persona. She's been on a reality series, been featured in films, modeled, has hosted for several high profile events and now opened up her own business, so what's next for this entrepreneur? Stay tuned…

WRITTEN BY Samantha Almonte
INTERVIEW BY Christine Davis
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jean Pierre

Okay so your fashion and style in the show has been impeccable. What can you say your style is? Describe your style. I'm all about the pieces that make me feel comfortable that exude sexy. It all comes from within so I don't care if you're wearing a three hundred million dollar dress if you don't feel, you can't express it or exude it. You can walk in with whatever you want and if you're okay with yourself in whatever pieces, it's gonna show. It's about within, it all comes from within; I don't care who you are. Who inspires your style? It all depends on the event. I'm very moody when it comes to everything from perfumes to drinks to fashion. For the last reunion, I kind of picked Rihanna and Ciara and I mixed it together to create a fusion. Like I said, it's all about what calls your attention and what spells whatever it is that you're feeling at the time. So I can't really tell you who inspires me but I love JLo, I live for Kim Kardashian, I love Rihanna, I love Ciara, and I just love good fashion. Everybody is inspired so I just look at my favorite women and I know what I would wear and what looks good on me. As a woman, nobody is perfect and I have to work really hard and it's all about showcasing your attributes, like I have great cleavage. Everyone thinks it's about my bottom part but it's really not! You have to learn to work with what God gave you, so I know how to work with what God gave me. What are the most expensive shoes you have? Let me just start my saying that my favorite shoes are Giuseppe and Charlotte Olympia. But, my most expensive shoe right now is probably a pair of Christian Louboutin's and they have stones on them and they're clear-toed and they're the sexiest shoes. I just want to see them up in the air! So you feel like you're walking on water when you're in the those shoes! They are amazing. They are the most expensive, maybe about four thousand dollars or something like that. I leave it all up to stylist/assistant/who needs a boyfriend when you have Oscar Montes de Oca! He's the guy that puts me together so yeah he saw those and those were it. However, I think he had a pair of white ones that he's picking up and they might be more expensive. Okay well we can't wait to see those on Tahiry! I'm a sneaker kind of girl though, by the way. I have a lot of the J's, I have an extensive collection. My favorite J's would have to be my 1's. I kind of switch between 1's and I switch between the 11's and then I go back to my 6's so it's pretty confusing. I have a whole bunch so I'm kind of a sneaker/heel kind of girl. It all depends on my mood. There's a time and place for everything. Okay! So you always talk about how you have the best natural body in the game, what's the Tahiry secret? I work really hard to keep my body together. I don't pretend. I don't go on Instagram and be like "At the gym". No, I'm actually at the gym and I don't even care if I match at the gym. But everybody is on Instagram trying to look cute and it's like "B**ch you never went to the gym a day in your life!" You have to drink a lot of water and have protein like your fish, chicken, steaks, but stay off the red meat and don't have too much but your body needs it sometimes. You have to have a lot of veggies and a lot of salads. You have a cheat meal once a week and you have to work out and you have to sweat. I'm at the gym three to four times a week. Squats, lunges, dead lifts. I work on my lower body a lot. I have to. My momma gave it to me so I have to keep it right. You seem very comfortable in your own body but if there was one thing you could change, would you change anything? I would say it comes with age, maturity, and experience. I remember being a teen and not being comfortable in my own skin. It comes with life and I am comfortable in my own skin. This is me and my imperfections make me perfect and I want the young ladies to understand that it isn't about what the world thinks or what's happening out there. It's about taking who you are and embracing it and loving yourself. If there was one thing I would change about myself, and a lot of people don't really notice it but I keep it 100, but I have a crooked nose. About four or five years ago I got into a fight and a guy punched me in my face and cracked my nose. So now when I look at pictures I see nothing but nose because that's how dramatic women are. But then people are like, "I don't see it" until you pinpoint it. However, I have a deviated septum so it's hard for me to breathe and depending on the temperature of the room, I snore. So picture you meeting a guy and dating him a few times and then you guys cuddle and you just start to snore. I thought about bringing a T-shirt that says, "Hi I'm sexy, my name is Tahiry and I snore." So that kind of hurts me sometimes with the room temperature so I think that's the one thing I would change. Like I said, I work really hard and I'm a natural woman so yes, I consider myself the best body in the game because I'm 100 percent natural and I have to sweat to get it right. So how do you feel about the women who do plastic surgery to try to enhance their features? I just say that it's important to do the research. A lot of people glorify the woman looking great they're not paying attention to what's really happening out there. A lot of women are dying doing these kinds of things and they're sending the wrong messages to the teens. I'm speaking on it and I don't want to judge and let's be real, some women have to get some things done, but I Just say research is very important and to the teens, don't get caught up in the hype and take your time with it. Some of these little girls haven't developed fully yet and they're busy dipping and tucking and that's not good, you have to let your body grow. Like I said, it all comes with age and experience and the way I felt about myself ten years ago is not how I feel today and I'm glad I didn't do anything to myself. I'm embracing who I am. And keep on embracing Tahiry. So on the show I have watched you and you have that tough aura like no one can mess with you and you're very feisty. No actually, I have a big heart. I love to love and I care a lot. The industry however forces you to grow this tough skin. Unfortunately that's just the world we live in. I'm the oldest of 14 and I was the girl on the block that all the guys liked and all the girls hated. I've been trained to have to fight even when I didn't want to. I've been trained to have to defend my little brothers and sisters and even when we had beef, we're fighting whoever is fighting them because they're blood. So I'm the oldest and it's survival of the fittest where I come from. I'm from Harlem and you ain't gonna thug me out. I've worked in strip clubs before everything happened to me in 5 years having a college degree. Everybody's going to test you but I got a long with everybody. Respect me, stay in your lane. You don't have to like me. I'm not running around bullying anybody and I don't respect bullies. So you know, I've been trained to defend myself. Okay so I know you're from Harlem and you grew up between 135th and 142nd in Broadway. And I know you have a club, Suite 135 on 135th and 12th avenue. My grandmother would say to me for years, "You have to open something down there!" and she lives on top of that area and she kept saying that throughout the years so I think she spoke it into existence. Okay and how has the been for you so far? It's been really good, a lot of hard work. Before being a bartender, which I did for 10 years of my life, I'd work at clubs, restaurants, and strip clubs. I would make my money and walk out. Now my responsibilities are different. Now they make their money and walk out and I have to handle all the stress but I have two great partners and we're just working to make it better and working to make it happen. I'm learning so I always say I'm going through 90-day "I own a club" boot camp. Okay so can you please talk about your new calendar, Tahiry Intimacy, which is at tahiryonline.com. How much fun was that? It was a lot of fan. I had a chance to shoot it this time in NYC because I had shot a calendar before out of the country. It was very intimate and in intimate places and very artsy. I come from a world where I barely wore any clothes and this time I was able to tell a story and it wasn't about just me being out there in a bathing suit. It was more about combining glamour and who I am so you know, I love being naked. So this time I wanted to incorporate telling a story behind it and I think it captured that. I'm very proud of Intimacy 2014 and you guys can pick it up at tahiryonline.com. Are there any more projects that your fans should be looking out for? I have a nail polish line coming out in 2015 with Color Club and they've been in the business for over 35 years. My nail polish is slightly a little different. It's about 7 colors and I actually went into the factory and tweaked every color myself so I picked the colors that I love to wear no matter what season and then I made it my own. There are slightly bits and pieces that are different about my nail polish and it's coming out in February. It's called Love Tahiry. If you had three wishes, what would be your last wish? I don't think I have any, I'm straight. I'm just blessed to be here today so I've never thought about what my last wish would be. It wouldn't be to live forever because I don't want to live forever. And last question, what does "dopeness" mean to you? It's the originator to me of what "fresh" is, what's in, what's amazing, what's outstanding, how I identify fashion. It's the first word that comes out of my mouth when I see something that calls my attention. It's what good hip-hop is. It's dope, it's dopeness! So "dope" is definitely the word and it stays in my vocabulary. Okay so you heard it here dopeness equals Tahiry and Tahiry equals dopeness and that's all we have today. Thank you so much today for this interview and we appreciate it and you're fabulous, fabulous, fabulous. Thank you!

enticing Chanel Ryan

Chanel Ryan is a model and actress with a plethora of upcoming projects this year, which include several independent films – psychological thriller "House on Rodeo Gulch", sci-fi flick "The Halo Theory", and romantic comedy "Love Addict". Over the summer, Chanel appears on two tv shows – a vampire series, "Drakul", which is in negotiations with a British Network and the season finale episodes of "Hell's Kitty", a horror-comedy series. In the fall, she rejoins the cast of "Bad Kids Go To Hell 2" (Judd Nelson, Ben Browder), as well as supernatural film "Marked" (Nicholas Brendon) and zombie themed movie, "The Undead". Most recently, she wrapped up filming for "Mind Puppets" (Kevin Pollak, Jon de Lancie, Vinnie Jones). She is in preproduction for the film "Crimson Saints", in which she makes her debut as a producer.

Earlier this year, Chanel starred in "Circus of the Dead" (Bill Oberst), Jonas Akerlund's "Small Apartments" (James Caan, Bill Crystal), "Dorothy & the Witches of Oz" (Sean Austin, Christopher Lloyd, Lance Hendrickson), "Skum Rocks" (narrated by Alice Cooper; starring Kevin Bacon, Matthew Broderick, Fran Dresher), and "Bad Kids Go To Hell". Ryan also starred in "Alice D", which won the 2014 'Best Horror Film' at the Independent Filmakers Showcase Festival.

Chanel is best known for her roles in "Waiting For The Rocket", "BASEketball", and "The Sweet Spot" (Bill Murray). She starred in the follow-up cult classic "Fantazia" (director Rick Sloan), horror film "Dead Sea" (Devanny Pinn), and drama "Bigger Than The Beatles".

Her gorgeous figure earned her the title of 'Sexiest Women On The Planet', being featured by Maxim, FHM, Playboy, DT, Nuts, People, and Ralph. Chanel has appeared in national campaigns for Pepsi, Volkswagen, Coca Cola, Audi, Visa, Wet and Wild, Harley Davidson Swimwear, Anheuser Busch, and Del Taco.

INTERVIEW BY Cimone Hall
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jean Paul Mann

You are so well rounded if you had to choose between modeling and acting which profession do you favor most? Definitely acting. Modeling was very good to me and took me all over the world. A couple years ago I switched my focus to acting full time. I still model occasionally if a nice booking comes along. I know you started your modeling career at a young age, what would you say are some important tricks of the trade that you've learned? I can't live without under eye concealer. It hides all!

When traveling always put your toiletries in zip lock bags so they don't leak all over your suitcase!

Carry an outfit, make-up and items you cannot live without in your carry on bag so when the airline loses your luggage you are not SOL!

Make a xerox copy of your passport and ID so when it is lost or stolen you are able to get home!

Super glue works great in the jungle when you cut yourself and need stitches but are far from civilization.

When working in foreign countries bring antibiotics, cortisone cream, advil etc with you.

You're clearly a fashionista, what are your fav designers and why? It's funny when I am not working I run around in jeans and a t-shirt. It's fun to dress up for industry related events and work. I love one of a kind vintage pieces. I am a fan of Stella McCartney, All Saints for running around doing errands, Richard Bowman designs beautiful gowns and he is a favorite for red carpet events, I have a huge hat collection ranging from vintage to current styles. Beauty is no stranger to you, you've been named one of the Sexiest Women on The Planet by Maxim, Playboy, and many more. What are your beauty tips for keeping a flawless look? I have to say it is easy to look good on camera with a team of top notch make-up, hair, wardrobe stylists, photographers & great lighting whose job is to make me look great. I do try to eat healthy and drinking lots of water is key to nice skin. I had to learn the hard way it is easier to stay in shape when you are in shape, and much more difficult to get back in shape once you slack off. So a little exercise everyday goes a long way. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park a little farther away and walk. Everyone has a guilty pleasure, what would you say is your fav guilty pleasure snack? My guilty pleasure is actually sleeping! My schedule is very hectic and usually includes early call times and not enough sleep. On rare days off I like to sleep in, and sit on the couch in my pj's with my cat Ruby Tuesday eating Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Ice Cream and catch up on my favorite TV shows and films. What's the most spontaneous thing you've ever done in life? Went to live in Mexico for a few weeks right after 9-11. Packed up my Dog Lucky and hit the road. Is there anything else you want to accomplish in this industry that you haven't already done? Everything! There are so many things I want to do that I haven't even touched the surface on and my acting career is just getting started. It would be a dream to work with Quentin Tarantino, Tim Burton and Eli Roth! What do you do for fun in your spare time? The phrase spare time makes me laugh! My schedule is pretty challenging and includes a lot of traveling. At this point in my life I don't have any spare time. When I can I love to go for hikes, do yoga, watch movies and read. Who are some people in the industry that you would say helped mold your career? I am like a sponge and I soak everything up. Every person I have worked with has helped to mold my career. I have been fortunate to work with some amazing photographers from Ian Scott to Brie Childers to Mario Barberio who's beautiful photos helped bring me the success I have enjoyed in the modeling world. As an actress I have been so lucky to work with actors much more talented and successful than myself such as Judd Nelson, Matt Lucas, Bill Oberst Jr., and award winning directors John Frankenheimer, Jonas Akerlund, and David Zucker. Chanel you are an activist/supporter for animals, what are some of the charities you help support? I am glad you asked I am a huge animal lover and advocate for animals rights. I like to end every interview with a plea to please spay and neuter your pets. If you are thinking of getting a pet please consider adopting from your local shelter or animal rescue. There are so many wonderful animals in need of safe, loving homes. Be part of the solution and help end animal homelessness and abuse.

There are so many wonderful animal charities and organizations out there. A few good ones are Best Friends Animal Society, Four Legged Friends Foundation, Stray Cat Alliance, Teen Vegan, Model and Mutts, Stray Cat Alliance

the sexiest Tiffany Stanley

Tiffany Stanley is one of Ireland's most prevalent models and reality TV stars. A firm favorite with tabloid newspapers and magazines, Tiffany has regularly graced the covers and pages of Ireland's most popular publications.

Quoted as Ireland's sexiest blonde, bubbly 'Tiffles' has starred in the Hallmark movie 'Honeymoon for One' with Nicolette Sheridan, RTE's 'Republic of Telly', 'ICA Bootcamp' and TV3's 'Ireland AM' & 'Xpose' . Tiffany has modelled for major brands such as Sony Playstation, KitKat, ESB, and many more. Tiffany's first ever official calendar broke record sales volumes in December 2012

INTERVIEW BY Cimone Hall
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Raquel Rischard

You're really into skin and beauty what are your top 2 beauty tips for healthy skin? My top 2 tips for healthy skin are pretty simple- LOTS of water and a good diet! Beautiful skin comes from the inside, you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on expensive face creams, lotions or potions. No matter how good the crème, it's still synthetic and contains chemicals, so don't overload your face with various products. I try to drink 2-3L of mineral water a day, it flushes out toxins, brightens your eyes, and gives your skin a healthy glow. Another good tip for beautiful skin is simply eat a clean diet. Avocados are amazing and contain healthy fats which our bodies need, try eating half an avocado for 4 days in a row and you will really notice a difference. Blueberry are great too, full of antioxidants and a myriad of vitamins. You've been heavily involved in the Ireland modeling scene and done some Reality TV, did you find any similarities between the two industries? Modelling and reality TV are quite different, but in terms of career advancement, they complement each other. Doing reality TV and acting in Ireland helped boost my public profile, which in turn boosted my modelling career, and vice versa. TV shows are such fun to do, I love the buzz on set and you get to work with so many amazing people. The hours can be long though, so you can't be afraid of hard work. Sometimes it's take after take, even with reality TV, you might have to shoot a scene multiple times from many angels. Modelling takes less time and most shoots are over in a few hours. I'm a real girly girl, so modelling excites me as I love make up, hair, new bikinis and so on. It's always very glamorous- which is a stark contrast to how I am in 'real life'...Most days you will find me chillin' in a tracksuit down at the gym. What has been your favorite modeling shoot to date and why? My favorite shoot to date was actually very recently in Las Vegas, on location in the beautiful 5 star Bellagio hotel. The team then moved out to the desert for the second part of the shoot. The scenery was beautiful and the creative team was world class. I love working in hot locations and have shot swimwear all over the world...but Vegas is my favorite for so many reasons. When the photography and beauty team are the best, you know you're going to get some amazing shots. But I can't take all the credit- I'm nothing without the people behind me. From agents, to photographers and make-up artists, they help create the whole package. What's the most exciting adventure you've ever embarked on? The most exciting adventure was the summer of 2013 when I decided to come to LA for a few months. I came on my own and was sitting on the plane thinking 'oh god are you nuts?' I had no friends here at all. But I felt the need to push myself outside of my comfort zone and explore pastures new. I spent 3 months in LA and fell in love with the city. Everything about LA makes me feel very blessed to live here, the beautiful weather, the people, and the opportunities. It's a city of creative dream chasers and everyone here is ambitious and hardworking, so needless to say I found the transition easy and made new friends pretty fast. Once my 01 talent Visa was approved, I made plans to move back for the long haul- I've never looked back! You're big on charity work, what has been your role in "The Irish Heart Foundation"? The Irish Heart Foundation is a huge Irish charity that helps people with heart disease and also thier families. I have done lots of charity photocalls for them, helped promote thier books on keeping a happy heart, eating healthy and many other national initiatives. I am also an avid supporter of the DSCPA- an animal rescue & rehabilitation center in Ireland and PETA's national Irish ambassador- I love animals of all types and grew up with horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs - as a child I would collect strays and help nurse them back to health- my grandad even converted our garage into a little pet sanctuary for me, full of pens, runs with toys, ramps- it was like a paradise for small animals & I would spend hours in there. Animals give me a great sense of peace. Everyone has a guilty pleasure, what would you say is your favorite guilty pleasure snack? Chocolate is my greatest weakness! As a treat I might sneak into Pinkberry or Yogurt stop and get a chocolate froyo, with all the worst toppings on offer! Peanut butter cups, M&Ms, Nutella, Oreo Cookies... I am worse than any kid in there and am a total sugar fiend. I try my best to limit it to once per week however, as too much sugar is really bad for you. I'm currently trying to cut back on sugar but I fear I'm fighting a losing battle. lol You're also a personal training (HOW AMAZING) what advice do you have for women that are trying to stay fit? Staying fit is all about consistency in your diet. You can kill yourself in the gym 6 days a week but if you aren't eating right then you wont see the results. If anything, I look much better if I work out LESS and eat healthier. 3-4 times a week is enough if you are working hard in the gym. Also try to mix it up, try different things so your body doesn't get used to the same exercise...go hiking, swimming, running. I love things like Pilates, Kickboxing, Horse Riding...you gotta mix it up so your mind and body don't get bored! In terms of diet just try to eat natural, whole foods, plenty of vegetables, clean proteins, fruits, nuts and healthy fats like avocado. It takes 3 weeks to form new habits so don't give up! Get a buddy and do a 21 day clean eating challenge together. Log your daily foods in a diary like my fitnesspal, it will keep you on track. Just take one day at a time, Rome wasn't built in a day and those washboard abs wont be either! What was the experience like shooting your first official calendar? Shooting my calender was so much fun! When I first got the offer from the publisher I was so excited and flattered. I was the first Irish model to have her own calendar. This years edition will be shot in the US, the team are looking at 2-3 different locations, ranging from sunny to snowy...I'm really excited for this next one as its going to be the best yet! Clearly you're a fashionista what's one easy thing women can do to transform a daytime look into an evening look? The easiest way to go from day to night is by adding some extra darkness to your eye make up! I love dark sexy eyeshadow, it really adds some mystery. You can go from girl-next-door to sex kitten in 2.5 seconds with some Kohl eyeliner. Another tip is to add some sexy high heels, I always feel sexy when I have a great pair of heels on. Who is your absolute favorite designer and why? Hard question! I'm a fashion junkie, its so hard to pick just one. I love the classic black and white lines of Chanel. I like things that are timeless, elegant and make a statement. Chanel ticks all the boxes. Sure its pretty expensive, but nowadays you can get great similar pieces in topshop, so everyone can enjoy the look. Style has no price tag- work with what you've got and own it! :)

Seattle girl Alysson Holt

INTERVIEW BY Cimone Hall
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Brian B Hayes

What is the best perk of being a model? I have always loved pictures and the camera, from a very young age I wanted to become a model, so I would say the best perk has been making my dream as a little girl my current reality. Also, free swimsuits bring an extra ray of sunshine into my life! When you're doing a modeling shoot what methods do you use to channel different emotions based on the type of shoot? Depending on the type of shoot, I use my personal life and past experiences to convey the right emotions, but sometimes it takes me a few shots to warm up. However, I feel like my poses and expressions get more relaxed and real when I don't focus on them too much and just act natural. What is your favorite summer "makeup" must-have? A bright lipstick by MAC, Guerlain mascara, Too Faced bronzer in "sun bunny" and "High Beam" liquid shimmer by Benefit area my 4 must haves. I love summer because my makeup routine is easy breezy and I am out the door in 10 minutes! You're very stylish, what would you say are your top 3 fav shoe designers? Charlotte Olympia, Converse (can't live without some Chuck Ts!), and Dolce Vita. Out of all the places you've traveled to, which place did you have the most fun? I had a blast last summer sailing in the Aeolian Islands in Italy. It was definitely an adventure I will remember my whole life! I would love to visit the island of Panarea again in the near future. Between LA and New York which place has a better fashion sense and why? New York is much more innovative and fashion forward. I love dressing up whenever I'm in the city that never sleeps! You've done a lot of modeling shoots and been around tons of models, what's the weirdest thing you've ever seen someone do on set? The weirdest thing I've experienced thus far actually happened to me! One time I was body painted head to toe in gold for a shoot with The Game in LA Weekly, and it made my skin feel so uncomfortable, like a mud mask you leave on for way too long. It took a full week for all of it to finally come off even after exfoliating twice a day. What is your favorite sports team? SEATTLE SEAHAWKS! I never miss watching a game all season long and even fly back to Seattle for some. Very proud of their Super Bowl win this year! I know you're really into skincare, what are some tips for girls who want that "fresh face" look? Skincare is SO important! I will be the first to admit I am a product junkie and love trying new creams, masks, eye gels etc. I would loathe when my mother would tell me to stay out of the sun but now I put SPF 70 on my face religiously. Sunscreen and drinking plenty of water are the MOST important tips I can share, but putting money aside for a monthly facial makes a huge difference. Also, a vitamin C collagen serum like the one I use daily by Ole Henriksen (before you apply your moisturizer) gives you a natural healthy glow and you will see results immediately. My girlfriends have all tried mine and immediately gone to Sephora to buy it or a similar one by a different brand. Nivea "Essentially Enriched" is my favorite body lotion; I've used it for years! Last tip would be the "Collagen Essence Mask" by MJ Care. You can buy it on Amazon. They are made in Korea, and have you ever met a Korean woman with bad skin? They're on to something here! On a scale of 1-10 how much do you love Iggy Azalea's song "Fancy"? A few months ago it was my favorite song of all time and I would have said 100, but now I will give it a solid 10.

Comments

Check Out Our Cover Stories

Comments