You have probably seen the six and one half foot tall Brazilian male model Romulo Pires in any one of hundreds of ads for Gucci, Valentino, or Chanel and not known it. Since he began modeling in 2001, Romulo has worked with the top designers, the best known photographers, and the most respected agencies in the fashion industry. He has counted the legendary Creative Director of Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, as one of his mentors since Lagerfeld took him under his wing in 2003.
Romulo felt that his career had fallen into a lull for its first couple of years until Lagerfeld noticed him, hired him to appear in high profile campaigns, and, ultimately, gave Romulo’s career the boost it needed at that time, propelling him into the upper echelons of male modelling.
However, if one were to ask Romulo Pires who his biggest influence is, people might be surprised to hear that it is not one of the fashion gurus who he works so closely with, but someone a little closer to home: his mother.
Romulo’s mother, Cleopatra, has been a guiding influence on him since she was required to raise him, his sister, and his three brothers by herself in the Samambaia district of Brazil’s capital city, Brasilia. Romulo’s mother gave he and his siblings hope when things looked at their worst, always believing that everything happened for a reason.
“My mother is really religious,” Romulo has said, “and she said that God has a plan for all of us.” Romulo also recounts how his mother has been proud of his accomplishments because his successful modeling career has not only helped him to improve his own circumstances, but has also allowed him to care for his family and move them to a better place to live.
The next time you see a picture of Romulo Pires, look for his sign of loyalty to his mother on his left shoulder blade, a tattoo of the name “Cleopatra,” a sign of honor and respect for the woman who continues her influence on Romulo to this very day.
No comments:
Post a Comment