Model of the Week:

Dusty St. Amand
From:  The Underwear Expert

 Breaking away from the narrow mindedness of small towns seems to be a thread that connects most of our previous model of the week stories. Like the models before him, Dusty St. Amand had to overcome his own feelings of not belonging to get to where he is today, not only as a model, but as a person. Dusty’s life journey began in Florida and currently has him living in Brooklyn, NY. Since

moving to NY, Dusty has built up a career in the restaurant industry, serving as an event organizer and maitre d in a Brooklyn restaurant. He is rather new to the modeling industry but has already shot with photographers that are no strangers to The Underwear Expert, such as Rick Day and Charles Quiles.

We had the opportunity to chat with Dusty last Thursday about some of his bad underwear habits, sexual expression, and hair’s place in the world of modeling. Check out what he had to say as well as some of his favorite photos.

 Born: Ft. Myers, FL

Current Location: Brooklyn, New York

Relationship Status: Single

Astrological Sign: Cancer/Leo Cusp

Height: 5′ 10.5″

Weight: 150 lbs

Waist: 30″

Shoe: 11 1/2

Hair Color: Brown

Eye Color: Brown

Ethnicity: Caucasian

In the universe of underwear…I am one of those lost souls. I am that pitiful case. When I was in college, if I ever brought home laundry, my mom would pull out a pair and ask, “Do you still own this pair of underwear?” I would ride them all into the ground. I’m super low key and super natural. I like the way I look and I like the way other men look when the underwear doesn't distract from the man. I like very simple tones and not shiny or flashy. I tend to wear more athletic briefs and trunks. I like anything from American Apparel to Uniqlo. Just anything basic. But, I’m open to the universe hearing my plea for more.

My favorite photo shoot…is hard to pinpoint. I shot with Tyler Dean King who shot beautiful light , bright, airy shots of me. those are the most honest, unposed, simple, natural shots I’ve seen taken of me. I shot with Nephi Niven just recently, and he got this sort of aggressive wolf man stuff out of me that I didn’t know was there. When I shot with Charlie Quiles, we listened to Top 40 and hung out and shot the shots jamming to music. That’s why that was a great shoot. There have been others I have shot with that have given me different things.

I’ve done yoga…on and off. I am more of a stretch junkie. I love to stretch. I’ve danced some. I like to be flexible because it helps to avoid injury, and I think it’s beautiful. A lot of times when I shoot, I let the photographers know that I am probably going to stretch, talk to you a lot, and run around. I would say that the best underwear for yoga holds you in but is not restrictive. If you are wearing an uncomfortable pair of underwear in yoga, it can work against you when you are trying to relax.

Nudity in modeling is…a really wonderful thing. I think a big part of modeling is advertisement. Yeah, you can look great in a photo, but what are you selling. I haven’t received scrutiny necessarily [in regards to nude modeling], but I would have people ask me about some of my photos. They’d say, “Yes. You look good in these photos. But, how is that contributing to your portfolio, towards anything else but art sake?” I think it [art] is a valid sake in itself. I just think there is just something about not being ashamed of it [nudity]. I get viscerally ill

when people are conservative about sex. I don’t think everyones fetishes need to be on display on trains, but I think sexual urges and nudity is as natural as hunger. It’s part of our basic make up. I think it’s really beautiful when someone can be outwardly proud of their body or sexual because those are usual things that are stifled.

I support hair in the mainstream because…it shakes up what people are used to. For a long time, I felt like I couldn't get into modeling because I didn’t meet a lot of industry standards. I thought I had to be so thin. I thought I had to look eternally 18 years old. But, I’m a man. When you mature, your hairline lifts. Your facial hair grows in. Your body gets bigger. Things happen. When I looked at these trends in modeling, I thought I didn’t look anything like these people. When I try to look like them, I look miserable and artificial. So, as of late, my life has been going in more of a positive direction. With that came self esteem and, with that, came the modeling. Part of self esteem is the acceptance of the way you look. I grow a great

beard. I’m proud of it. I grow body hair, and I don’t obsess over grooming. It doesn't mean you are beautiful because you tweezed every detail away from what made you complex in the first place. It’s okay to call something natural, beautiful. Things don’t have to be cookie cutter to be perfect. Some imperfections are really beautiful.

 Lady Gaga is…someone I am incredibly inspired by. She is part of the same generation as I am. I come from a small town, or a 

place that was a little underdeveloped, so, it felt like one. Finding inspiration and role models who were like me was difficult. When I was a kid, there were no gay love songs or gay princes in cartoons. There were no people I saw myself in. It wasn’t until I got older and started using the internet that I would start to see people who would put themselves out on social media, journals, and blogs. People who were like me and were happy exposing themselves living their lives as gay or different or, in heteronormative standards, strange. They were like, “I am who I am, and I’m doing what I love.” I started to see different performers and comedians who would get on youtube and be proud and gay or proud and different. Gaga began to play into that when I was in college at a time when I was seeking inspiration. She was very similar to these people. It’s not like she’s just weird and not talented. She’s out there and flashy and has technical skills that knocks most pop stars out of the water. She’s loud, proud, and herself. I feel a kinship with her.

I’ve been a vegan for…2 1/2 months. I’ve been a vegetarian with a little bit of fish in my diet for the past 3 1/2 years. I’m a health nut. I obsess over food. Not in an unhealthy way. I just find the science of it interesting.I think for me, personally, I try to avoid a lot of processed foods. I try to be aware of when I’m using sugar. I try to think about, “Am I putting something in me that is going to make me feel good?” I’m not saying everyone needs to eat the way I eat, but I think the choices I make as a consumer help to reduce the suffering in other living things and reduce the suffering in me.

In five years…I want to be in Vogue Italia. I’m all one for manifesting the best possible, positive outcome. Why not shoot for the top? The worst that could happen would be it doesn’t happen. But, there is no reason why I can’t break into the industry and be the new thing. I’m not being cocky. But, why don’t I deserve that. I can manifest that for myself. I can land a national ad if I put my mind to it. For the sake of obtaining what the universe has to give, I want to be global in five years. How about that?