An Interview with Supermodel Danielle Lundquist

Danielle Lundquist is a 5’11”, 20-year-old editorial (or high fashion) model who has been living her dream since she was about 14 years old. It all started because her mother wanted her to improve her posture and gain some confidence. “It’s kinda tough when your 5’8” and in the eighth grade. You don’t exactly fit in,” explains Danielle.
 
Danielle auditioned for Festival of Trees in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. “I got chosen; I did the show and had so much fun. The director of the show, Jeanie Norton, told me go meet with PJ [Trzeciak]. So I did,” says Danielle. “I wasn't really getting into it to become big. We never expected any of this to happen.” But it did happen and in a big way. Danielle has made it clear that she has PJ to thank for her success in becoming a model.
 
“She is a beautiful person, inside and out. She cared for me, as well as her other models, as if we were her own children. As I moved on to the bigger markets, she was always there to hold my hand if I ever needed her. I would definitely not have gotten this far if it wasn't for her,” said Danielle. “She has taught me all the basics I needed to make it into this world….I possibly never even would have tried to turn the modeling into a career if she had not so strongly believed in me and gave me that extra push.” PJ is the owner and CEO of PJ & Co. Models.
 
“PJ & Co. Models is a Finishing School, Modeling School, Modeling Agency and Production Company; all are intertwined,” PJ explained. This is Danielle’s “mother” agency, which watches over her career and provides guidance and support. Photogenics of L.A. is the primary agency for Danielle. They are the ones who assign her to clients.
“She had all the assets of becoming a model,” says PJ. “After slow, careful training, she became one of my loveliest stars….Danielle has not lost herself…she is one of the most selfless young women I have ever taught.”
 
Doing whatever it takes to get ahead seems to be the rumor that surrounds the modeling industry. How do you keep from losing yourself? Danielle clarified that not everything in modeling is like what we have seen from “America’s Next Top Model” and other modeling reality shows.
 
“I also had the vision of the modeling world that the reality television put in our heads,” admits Danielle. “[But] I meet new and amazing people every day. Everyone has different visions and it blows [my] mind; it’s so incredible.”
 
So what is it really like in the world of modeling?
“Shoots are normally very mellow; the crew is passionate about what they do, from the model to the photographer to the stylist and the hair/makeup. Everyone is stoked to be there and they put in their best efforts.” Danielle has a theory that reality television shows need to keep up their ratings so that explains the drama. However, there is some truth to the matter.
 
“As for the other girls, I mean, they’re girls. Girls and drama go together; I think it’s a proven fact,” Danielle joked. As for the drug aspect of the rumors, Danielle says it is not as popular as people have been led to believe. She doesn’t let herself get into situations where she would have to deal with it. This has been easy to do since she has not been faced with the problem in the two years that she has been in Los Angeles.
 
Danielle has spent many hours practicing to get where she is today. She rehearsed her posing, her runway walk, moving in front of the camera. She practiced until everything became second nature. “…When the camera turns on, I go into a whole other world. It’s me and that lens; nothing else matters.” Danielle keeps her sanity during a photo shoot with her music. But she also takes pleasure in being surrounded by the mayhem of shoots and events. “I always say the runway is my sport. It’s so fast paced and gets my heart pumping a million miles an hour. I love it,” Danielle said.
 
Seeing herself in magazines was something Danielle had to get used to. But now, she analyzes her photos while her mom shows each new picture to everyone, according to Danielle. “My photographs are definitely my learning tool. If I see something I don't like about it, I can try to fix it the next time. Were my eyes to wide? Too squinted? Was it a bad angle? Should I put my face up more towards the light or even down farther to exaggerate my chin? 1 centimeter can make a huge difference in the modeling world.”
 
During one of her first shows, Danielle experienced a minor outfit mishap. She was doing a runway show wearing a strapless gown and it began slipping down.“Thank God I had on a bra,” she chuckled. “But since it was one of my first shows, I was kind of embarrassed.”Being a model has gone from a hobby to a job to a dream come true for Danielle. She is still living the dream today and it keeps getting better and better.