Glamour Girl! California Golden Babe! Q and A With Maxim Hottie and Elite Private Model, Amy Taylor!

Bikinis. Swimsuit. Lingerie. Welcome to Glamour Girl!, INSCMagazine’s new bi-weekly feature that will appear every Monday and Friday.

GG! will feature some of today’s hottest bikini, swimsuit, Instagram and fitness models, bloggers, influencers and actresses today in the realm of lifestyle, modeling and entertainment, with a touch of style, class, quality in-depth writing and eye-catching images.

Beauty and Brains.

Oftentimes many do not associate the two when it comes to models. For what seems to be an eternity, models have often be labelled as “dumb”, “airheads” or “bimbos” who mainly got by on their physical looks and appearance. Thanks to the Age Of Social Media, that perception has not been turned on it’s head.

Notable models and social media personalities such as Kim Kardashian, Gisele Bundchen, Tyra Banks have managed to leverage their appearance and beauty into both a fortune as well as becing considered some of the shrewdest and most social-savvy women today. Yes, looks aren’t everything and having brains and a good business sense helps, but it doesn’t hurt either.

One such model who has broken the stereotype of being both smart and absolutely stunning is supermodel, Amy Taylor.

Taylor, born in Nitanny Lion Country in Happy Valley and raised since the age of five in California, has been in some of the biggest magazine covers such as Muscle & Fitness Hers, Maxim, FHM, or Playboy, and she already has many more covers lined up this year. Recently, Sports Illustrated named her Lovely Lady Of The Day.

But she’s not just a regular model, she’s also a commercial pilot, a member of MENSA, and received her undergraduate degree in Berkeley, and has an MBA. What else can anyone ask for in a woman? She also has the sort of curves fantasies are made of, a flowing mane of mysteriously dark brown hair and a set of piercing blue eyes, that would stop any man in his tracks.

The thirty-something beauty of Italian and Hungarian ancestry has traveled to 45 countries because travel is her only addiction.

Beauty, Brains. Curves and Intelligence. Does such a woman exist, because Amy is living proof that one does.

Now, I’m sure you are wondering where you can find this perfect woman… You can find her enjoying the sunny skies flying, keeping fit at her gym in Los Angeles, or at the beach playing with her dog. Outside of modeling, Amy is also a rabid sports fan who lives and dies by her NoCal teams in the Sacramento Kings, her alma mater Cal Bears and her hometown Los Angeles Clippers. A big hoops fan, she loves both King James and The Chef, but will gladly proclaim M.J. as the G.O.A.T.

Below is my Q and A with this Berkeley bombshell as we talk modeling, MENSA, flying , overcoming the dumb model stereotype and why Stanford is just…Stanford.

 

Who Is She?

Name: Amy Taylor

Age: 39

Height: 5’6

Birthplace: Happy Valley, Pennsylania

Measurements: 32D-26-36

Notable Publications/Media:

• Maxim Africa: May 2017
• Playboy Africa: June 2017
• Esquire Latin America: July 2017
• Men’s Health Latin America: August 2017
• Women Fitness: August 2017
• GQ Mexico: August 2017
• Consumer Health Digest: August, September, October 2017, January 2018
• Sports Illustrated: December 2017
• Playboy Italy: December 2017 &May 2018
• FHM Sweden: May 2018
• Muscle and Fitness Hers South Africa: May 2018
• FHM South Africa: July 2018

Social Media Links: Instagram: @AmyTaylorLA | Twitter:  @AmyTaylor1 | Facebook: www.Facebook.com/AmyTaylorInLA

Tell us all a little about you? I was born on the East Coast, but have been a Californian since I was 5.  I’ve been modeling since I was a teenager; while modeling, I attended college at U.C. Berkeley and then I came to Los Angeles to get my MBA. I have one older sister, and my parents are still married and madly in love.

I had a pretty great upbringing (I was lucky), and while I have chosen to remain child-free, I live with a little scruffy dog who’s definitely the main man in my life. No shade to the men I date, I love y’all too! I love to shoot, play golf, stay fit, cook, play piano and travel…and I still hope to perhaps go back and finally finish my Ph.D. one of these days. We’ll see!

Who is Amy Taylor, the person? Well, I’m an ENTJ, if you’re into the Myers-Briggs thing.  I think it’s a fairly accurate description of me, perhaps?  I’ve accomplished some things I’m proud of in my years on earth (a graduate degree, commercial pilot’s licenses, lots of hobbies and interests, travel, achieved some degree of independence and planned for my future, and also given a great deal back to family and charity).  However, I have some weaknesses (I write people off maybe too easily if I dislike them, I can lack compassion for people who behave in ways I don’t like). 

I suppose my strengths and weaknesses are actually the same thing:  I’m exceedingly interested in being a person who makes the most of my short life, and I like only people who do the same.  I’m not much for drama and wasted time, and therefore I’m a person of action who likes the same sort of personality in others.  It’s very important to me to not have wasted my time on the planet…and so far, I think I’ve definitely been the person I’ve wanted to be, in that sense.

Introduce us to a day in your life. On days that I’m home, I typically wake up around 7 a.m., walk my dog, shower and dress, have breakfast and coffee, and work on the computer through lunch.  After lunch I work out—weights, cardio, then yoga.  I then run any needed errands and do any needed housework, and by the late afternoon/early evening I get ready for whatever plans I have in the evening with friends, clients, family, or by myself.  I get home from those plans late at night, walk the dog again, and go to sleep before midnight.

On days that I’m out of town, the day can vary:  I might spend the entire day at a spa, in nature, being a tourist, trying new foods, or just stay in bed by myself or even better, with someone special (wink)!

Why was it important for you to pursue additional educational opportunities? I have a thirst for knowledge (it’s probably genetic; both of my parents have advanced degrees and worked in universities).  Simply put, I have a high degree of inborn curiosity, causing an internal motivation to love intellectual pursuits. 

There are plenty of other avenues for the interested mind than going to Berkeley and getting an MBA, as I did, but for me the degrees were passports into a world of working and learning around other intelligent, curious, like-minded people. 

Of course, it was also an investment, a certificate that gave me higher earning potential when I worked for a company after my MBA (before I became a professional pilot), so there were pragmatic reasons to obtain the education I did. 

The nonmaterial awards of social standing and prestige are unimportant to me, but they fulfill my family’s ambitions of having children who were well-educated…so it made my parents happy.  Didn’t cancel out their unhappiness at me modeling nearly naked, haha, but perhaps quelled some of their fury at my other choices!

Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit? I try to eat somewhat healthfully; however, I don’t deny myself enjoyment.  I’ve eaten Paleo, and sure, my body gets even better (I’ll do that before photo shoots).  But I drink wine, eat bread, enjoy chocolate…this is a short life, and I’m not going to skip delicious food just to have even leaner muscles.  Food is one of life’s pleasures…I’m here to taste all of life.

You have been featured in top magazines like Maxim, Playboy, etc. Give us your Top 3 Tips to give your best shot in a magazine photoshoot.

1.  Eat healthfully the weeks prior to the shoot; slender looks better on camera, so be a few pounds lighter than normal.  You can eat that pizza after the shoot, haha.
2.  Use bronzer with shimmer; when the lights pop, your skin will be beautiful
3.  Learn your angles so that you’re aware of what camera sees (practice in the mirror).  Be able to deliver 10-20 solid shots, so that you’re not wasting the crew’s time.

What is your greatest life achievement thus far? Becoming myself in a world that was trying to make me into someone who made me miserable.  My life has been a work in progress so far, with little successes and monumental failures, but I’ve been fortunate to experience many wonderful things and survive many horrifying ones.  So honestly, thriving and living my truth has been the only achievement about which I know has value, in the years I’ve been alive so far.

Define “Glamour Girl” what does it mean to you? To me, that means the type of girl who’s really into fashion, makeup and hair styling. She puts effort into her looks, usually being polished and styled. I think of her as much less sloppy than my beach-yoga-chick self, who only invests all the time to get really done up when I have plans that require it. Maybe I shouldn’t admit that, haha.

Thoughts on the rise in popularity of models on Instagram? I think it’s great in many ways (it upends the traditional scouting methods and power held by agencies, photographers, and others who in the past have too-often been abusers of models). I love how the authenticity of Instagram’s formatting has slanted preferences toward “real” (though they aren’t totally) photos, over the wildly alien images modeling used to prefer. I love the global reach anyone can have now, via the Internet, and how public preferences for healthier body weights has moved us slightly away from bodies built too often by cocaine and eating disorders.

However, it’s also problematic in many ways: since a strong portfolio matters less than followers and likes now, the largely-Russian business of selling likes and followers has exploded, rendering a lot of fandom artificial. And with everyone jumping on the Instagram bandwagon of “connection,” the voyeuristic nature of all of us wanting to be invited into models’ “real” lives is starting to get downright creepy. Models don’t owe the internet their entire souls, simply for fame and/or money.

As a member of MENSA, the general cultural stereotype of models has always been that as a bit air-headed, what are your thoughts on this? This irks me to no end…most people have an aversion to racism and prejudice, yet they continue to laugh and look down on models because of nothing other than our modeling. Sure, I’m a model; I’m cashing in on a cultural legacy that prizes certain female features…that means in one way I’m privileged. In one way, I won the lottery. But I’m subjected to a stereotype of low intellectual ability (so much so that magazines still write articles about me being a model and in MENSA, since that shocks the public).

If I ever want to run for office, but my resume will say that I was on the cover of Playboy, people will reject me. And the barriers in life go way beyond my inability to be taken seriously in the world of politics; the world has decided that if you’re beautiful your head is empty. I tell people far too early when I meet them that I went to Berkeley, that I’m a pilot, that I have an MBA.

Why? Because they lead with a focus on my looks and sex appeal; only once they know I’m also smart, do I get treated with a bit of respect. Sure, I also benefit from my looks (I don’t pay for drinks and men are always way too nice to me), but the “dumb model” stereotype, like all stereotypes reduces me from a person to a category.

Brains or beauty, what do you feel defines you the most? I’d like it to be brains, but (sadly) it’s probably beauty.

You are also a commercial pilot, how did that come about? I decided to become a commercial pilot because I’ve always loved aviation. My grandfather was a pilot, and I’ve loved flying since I flew with him as a child. I flew as a hobby long before I flew professionally. I fly regularly; it never takes a back seat to modeling. I currently fly a variety of piston single and multiengine aircraft (Diamond models), but I’ve flown a few turboprops (Beechcraft models) and jets (Bombardier and Cessna models) in the past.

Did you ever dream of serving in the military as a pilot? No; my temperament (independent, often anti-authority, totally against war and utterly disgusted by politics and powermongers) would render me awful at serving in the military. I’ll stick to the jobs at which I’m more capable.

Fave plane to fly? That I’ve flown? The CRJ-900. That I haven’t? The Citation X.

Fave jet plane? Non-military? The Citation X. Of all time? Not really a jet, but a turbojet: the SR-71.

Pumpkin spice, Salted Caramel or Peppermint Mocha? Salted Caramel, all day long.

With fall coming up, what fashion and fitness tips and trends do you have for looking good and staying in shape when the temperature rises? Fashion trends: I see summer as a reason to incorporate new fabrics, styles and colors into my wardrobe. Lightweight, breathable, natural fibers (cotton, linen, wool) are best for hot weather. For bottoms, I like seersucker, poplin and madras better than twill (jeans); for tops, broadcloth is a lot more comfortable than Oxford or Herrringbone weaves. Don’t wear synthetics unless you like to stink…for real. Wear hats (with holes for ventilation), and try loafers or sandals (same thing, holes for airflow).

Fitness tips during warm weather: Stay hydrated (drink water before, during and after exercise), wear lightweight breathable clothing, keep cool before and after your workout, replace electrolytes, and watch your sun exposure!

G-string, thong, frenchies or commando, which do you prefer? Commando. Less is more.

What would you say is your best feature? My abs.

What makes you feel sexy? Fancy hotel suites.

What exudes sexiness? A man in a great suit.

Best/worst pickup line you’ve heard?

• Best: Your chromosomes have combined beautifully. (OK don’t judge me, I love nerdy men!)
• Worst: Wanna fuck? (guys, unless you have a humiliation fetish, you don’t want to try this crap with me.)

What attracts you most to a man? His ability to stand me (ask my exes, it isn’t always easy).

What is THE one hot fashion item that you must have/or get this season? I can’t pick just one! My current shopping list includes the Balenciaga Ville purse, something in lavender, and a great jumpsuit. The one item trending that I refuse to get is anything PVC (just nope on this…the sweat that would ensue living in Los Angeles? Yuck!).

Athleisure? Fashion or fitness fad? Fashion, of course. It won’t always be as popular as it is (styles change), but it’s completely logical (doesn’t need tailoring or dry cleaning, is comfortable, looks good on many, makes life simpler), so its success is a no-brainer. I’d love for it to be the norm forever…to hell with the haters, bring on the yoga pants.

Fave music? Mozart. Everything he did is utter heaven.

Sports: Any favorite teams, clubs and players?

• Favorite teams and clubs: Sacramento Kings, Cal Bears, Los Angeles Clippers
• Favorite players: right now? LeBron James, Stephen Curry. All time? Gotta be Jordan.

What advice would you give to women aspiring to get into modeling? To a newcomer, I’d advise using great caution when agreeing to work with photographers and/or agency owners who offer to shoot or represent you (lots of them are sleaze bags…sadly, the Internet has allowed the proliferation of a lot of bad characters, many of whom seem very professional at first).

I might, instead if I were starting out now, shoot my own test shots and market myself to agencies to see if the industry’s interested. I learned by starting the way I did that even some very well-regarded people in this industry are horrible, and some lesser known people are great. I learned to use care and judgment when choosing jobs, partnerships and representation. I’ve made mistakes along the way, like everyone else!

Special thanks to Amy Taylor, Marisa Sanchez and SGG Public Relations for their assistance during this Glamour Girl! Q and A feature Email us at inscglamourgirl@theinscribermag.com if you feel that you have the look of being our next GG! girl.

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