Amanda Steele

BY HEATHER MARIE COMBS @1heather_marie

From YouTuber to influencer, and from influencer to fashion designer, Amanda Steele always knew what she wanted, and that´s living life to its fullest and working hard on pursuing her dreams and become the person who she really wanted to be. In this interview, she shares with us her experiences during this process.

PHOTOGRAPHER: ROCH ARMANDO @rocharmando WARDROBE STYLIST: DANI MICHELLE @danixmichelle MAKEUP artist: MARIAH NICOLE @mariahnicolebeauty hair STYLIST: ALEX THAO @alexthaohair

What do you love most about your exciting, yet less than conventional career?

I love that I can always follow my passions with support behind me. I am able to try new things and as long as I am being honest, open, and true to myself, I get massive support. It is so much fun being able to make things that are normally seen as hobbies, a real job. When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.

Your career began on YouTube, what do you value most about your journey to actress/model/entrepreneur now fashion designer?

Starting out on YouTube, I was just a girl who had big dreams. I had no idea my YouTube channel would actually get me here, but I always have dreamt of becoming who I am now. I love that I was able to share online all of the things I dreamt of and then actually manifested it into my life. I am now what the little girl who started MakeupbyMandy24 wanted to be when she grew up, not even knowing it was a possibility. I am just so proud of how far I’ve come and how I’m living out my dreams.

Tell us about your clothing line, STEELE: How would you describe the signature style of your collections?

I would describe STEELE as an overall sophisticated but cool girl. This brand really embodies the vibe of not just my style, but personality. STEELE makes me and those who wear it feel sexy, confident, and smart. My favorite looks are ones where I feel like a professional but fun girl at the same time. I feel like a lot of my pieces are gender neutral and I think it’s just super sick to feel masculine and feminine at the same time. I notice and embrace those two sides to me and this brand shows you can be both!

What is one thing most people would not know about what goes into creating a clothing line?

Most people might not know how much you have to design and prep ahead of time. I am always finishing up a collection while I am working on the next two. The process takes a while so you have to always be ahead.

What does fashion mean to you?

Fashion to me means a physical representation of a feeling. I love fashion because I can change up my look and style depending on how I feel. Wearing looks that match how I am feeling on the inside is really fun to show the world. Walking out in an outfit that represents how you feel is so empowering to me. It’s a way to set an initial judgment of who I might be to the world. Certain styles radiate a vibe to others that I love having control over.

Tell us about your first encounter with fashion. What about it stayed with you?

I just remember playing dress up as a kid. I am the type of person who likes to stand out and I think when I would put on dress up clothes as a kid I felt like I was playing a character. It was just so fun for me to play with looks that brought out different sides of me. I loved seeing certain looks, imagining what kind of person would wear these things, and decide what style it was I wanted to show to the world.

As an influencer, what would you say is your message to your audience?

My message to my audience is to be yourself regardless of social norms and follow your heart. I have always been open about going through phases, finding myself, and just doing what you dream of even if it seems impossible. I believe I am a powerful, successful woman image to my followers encouraging them to be a boss and to live for yourself. I try to express that you can be whatever you want to be and to never give up on your dreams.

What advice would you give to an aspiring influencer and entrepreneur in the fashion industry?

The advice I would give to an aspiring influencer and entrepreneur in the fashion industry would be to find what makes you special and embrace it. It is easy to compare yourself and try to follow the path that others have taken, but the only way to make it is to show what makes you different. It is important to find your personal style and embrace that. There are so many influencers and so many fashion brands that if you’re not offering something different, there is no incentive to choose yours. Being able to nail a style that is exclusive to who you are or what your brand is, is key to making success.

Where do you find inspiration for your daily style? For STEELE?

I have always found style inspiration from the internet. I love just scrolling and saving styles I resonate with on Instagram or Pinterest. I know what brands I love and are similar to my style, so always checking those and their archive pieces to inspire me every day. After looking through lots of inspiration photos, I will have them in the back of my mind. While picking out my own looks or creating for STEELE, I can mash together vibes I love from other brands and what I feel most me in. No one’s brand or style will match me completely, so when I am open to taking inspiration from lots of different places and adding my own to it, I feel really stylish and unique.

What do you think are the best and worst colors to wear?

I think the best color to wear is black. I believe everyone looks good in black and choosing black over another color will always look best. Black is just clean, simple, sophisticated and also edgy! I can’t say there's a worst color to wear, because I am always open to new trends and looks even outside my comfort zone.

What is your go-to makeup look?

My go-to makeup look is glowy bronzed skin, browns on my eyes, thick brows, and a matte mauve colored lip.

What trend will you never get tired of?

I will never get tired of the all black trend! I know wearing all black was a trend but I will always feel comfortable and chic in an all black outfit.

What is your favorite beauty trick? Favorite fashion trick?

My favorite beauty trick out of the normal would be using a hydrating balm like Aquaphor as a highlighter. It’s a nice way to add glow and shine to your face without having harsh powder or sparkles. My favorite fashion trick is throwing a pair of heels on a super casual outfit. I think its easy and super cool to just add a pair of pumps to even a sweatsuit to look put together in an instant.

What designers most inspire you and why?

I am inspired aesthetically by Alexander Wang, Vivian Westwood, Helmut Lang, Celine, YSL, Margiela and many more!

What look do you hate to see at fashion events? Love to see?

I can’t hate any look at fashion events because I appreciate everyone’s self-expression through style. I only sometimes don’t love seeing people do too much. A lot of times people are going over the top to be noticed, different, or fashionable when it sometimes comes off tacky. I understand if this is your personal style, I love that! But, if you’re new to the game and throwing on everything that is stereotypical for a “fashion show” you’ll stand out in not the best way. Do you, rock what makes you feel comfortable, express yourself, but fashion is not about trying to fit in. I do absolutely love seeing people wearing things that could be seen as crazy or unusual but you can just tell that is who they are and that is their style! They rock it unapologetically and that makes me so happy to see.

How do you manage your social media personality to your mainstream life?

It is a very blurred line of social media personality and my real life especially living in LA surrounded by everyone who does the same. When I am having intimate moments with people I like to keep that private and not have my phone out. But if things make sense for good content, I will capture it to show my followers. The difference in who I am in person versus online is just that online is more filtered. I am aware of who is watching and what content people want to see, so it will at times be a little bit more bubbly and colorful than who I am in person. Sometimes it’s weird when my friends watch my videos in front of me because who I am online is a certain part of Amanda who is talking to a different group of people than my personal friend group. Everything is still me, but online I just know what people I am talking to and a lot of times it is different than those in my personal life.

What do you value most about your online presence?

I value that my online presence is not built around the scandal. I find most people that have a type of following I do sell out a bit in order to get attention. I truly am online as Amanda Steele and those who follow me get that. I love that I am known from my achievements and success over the years rather than dating someone or being friends with someone. I like that I represent a self-made woman.

If you could back, what would you tell your 10-year-old self?

I would tell my 10-year-old self to not let anyone tell you what you should or should not be doing creatively. I was insecure before and let comments online shape who I was on the internet and where I was headed with my career. If I had just ignored the hate and continued doing what my heart told me to do, I think would be even farther in my career than I am now. I also wish I could tell my 10-year-old self that she is special and unique and that I don’t need to be like anyone else in order to be cool or liked.

Final Words: What is one thing you want to say to our readers:

I would like to tell QP´s readers to never give up! Anything in this world is possible if you put your mind to it. Life gets discouraging and sometimes you get low thinking there is no way you can ever achieve your dreams. With a POSITIVE attitude and hard work, I promise you will see growth. Nothing will happen overnight, but if you can constantly move forward and always believe in what you’re doing, you’re going to get somewhere. It is important to know what you’re chasing, though. Make sure you dig deep into yourself and find what you really want out of life and stay true to that.