Issue 5: TREVOR BELL
- yo͞o SHo͝od nō
- Sep 1, 2022
- 8 min read
Read The Story: TREVOR BELL
the cred.
Starring: Trevor Bell, @TrevorBell
Photographer: Christopher Paschal, @J.PaschalPhoto
Words: Kelly Plourde, @Kelly_In_CT
Fashion Styling: Ryan Christopher, @RyanIsStyle
Grooming: Brittany Thomas, @SkinBaeSaidSo
Executive Producer: EJ Jamele, @EJ_Jamele
Art Director: Derek Blanks, @MrDBlanks
TREVOR BELL
by Kelly Plourde
Small-town Boy Shoots for the Moon & Lands Among Stars!
It’s a headline that doesn’t get old. It evokes so much emotion from the dreamer in all of us and it’s so much sweeter when the boy in question grows into a man of substance; one who knows the value of putting your shoulder to the wheel and working hard, win or learn, to create a life to be proud of and that is exactly what Trevor Bell has done. From his small-town beginnings in Fannett, Texas; to his years playing college football at Columbia University while attaining a History degree. His collegiate success garnered an invitation to play in the CFL, ultimately finding himself working full-time in wealth management while building a huge social media following which gave rise and wings to a modeling contract with Wilhelmina. Trevor soon thereafter added acting credits to his ever growing resume and through it all Trevor has stayed true to himself and what he brings to the table, allowing himself to learn and grow as he pursues his ever evolving dreams.
“Acting has been a long-term passion of mine. When thinking about what brought me to football, it’s entertainment. It’s being in front of the crowds, evoking emotion, that’s kind of where that dream was born. These moguls I look up to like Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds, they are multifaceted. I was blessed to be able to sit down and have a one-on-one with Ryan Reynolds and one of my takeaways from him was once you figure out what you stand for, stick with it. Find what your message is and let that transcend different industries to create something to inspire people.”
Before acting, came modeling, and a bit of trepidation in entering that world due in large part to the pervasive culture of toxic masculinity and homophobia that surrounded Bell in his athletic career. He didn’t blame his teammates for their close-mindedness, he puts the impetus squarely on a lack of exposure and a society that holds men to a standard of stoic forbearance over everything.
“When it came to modeling, it allowed me to try things I never thought I would. I never would have thought of being an underwear model. If I would have let toxic masculinity, for lack of a better term, win, then I would never have been signed with Wilhelmina and been a face for Nike underwear. Being a male model in general and leaving the typical jock world of college and going into a more creative space is very different.
'When I first started doing fitness modeling, my eyes were opened to how boxed in men are in terms of what society deems as appropriate for a ‘traditional man’ to do. That definitely distanced me from my college football counterparts. I have an older brother who is gay and so growing up I was lucky enough to understand more of the LGBTQ+ community and being involved in activism in that way helped me embrace not just my super masculine side but allowing myself to be vulnerable.”
His message on social media is one of inspiration; transcending beyond just the physique to include the psyche as well. Being a new, single dad has pushed him further out of his comfort zone than he ever thought possible, forcing him to examine his goals, reset priorities and allowing people to see him not just as a body, but as a human being with faults and anxieties just like everyone else. Becoming a dad last year opened up his eyes to a whole new depth of emotion in his life. It also brought him to a place he never thought he would be, for the first time he found himself out of the immaculate shape he had always been in and in a much different headspace.
“People were always looking up to me for fitness inspiration and for those first 6 months after she was born it was hard for me to post anything. I just went dark and stopped posting for a while, I didn’t want to share what I was going through, I felt like I was being a burden. It didn’t occur to me that I was doing more harm than good until I was getting messages from people checking in on me. That’s when I allowed myself to be honest and let people know how I was feeling; it opened a new layer for people to connect with me on a deeper level.”
Opening up to people and finding his own space to express himself fully has been not only rewarding for him, but also in his relationship with his daughter. When asked what lessons he has learned as a dad he said, “It has reiterated the importance of vulnerability to me. Having a child, I have to be able to be open with my emotions, giving good night kisses and playing with dolls is taking that vulnerability to a new level, but also all the joy that comes with it! It’s teaching me patience, and a different level of work ethic that I didn’t know I had, and I think that’s helping my career. It taught me how hard I could push myself in different capacities that have seeped into everything that I do.”
Which is exactly what he has done in this photoshoot, he has pushed himself to create something new and different with the guidance of the talented photographer, Christopher Paschal.
“The shoot went so well, Chris is a creative genius. I didn’t know what to expect going in, which is typical. It definitely took me out of my comfort zone, but Chris was great at getting me comfortable and into a groove to get the shots. I’m really happy and excited for them to come out. They’re a little bit different for me, people will be surprised by some of the shots, they’re used to me doing commercial fitness and these are more editorial.”
Discussing the industry and standards that have been set for models he admits, "I wasn’t even supposed to be a model, the industry standard is a minimum height of 5’10 to be a fitness model and I’m way under that. Many of the most famous people out there don’t fit the industry standards though, so I am focused on that fact more than standards unfairly set on something out of our control.”
His social media posts became his ladder to success in an industry that at first glance would have turned him down. “History shows us that the people greatest in their industries all overcame an obstacle that told them they couldn’t do it. They said, "I’m doing it anyway" and that ended up changing everything. That proves to me that I really can do anything I want. A motto I try to live by is… If you don’t have it, create it.”
When encouraged to speak his next dream into existence he admitted he always admired Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. “How he carries himself from a fitness standpoint, an acting standpoint, as a businessman and family man, he’s been so inspirational to me. I think acting in a superhero movie and sharing the big screen with him would be huge.”
It’s safe to say this intelligent young man’s allure extends beyond his impeccable and naturally gained physique, 5.2 million followers on TikTok alone would agree that with his solid work ethic and down to earth sense of humor, he’s a star on the inevitable rise.
CONTRIUBTOR HIGHLIGHT
by Kelly Plourde
From the earliest collection of fashion photographs by Adophe Braun in 1856 to the latest spread in Vogue; since its inception Fashion Photography has captured the imaginations, hearts and desires of many millions of people over nearly two centuries. Coupled with the advent of the internet and rise of social media, a new, and dare I say more creative, wave of fashion photography has given rise to some of the most innovative storytellers the medium has seen thus far.
Christopher Paschal is one of those up and coming innovators. Learning as he grew as an artist in a variety of mediums and with persistence and timing he found his way to the tutelage of the renowned photographer Derek Blanks, a mentorship that he is profoundly grateful for. This photographer’s passion for storytelling through his lens is evident in the way he creates an atmosphere of ease for his subjects during the shoot, allowing him to breathe life into the still shots he creates.
“I’ve always been drawn to any kind of artistic expression whether it be dance or writing; photography just came naturally. I was always the one handed the camera at family functions and when going out with my friends. I always took care when photographing myself as well and it just blossomed from there.”
In 2016 while he was finishing up his masters degree in business administration in Houston, Texas, his brother had gotten him his first professional camera. Christopher’ passion for the art had him utilizing YouTube and Google to find out everything he could to improve his craft. He had thoughts about making a career out of it, even answering an ‘Assistant wanted" post on Instagram by the aforementioned Derek Blanks.
“I have always admired Derek, I had been following him for years on social media. His clean work and his attention to detail, I wanted my work to look like his. He posted a shout out for new assistants when I was still living in Houston. I reached out and told him that if I was in Atlanta I would want to participate, basically planting a seed.”
Fast Forward to 2019, a new job in Special events and catering had taken him across the country to Atlanta and within a year, the pandemic hit. Laid off and trying to figure out how he was going to survive, he decided to take control of that seed he had planted years before and reach out to Derek through social media for a second time.
“He posted again looking for assistants or interns and at this point I knew I would kick myself if I didn’t go for it, I had the time and there was the opportunity. To make a long story short, it’s been the most phenomenal experience to date. It’s been the journey I didn’t know I needed to get to where I am. He’s the best mentor I’ve ever worked with. He gives so freely of himself, his knowledge; he provides a space to grow as an artist”
His training and studious efforts have paid off in this shoot with Trevor Bell, the actor/model praising him for his kindness and care during a shoot that was outside of Trevor’s sports photography and underwear modeling comfort zone.
“Ultimately what I want is for whoever I’m shooting to walk away feeling good about the experience and to capture the emotions in the photographs. In this shoot with Trevor, I was going for clean editorial fashion; stylized, good composition, strong images of what he projects as an artist.”
When asked what’s on the horizon for him, he said, “I’m really drawn to the strength and beauty of Black women. I was raised in a household with really strong, beautiful Black women and witnessed a variety of emotions, journeys and stories. With age I understand more of why they walked and talked the way they did and I’d like to capture and display more of that with my photography.”
With such a superb mentor, strong sense of artistry and self-awareness, we should expect nothing less than more magnificent work on the horizon from Christopher Paschal.