Today we’d like to introduce you to Augustin Bras.
Augustin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey started back in 2013 when my friend and I were at my house just talking about life and out of nowhere my friend told me “Have you ever thought about having a fan base?” not to mention I was a semi-popular kid in my neighborhood and in school, I was known as “El Yankee” a foreign kid from the USA moving to Argentina was a big deal, I gained quite the popularity. After discussing with my friend about this “Fan Base” we then created a group on Facebook called “Las Galvanistas” we used my surname as a start. Being popular at 13 years old in Argentina was a game changer, I would post singing covers and do pop-up shows in clubs (which were called Matinee for teenagers) helped me gain more attention on social media. A year later trying to figure out my journey and place in life I then wanted to start modeling. becoming a model started back in 2014, I had gone to a couple of auditions and applied to some agencies in Argentina thinking I was going to get picked each time and get a yes from everyone… that wasn’t the case. The word “No” is something I’ve learned how to deal with throughout my career. I remember being on Facebook one morning and seeing a post about a “Free photoshoot” that consisted of competing with roughly 10 other participants, I looked into it, applied and a week after started the competition. At that time my Mom was a single parent trying to maintain a job to care for her 5 kids and paying a photographer was the last of her concerns, so I knew I had to do the work myself. the competition consisted of: posting a picture and whoever got the most likes, won, it lasted for about a month. going back I remember staying up long nights promoting my pictures and sending individual messages to users I didn’t even know and it was very very intense. Finally, the competition ended and I got second place which was great for me.
I didn’t get a free shoot but the photographer did give me a discount for my hard work, luckily I was working as a dog sitter and was able to help my mom pay off some of that shoot. My mom was very weary about my goals & like every other parent, thought it was a waste of time and wasn’t a secure career however, a month after having that photoshoot I received the pictures and she was in LOVE, after that, she began supporting me telling everyone: “that’s my son he’s going to be a supermodel one day and you’ll get see him on every billboard” hearing that made my heart feel warm.
A couple of months passed and I was told I had to move back to the USA with my dad due to me coming out to my religious family, on top of that being LGBTQ+ living in South America was not safe. Me already having a fan base and had started my career I thought it was going to be the same fairy tale in the USA as it was in Argentina. When I arrived in Chicago in 2016 my dreams of becoming a star were ruined, and my high hopes crumbled when I saw how different everything was. It felt like I had to start from scratch and this was very upsetting. 16 years old me didn’t give up just yet, I kept in contact with my fan base, I kept doing videos for my page, and kept interacting with my fans through the group that was created, but after doing that for so long I felt that they became bored of me because I wasn’t there physically, Argentina at that time had a big group of teens getting the same attention even more than what I was getting. In 2018 I was discouraged, alone, self-conscious, and dealing with so much, being away from my family, trying for them to accept me, as well as trying to accept myself. It felt like everything hit me at once and giving up was easier than trying. I felt so depressed that I had given up
At that time of my life I had turned towards writing music and creating lyrics that best described my life, I would write all day and night telling myself everything is going to be ok. I had fallen in love with how many people actually cared about me without even knowing me personally and wanted to know how I was, what I was doing, where I was, what was next to come, and for all of that to go away in a moment In my life where I needed it the most made me feel empty.
A couple of months passed and I moved to Minnesota where I then started working at forever 21 with my sister, best job experience I’ve ever had. I was happy enough to make some good friends, especially one friend that I’m grateful to still be in touch with, Naymal had a clothing brand she was starting. Whenever Naymal and I would work together she would always tell me “you’re going to be a supermodel one day and model for my brand” us being goofy we would continue working and pretend the fitting room was a runway. She sadly quit and I moved on to another job but we did exchange socials and stayed in touch. a couple of months later in December of 2018, I received a message on instagram from Naymal, she had asked me to be a model for her first-ever catalog for her clothing brand, after 2 years of not being in front of a camera I had to say yes, especially for a friend that kept her word. My whole perspective of life and career changed right after that photoshoot, I then was part of her annual runways and promo shoots which helped me gain confidence and connect with fashion models and photographers here in Minnesota. Everything was going so well for me until covid happened in 2019 when I moved to Chicago to live with my sister. I tried not to get discouraged again and always reminded myself “everything happens for a reason” during that time in quarantine I was contacted by my current agent and signed a contract with them, Mother Agency “Liz J Models” and since then I always had a positive attitude and repeated to myself that I had to keep calm even during times where giving up was easier.
I’m beyond grateful for everything that has happened to me, good or bad everything happens for a reason. To this day I’m still signed with my Mother Agency. Working on my image is something that I enjoy doing, modeling has created this lifestyle that I enjoy keeping up with consistently. Life isn’t perfect, people aren’t perfect. Today, giving up is not an option and it shouldn’t be for anyone. Life is precious and there’s so much room for those who want to be successful. the industry is changing dramatically and one thing I’ve learned is “if one door closes 2 more will open, if those 2 doors close 4 more will open and you’ll get a yes from one of them.” Believing in yourself should be a priority, not everyone sees your vision but as long as you have a positive mindset, a good circle of friends, and a healthy life you’ll get to where YOU want to be. When it comes to your life being selfish is not a bad thing, wanting more is what you should aim for every day.
Remember this is your life, your goals, and your journey so why let others run it for you when you can be the main character at all times in your own world?
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I’d want to say the main struggle for me was trying to imitate other people on social media, I’ve always wanted this perfect life where everything was just the way I wanted, and adapting to behaviors that are not for me was a challenge. Also getting in my head and letting other people’s opinions dictate my life was hard to manage especially when my whole life was being seen on social media.
Being LGBTQ+ was hard for me, in the beginning, I thought I was going to lose my fan base, and my career, but I didn’t think I was going to make it to where I’m now. growing up, I taught myself to act and be different so that people can accept me but in reality, no matter who or what you are, there will always be people who disagree with your beliefs.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m currently a signed model in Minnesota working on my image and portfolio, I’m also a musician and dedicate most of my days to writing lyrics and making beats in my head. I’m more known for my modeling career than my music, I eventually want to dedicate my life to music and create lyrics that can help others.
I’m proud of myself for not giving up, of always having my head up high and reminding myself that this is my life, I get to live it the way I want to. I feel like the type of energy I bring to the room and the way I think sets me apart from others, I’m me, I’m who I always wanted to be.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Life is short and is not guaranteed, living afraid of what others think of you can ruin your future and goals. Knowing that patience is key to a healthy life.
Being in a house for several months took lots of patience and helped me dedicate myself to learning about myself and knowing what I was dealing with.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agubras
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AguBras
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Agubras
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaf5n7ZWaR3u3Qh6fy45q1Q
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@agubras
Image Credits
@darbie.ie and @ic.photos.mn
