UTRGV student wins state Model of the Year award

Brownsville, Texas–When most people think of fashion, they automatically think of Milan, Paris or the New York Fashion Week. They also think of well-known models such as Kendall Jenner, Gigi and Bella Hadid and Winnie Harlow. Big brands such as Givenchy, Dior and Balenciaga are not left out. But how many of us think about the hundreds of models who aspire to live out their dream on the runway? 

For Nolan “Fish” Navarro, a model and student at UTRGV, modeling is more than a dream. It is a part of who they are and a vessel of their voice. Fish, who uses the pronouns they/them, started modeling at 15. Now, at the age of 24, Fish has grown into the role in more ways than one. 

Fish said at the beginning of their career, they were more involved in the production aspect of modeling rather than the actual modeling. The reason behind this, they said, was their lack of confidence. After dealing with bullies and the difficulties of adolescence, Fish decided to take those negative situations and use them to find themselves and get through the turbulent times. They said, “It was kind of like a double life situation. I was getting bullied in school, and after school, I was trying to be a supermodel.” 

While modeling, Fish became intrigued, excited and passionate about something that would change their lives forever. After working with Lady Gaga on a shoot, Bob’s Campaign and endless shows for the Paris, Milan, New York and London Fashion Week, the world of fashion became an essential piece of their identity. 

Specifically, runway modeling has been their focus since turning 18 given that “[They] just feel like that platform gives [them] a reason to push the whole non-binary identity.” To them, runway modeling is more than the clothes, shows, shoots and makeup. It also allows them to be an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Coming from South Texas, Fish said they are focused on “really just fighting for our rights down here in the Valley. [That] is where I want to go in terms of like modeling.” 

This year, Fish received the Model of the Year award from the Texas Fashion Awards. To get this award, one must be nominated by at least one person. The individual(s) who nominates is anonymous and does not have to be from Texas as long as the nominee for a specific category is from Texas. After this, a committee votes on the nominees and the winner receives the award during The Texas Fashion Awards reception. Though Fish was unable to attend the reception, they said they were grateful to receive the award. To them, the award meant visibility. They said they “feel like with me winning Model of the Year in Texas, that says a lot, because Texas is so conservative … to be able to just win this award, and use my identity and stand up for myself in that sense, it just really gives me a sense of like, I guess I feel a little bit more comfortable.” To them, and many others in the LGBTQ+ community, this award puts them one step closer changing the direction of the fashion industry. 

What is next for Fish? They are working on the casting and management side of the modeling industry. Their goal is to “create an environment where [they] have models, and [they] can talk to them about what they want to do and put them in the right environment versus forcing anybody to do something they didn’t want to do.” To do this, they launched their casting management company in September 2020.  The company’s goal is to change the standard of what a model should/could be. As Fish has proven, there are many different aspects of the fashion industry that one can engage in.