Lori Livingston is an Afro American Model, and Creator of TBOY CHIQ clothing line
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aised in Pennsylvania, Lori was one of those little girls whose environment was not favorable to glamorous dreams fulfillment, bus she has always felt deeply that her destiny would be something else than the poverty she was used to. Pursing her fashion model career in NYC, Lori is now the proud mother of a little boy. This Wonderwoman has managed to work for designers such as Valentino, Michael Kors and more. She has also been lead Runway Model for The Pantene Total You Tour all across the US featuring Eva Pigfort, Mary Mary, & Tyrese Gibson, to name a few.
Whatever the new challenge Lori Livingston is unstoppable! Today she is still hungry to reach her goals… While she was in Paris for the first time in her life, to work and improve her professional network, she accepted to share with us some of her time.
Meet Lori Livingston: NYC Model, Mother, Woman and more!
Imara Medias: Pick three words that best defines u?
Lori Livingston: Ambitious, Silly, Loyal.
Imara Medias: You have done a lot of things in the Show Business, not only in the Fashion industry. Why have you finally chosen the Fashion world to evolve?
Lori Livingston: My mom always raised me like Diana Ross, so I always saw the glimmer of Diana Ross, and I just knew that was my belong. My grand mother was like the most fashion forward woman in the world to me, and she always wore the ridiculous glamorous clothes, and I wanted to be her! At the time, I did not know it was fashion, I just knew it was pretty!
Imara Medias: What does fashion represent to you now?
Lori Livingston: Fashion is who I am. In my opinion, Fashion has no right or wrong, no ending or beginning, it is just what it is. We are fashion, even you Imara, you come out with your outfit, you are Fashion, I come out with mine, that’s Fashion! Fashion to me is just who I am.
Imara Medias: You have evolved in the music industry too, pursuing a career as a singer and becoming the lead singer of a girl group to be signed to Def Jam records. Unfortunately (or not) you have been rejected by the label for not being,”Pretty Enough“. What does it mean to you today?
Lori Livingston: At the time, I did not know that was the reason, so I quit my job, went to New York, and it was the middle of the night when me and my girlfriends we all signed a busy girl group. I get up there, and start to sing, as I was the leader. I remember we sang “Hey Mister DJ” by Zhané (laughts) and the producer loved it, he said he was definitely feeling us as representative of Def Jam feeling… And I don’t know, by the time I get to the hotel, they just said something like ” Well You know, we are not really interested in your look”, but they did not tell me, so I thought the reason was that I could not sing.. Actually it was about the image, because I was always a Tom Boy. My friends came with sexy stilettos, and sexy jeans, and me I just came in with my baggy jeans and T-shirt! (laughts)
Imara Medias: How did it affect the rest of your career in the show business?
Lori Livingston: Actually it is still completely affecting me now… To the point that even this day, I know I can sing, but I won’t! (laughts)
Imara Medias: What are the best quality of a model. Pick 3
Lori Livingston: A positive image at all time, no one is perfect of course, but it is important to be a role model, then, being dope of course! (laughts) there is a lot of models out of there, they are cute and pretty but, it is not only about that, I think as a model you have to be able to keep on doing dope pictures and only that. And the last thing, I think is longevity. Seriously, so many Models are very young, some of them even come in the industry at 2 years old! (laughts). I just feel like, the older you get and you can still maintain your body, your look, your image, and still bring together nice pictures, this is to me the most respectable thing as a Model.
Imara Medias: What is the most difficult thing as a female model?
Lori Livingston: Being taking seriously. We are very beautiful creatures, and I don’t say that arrogantly, we are all different, and we are typically just looked as sex symbols. And I think most models just accept that. Me, I like to be looked as “yes I can be sexy, but I also have a mind, I am also smart”. I am also a person, a human being!
Imara Medias: What is the most difficult thing as a mother?
Lori Livingston: I think there is no perfect way to do this. If I stay home I am miserable, because I am not pursuing my dreams, if I am pursuing my dreams I am miserable because I am not home with my son. My son is everything, and he has this believe that all moms are Supermodels (laughts). He is used to see me in television, me in magazines, so he is used to it! There is no way to win in this, you have to pursue your dreams and to let your child grow with your momma. He and I we are very close, we stay connected with each other, we talk every night. I love him, he loves me, and I do it for him.
Imara Medias: What is the most inspiring experience you have lived in your whole career?
Lori Livingston: My whole career in general. I come from poverty, I come from the hood, where I was basically taught that life was like: you get up, you grow up, you have a baby, you go to work, you get old, and you don’t do anything else with your life. So I have broken all those barriers, and I keep on believing that I can do something that I was basically taught I can’t. Just the fact that I am a Model at all, is an establishment itself.
Imara Medias: Now you are in Paris for a couples of weeks, why did you choose this destination?
Lori Livingston: When I was in second grade, I took french lessons. Madame Dumbar was my teacher and I loved her so much! (laughs). I remember one day I was sitted and literally watching all the pictures on the wall of the all the monuments of Paris. And I saw the Arc de Triomphe, I didn’t know where it was, or what is was, but I knew it in my heart that I will go there one day. Since I have always said “I’m gonna get to Paris one day”, and I did it!
Imara Medias: What will be your best memory of Paris?
Lori Livingston: Seing the Eiffel tower for the first time (laughs).
Imara Medias: Difference between being a model in NYC and in Paris?
Lori Livingston: New York is home (laughs). It is more about showing everybody who I am, introducing and re-introducing myself. In Paris, I have something already established. I came here with the mind set “I have something to show you”. It is a new challenge. Make people know my name “Lori Livingston was there”. (laughts)
Imara Medias: Now let’s talk about your clothing line. Where does the TBoy Chic inspiration comes from?
Lori Livingston: TBoy Chic is a nickname that I gave myself some years ago. I have always been a Tom Boy, I have always been rough and tough, and I have always want to do things that boys do, I have my boyfriends and so on, I love boys. So I grew up like a Tom Boy. As a model, I used to be different, because the models are so pretty! They break a nail, they are devastated whereas me, I don’t care! (laughs) One day I just understood that even if I see myself as a Tom Boy, I had to become more feminine. I started to realize then, that I was a Tom Boy Chic. I can’t be 100% girly!
Imara Medias: Who is it for?
Lori Livingston: It is for girls like me! Not necessary the “girly girly” type of girl or the girl who is just a Tom boy type, but the ones who are kind of both! I have already meet some of the girls who follow me and you know what: they are literally me! They accept me for me, they like my style, my swag, the way I walk, the way I talk, and this is amazing because I have never expect that!
Imara Medias: Favorite feminine icon?
Lori Livingston: Kimora Lee! I love her because she is just who she is, and I think my career is kind of similar to her. I follow her lead, she is very impressive. She is a woman when she needs to be, a wife when she needs to be, and a model when she needs to be, but she is also a beast when she needs to be! She is a Monster, and I respect that about her.
Imara Medias: You have been win a relationship with a NBA Basketball player, (whose name we can’t reveal). How does it feel to be with somebody famous, when you are working to become famous?
Lori Livingston: It is one thing to be with somebody famous, it is another thing to be with somebody iconic, and He is iconic! To see people trip over themselves, pushing kids away to get closer to him, it was a learning lesson to me. I humbly believe that I become like him, because I have always watched him handling his celebrity. P. Diddy’s ex girlfriend Kim Porter said something powerful one day: “How can you be around greatness like that and not learn from it.” and she was right.
Imara Medias: What is you Must Have for this coming summer?
Lori Livingston: My answer is definitely Aviator sunglasses and a white leather jacket! I love the European fit so nice, I can’t leave Paris without a white leather jacket (laughs)! And the Aviators, they are just classic and timeless. Thoses glasses kind of say “I am Somebody’.
Imara Medias: What will you say to your family and friends about Paris when you will be back to America?
Lori Livingston: It is a beautiful and magic place. I have meet some of the most extraordinary people here and I will be proud to tell it when I will be back home.
THE MAGIC CITY LIVING 
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