We were lucky to catch up with RACHEL BALZARINI recently and have shared our conversation below.

RACHEL, appreciate you joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

After over a decade of wondering this myself, I can now say yes, I am happy as an artist working in a creative field. I feel secure in finally having these feelings after years of looking for “the right job” that would take me out of freelance and give me “stability”. But having full time jobs outside of the art world prior to being a freelancer, I can say out of experience, I prefer the creative path. When you’re doing something for your passion, the work reveals itself and most times is fulfilling when accomplished. You do not have the same experience of emotions when working for a big company that you are a number in, not utilizing your creative skills.

RACHEL, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I would like to begin by sharing that I am a “born & raised” Queens, New Yorker. Both of my parents being from Brooklyn, I didn’t have much connection to my overseas origins. Growing up in “The World’s Borough”, all of my friends were from different countries, religions & lived in different boroughs. So, I was basically never home. To this day, my aesthetic, my work, my ethics are a reflection of the cultures that I am blessed to be immersed in.

I didn’t realize until I left & relocated to Chicago for college to study fashion design how rare Queens really is. After deciding I wanted to graduate back home in NY, I transferred to Parsons & completed my BFA. Design internships, part-time jobs & the struggle to find one’s place as a green fashion grad needing rent kicked in instantly. I had several retail jobs over the first few years in major stores throughout the city to help juggle my unpaid design internships. I always loved fashion & assembling outfits, so selling to others came naturally & I climbed my way up the NY luxury list working for Helmut Lang, Maison Martin Margiela, Salvatore Ferragamo, etc… Luxury retail brought me into visual merchandising, where I worked for brands like MaxMara, Pucci, Burberry… this is when I realized I could instead focus on styling which I also enjoyed. I grew up loving music videos & un-realistic fashion from London runways, I needed fantasy still but wanted to give up the struggle of trying to be an independent designer (this was before Instagram as well).

Fast forward to today, I am a 7+ years seasoned freelance fashion stylist. During these past years, I became exposed to & frustrated with the lack of diversity, community & basic workers rights. The unhealthy hierarchy of designers, the abuse of models, the obsession with “celebrity” & the swoop of fast fashion/social media had me feeling like I needed to do something big to combat what I had become aware of.

In 2018 I decided to launch my own print magazine called PLATFORMME (pronounced “platform”), while continuing to juggle my freelancing gigs. I held big release parties for each issue, inviting everyone I knew that would appreciate the movement. A year later, I launched PLATFORMME MODELS, a model agency in which I scouted, developed & managed new models. This introduced a new perspective to my industry & it was my own,

The magazine & agency was created to highlight/develop/support POC & LGBTQ creatives that have yet to be acknowledged for their talents, stories, etc. The world is filled with amazing talented people, most don’t get a chance to shine. Magazines today only focus on famous people to keep their readers growing. I feature dancers, singers, actors, painters, store owners, designers, new models, the list is endless. I am currently on my 7th issue & have funded all of it on my own since day one. I only print 250 copies because of my limited budget, which is nothing compared to most magazines that print 10,000 their first issue out. The magazine is available in shops in NYC & Mexico & the model agency is growing slowly but steadily.

I have built my own community & legacy with PLATFORMME, hoping to fuel more change in the industry.. I struggle to continue to work everyday to keep it growing & hope to afford a team in the near future. Producing the magazine & running the agency has been very emotionally rewarding.I realized my real passion is curating & helping others shine. Through the agency, I have been able to get people paid work for their skills which has been incredible & I hope to continue to grow it.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The fact that your work can affect people emotionally. It can stick in their mental for years, change how they perceive something or someone. It can expand their inner imagination or belief in themselves. The power of that is extremely rewarding & humbling. Impact.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My magazine is 5 years old. I have single handedly made 6 beautiful issues which to me, are like time capsules of raw talent. I am very proud of each issue & all of them were a constant struggle to make happen. Everyone I attempt to feature has different schedules & there’s always a lot shifting to make it actually work. I struggled to fund the printing & release events. I’ve been looking for funding, sponsorship, paid ads for years. I believe the work is important & valid. So the resilience I have to have is constant & is fueled by the fact that I owe it to the creatives to continue.

My model agency is underground & is still “new”, meaning it’s not a famous model agency that all clients go to. I don’t get my models booked often, but they are being hired here & there. I believe in my models and my aesthetic of beauty, so I continue to manage & handle booking them myself, while I try to get them signed to bigger more famous agencies to help their growth. I have to continue this work daily.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theplatformme.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/platformme_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-balzarini-94a02117/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@platformmemagazine6087

Image Credits
PLATFORMME.