Cèsar Ernestò, “There’s nowhere else you can find culture like in New York.”

Introducing Cèsar Ernestò, a big-city dreamer turned fashion model. Equipped with an enviably curled mane and unique sense of style, he’s driven to experience the most liberal forms of life. From avant-garde editorial photo shoots through his modeling agency Red Models, and walking for fashion designers like Pyer Moss and Gypsy Sport during New York Fashion Week, to his aspirations of international travel, and evoking the world through his art directing- Cesar aims to make a tantalizing mark.

Knowing he’s the guy that lives to change the world, I had to find out more about his story.

Iryna Fal: So, why have you chosen to live in New York City?

Cèsar Ernestò: I didn’t choose, my mom did. She moved here with me when I was 5 and we basically lived in Washington heights then moved to the Bronx. I went to school here[NYC], went to catholic school all my life and was forced into a lot of things I didn’t wanna do and just became a rebellious person- and here I am.

IF: Why have you chosen to stay in New York?

CE: Because there’s nowhere else you can find culture like in New York, there’s nowhere else you can find diversity like in New York. There’s nowhere else you can find that and there’s nowhere else you can find so much opportunity and open chances for you to be free and blossom into whoever you want to become. New York is the best place for that.

CE: I love the Bronx, I love Harlem, I love Manhattan as well. Brooklyn’s changing, it’s becoming more gentrified. I guess I don’t like that. The Bronx might become that as well. That’s the only part I don’t like, the gentrification, the raising of rent and food produce and all that stuff. My favorite would have to be the hood, just learning and adapting to who you wanna be and learning about the hustle and learning how to hustle your way through life. That’s my favorite part of New York.

IF: How did your modeling career come into play?

CE: I was originally scouted in SoHo. At first I thought it was a scam, I didn’t believe it was real. He[the scout] was just trying to convince me by telling me how he gets models to travel all around the world. I was literally smoking a joint with my friend at 11pm. So I went to the office and I was convinced so I signed the contract the next day and yeah, I’m with Red Models.

IF: As a New Yorker, what’s the #1 thing you like doing in your spare time?

CE: Besides staying home. (Laughs) Lately I’ve been just staying home because I just don’t like what’s going on in New York nowadays with like violence and you never know what could happen every day but aside from that I like to just hang out with my friends and enjoy the night life in new York. I’ve been really in the night life since I was a teenager. l like sneaking into clubs with a fake ID, being with a group of friends, somehow getting in for free by somehow knowing someone that’s like really popular. I also host parties. I host this underground party called ghetto gothic with my friend Venus. He’s a DJ. That’s what I mostly like to do in my spare time, just mostly self-healing, self-reflection at home and every weekend just go to a party or two in New York.

For more on Cèsar Ernestò follow him on Instagram: @resvrrect