Today we’d like to introduce you to Moana Tuliaupupu.
Hi Moana, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started modeling when I was 16 years old in Los Angeles, which was pretty taboo in my family. When I was younger, (especially coming from a sports family), modeling was never an actual “thing” in my world.
My cousin, Dejah Mulipola, has played softball her whole life and is on the USA Softball team. She even went to the Olympics in 2021! My older brother, Solomon Tuliaupupu has played football his whole life and has been at USC for the last three years. As I said, sports were always in the books for me.
I feel that coming from a Polynesian family, it’s hard to stray away from the path everyone expects you to go down. One day, my stepmom randomly signed me up for Miss California Teen USA in 2017 – skipping all of the local pageants in the cities nearby. With that, I was able to be scouted by the two agencies that I’ve been with for years six years now. I was modeling on and off from 2018-2020, not taking it seriously since I had a job and school to focus on. But these last few years, I’ve noticed many Pacific Islanders get into the fashion community and it motivated me to take it seriously.
I moved to Brooklyn, NY on October 1st, away from my whole life, my family, and my friends to pursue it further with my agencies. Growing up, I didn’t get the example of Polynesian men or women in the high-fashion industry, so pushing myself to make this move is a big deal to Little Moana.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Pursuing modeling hasn’t been the smoothest route. I was lucky to get signed at a young age, and the process went so smoothly, but it was such a new thing in my family, that I didn’t have as much direction as I wish I did. I had to learn the hard way a lot of the time.
Steering away from Volleyball and Basketball took a turn on me, and no one surrounding me in my family took my modeling seriously until I got older and I wanted to make a statement out of it. I was always envious of the girls who had their parents with them at castings, backstage, or at their photoshoots with them because they got the guidance and safety net that I would get when I played sports. Now, I am so grateful that I did most things alone because I got to learn the hard way, and I feel confident enough to steer myself in the right direction while having the trust and support of my family behind me. Not only that, but the connections I have made from doing it on my own have had such a huge impact on my career.
I got a lot of “no’s” at castings and submissions, and most of the time I would feel discouraged because of it. What I always remember when that does happen is something my old pageant director said to me one time, “You will get a lot of NO’s before you get that big YES”, and that has stuck with me for years now. I still feel that I have a lot of big yes’ coming.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a model. What I love most about it is that I’m able to be creative in safe spaces. As a Polynesian model at that, I get to represent my beautiful culture.
Although I am Afakasi (half-bred), I’ve been told multiple times that I have strong Polynesian features and that is what makes me more motivated to continue my path with modeling.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
One of my favorite books to re-read is called The Four Agreements. I believe that it has a powerful message for those in the industry especially since it conveys the importance of being straightforward with your words which is very important so people don’t take advantage of you and you’re able to set clear boundaries.
It talks about not taking things personally, not taking things personally, and always doing your best. This book is such a great reminder and helps me ground myself when I’m not feeling too confident.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/moanalalokea
Image Credits
Michael Webber, Lava Dress Designer: Kini Zamora, Stylist: Robin Uata & Kaylee Watson, Hair: Benjamin Bloomfield, Powell Photographer: Ioane Camacho, Pink Dress: Designer: Lalelei, Photographer: Ioane Camacho Blue & Green Dress: LA Fashion Week, Designer: Mivinna, Photographer: Weston Mosburg, Black Swimsuit & Kaftan, and Designer: Samson Lee
