Meet Clare Cirillo; the young model & fashion blogger who is taking the NYC Fashion Blogging community by storm with her one of a kind blog “WhenInManhattan.com“. Born and Raised in Westchester County, Clare recently graduated Fordham University with a Bachelors in communications. Now residing in the West Village, Clare is always on the-go as she focuses her attention towards the fashion industry. Her deep passion for fashion has influenced Clare greatly, whether she is styling simply stunning outfits or bringing inspiration & excitement with her amazing style tips. We spoke exclusively with the always fashionable Clare about her incredible blog & all things modeling.
What are you currently inspired by?
“I’m currently inspired by street style—which I think is the reason I started my blog! Living in Manhattan I have always been inspired walking down the streets and seeing the different ways people wear clothing. I think the most important thing I have learned is that you don’t have to have a lot of money to look fashionable and express yourself. One of the things I try to advocate on my blog, is that you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on clothes! I usually have one expensive item (usually shoes or a handbag) and then go lighter on the clothing. SO many people on the streets of Manhattan walk around on a budget and still manage to look good, so its definitely obtainable to dress on a budget. That being said, street style is definitely one of my biggest inspirations. I am starting a new category on my blog next month about my favorite street style looks!”
How did your blog wheninmanhattan.com come to be?
“I started my blog about a year ago when I was still in college. I have always loved fashion and social media, and decided that starting my own blog would go hand in hand with my career as a fashion model. I not only love to be behind the camera, but I have always loved the fashion and styling that goes into creating the perfect image. My career is modeling—but eventually I want to be more than just a model. I knew that starting a blog and creating my own voice in the industry would eventually help with that aspect.”
What do you believe sets your style apart from other personal style bloggers?
“I think my career and education definitely sets me apart from other fashion bloggers! Career aspect—I am trying to do more behind the scenes pictures at photo-shoots and jobs to give people an inside scoop of what really goes on behind the scenes at a photo-shoot! Before modeling I always wondered what happened behind the scenes, so this year I will definitely be sharing more information on that. As far as my education—college has taught me so much information that I am going to eventually tie into my blog. I love writing, so I am definitely going to try to to do more of that in the upcoming months.”
Who are some of your favorite designers at the moment?
“Alexander Wang, Stella McCartney, and Johnson Hartig.”
What Fall trends have you been looking forward to?
“Fall is one of my favorite seasons. I love layering long shirts, sweaters, and jackets together. Mixing different textures together is also something I love to do and you’ll be seeing a lot on the blog in the upcoming months!”
Tell us about your career as a model. How did you get started?
“I got started really randomly! I was in college and my now manager saw a picture of me and thought I had potential. I remember flying down to Miami for my first photo-shoot not knowing what to expect. From there I continued to better my career as a model and grow in the fashion industry!”
Take us through a typical day in the life of Clare Cirillo.
“Recently my days have been craziness. Thankfully I’m a huge morning person. I try to wake up really early and work out first thing (usually around 7 a.m.) I usually get a smoothie from my favorite juice bar right after my work out. Then I come home, shower, and get ready for my day. If I’m not at work, I’m usually shooting for my blog, going on castings, meeting with my agency, or grabbing lunch with my friends or family. If I’m not too busy I usually go down to Soho and shop for my blog, or just go to get inspiration from stores. Then I usually get dinner with a friend, or pick something up and eat with my roommates. Living in the city and having no time, it’s hard for me to grocery shop and cook, so I usually am picking up Sweetgreen, Dig In, or something healthy for dinner.”
What is your favorite thing about living in New York City?
“What’s not to love?”
What’s one of the most interesting shoots that you’ve done?
“I love going to cool places to shoot. My least favorite shoots are in the studio, no matter how built up the hair, makeup, and styling can be, it’s always more interesting when we shoot on location outdoors. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to cool places to shoot, one of my favorites being in Big Sur. I love the outdoors, so being in one of the most beautiful places in the world shooting was definitely surreal.”
If you could travel anywhere right now where would it be?
“Everywhere in Europe.”
What are some of your favorite things to do when not working?
“Go hangout with my family in Westchester, NY!”
What is something most people don’t know about you?
“I’m a huge homebody! I love being home with my family. I’m thankful enough to have all my family really close to the city, so I see them a lot. And whenever I get the chance I go home to Westchester to escape the city.”
What are some of your favorite outfits that you’ve posted so far?
“I love sharing what types of outfits I wear to go meet clients in. My “model off duty” outfits are really minimalistic, simple, and usually form fitting. They are a good indication of my everyday look and style. So all of those types of outfits are my favorites because they really are what I wear when I’m out and about, and aren’t anything too over the top.”
What are some of your greatest passions outside of Fashion & Modeling?
“I love to run… I hope in the upcoming years to complete a marathon! Running has always been a passion of mine, it keeps me sane! Everyday I try to run with my beat headphones on, it’s my escape from my insane life. I also love photography. I’m not very good, but love capturing special candid moments. I don’t think it’d ever become a career of mine, but anyone that knows me, knows I take pictures constantly.”
Where to next?
“Stay tuned…”
Where can we follow you?
“My Instagram is @clarecirillo where you can find everyday updates of my life, and my fashion blog is www.wheninmanhattan.com!”
