Model and actress Daylys may call Pennsylvania home, but she was born and raised in Haiti (she immigrated to New York in 1999). She is signed to the Hartland Modeling Agency and Wilhelmina PA. You may have caught a glimpse at her while watching such TV shows as “Deception”, “Royal Pains”, and “CSI New York”.
A graduate of Pace University in Manhattan, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Management from that school. As if her resume isn’t interesting enough, she once worked for a charter airline, that flew US soldiers all over the world.
She is a born leader and serves as the ambassador for the Haitian American Veteran Association (known as HAVA). She has feature roles in two films being released next year: London Calling and The Other Woman. Last year, she traveled to southeastern Europe to represent Haiti at the Models International Pageant being held there. Kreyolicious.com thought it only appropriate to have a chit chat with her about beauty, body image, and how she stays in shape.
A lot of girls out there struggle with bad body image and insecurities. What are your thoughts on self-acceptance and developing confidence?
In the past, I struggled with body image and insecurities as well, but at that time, I was still trying to figure out who I was as a woman. It doesn’t matter where someone is from or what language she speaks…We all have things that we don’t like about our body. The biggest mistake one can make is looking at a magazine where you see a model and want to have his or her body. You can take that picture and use it as an inspiration to lose weight, but never try to be or look like someone you are not. The minute you do that, you lose your identity and that something that makes you special and unique. Nobody is perfect; you just have to love yourself and be the best person that you can be.
Do you have a beauty and fitness regime that you abide by?
I used to have bad acne and I hated it! So, I stay away from fast food and I don’t drink sodas anymore. I exercise regularly and eat as healthy as possible. I also drink lots of water and keep my body hydrated all year round. Let’s face it: I only have one body and if I don’t take care of it, who will do it for me?
When was the last time you went to Haiti?
The last time I was in Haiti was for carnival in 2005 and I miss it. Lakay se lakay, and I am going back before the end of 2013.
[Photo credit: Alesandro Babini]
You represented Haiti in Romania at the Miss Models International contest last year…What was that experience like?
This was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I represented Haiti at the Diaspora models International beauty competition here in New York and I was the second-runner up. So, when I was picked to represent Haiti in Sibiu, Romania, I was thrilled. This competition was tense at times, due to the fact that I had two major surgeries less than three months before the competition. In fact, the director asked me if I wanted to drop out from the competition and I told her, “No”, because this wasn’t about me anymore. This was about me representing women in my country. In the United States, Haiti is not recognized, as a country that has beautiful women, and I am not talking about beauty on the outside. When you talk about Haiti in the US, people automatically assume poverty, and voodoo because that is how we are being portrayed by the US media. Also, I didn’t want a fibrod or cancer stopping me from following my dreams. I met some great women that I am still in touch with, and some friends in Sibiu. This pageant opened many doors for me especially in the modeling industry. After all, not many people can say their first magazine shoot was with Cosmopolitan Romania , but I can. [Laughter]
What’s next for you?
As a child, I always had a passion for business. I love the idea of being independent and making my own money. My next step is to have my own business. I know what type of business that I want to have, but I am not willing to share any of that idea with the public yet. I did my second magazine photo shoot with Solis Magazine we were inspired by the seven deadly sins.
[Photos provided by subject]
Get in touch with Daylys. She’s on Facebook. Click HERE to visit her page.
