Mode Around the Globe: Amanda Steele

Photographed by Sarah Krick
Videography by Luis Trujillo

Red Frog Beach Resort, Bocas Del Toro
Special Thanks to Copa Airlines

Amanda Steele
@amandasteele

What makes you different from other creators?
I think my years of experience at such a young age is what makes me different from other creators. I found early in my career that people connected with me more than others because I was one of few creators at the time that were actually the age of the viewers, giving a peer perspective rather than a mentor one. As years have passed and the viewers have grown up too, I believe they still look to me for a different perspective. So many more people these days want to become an influencer or their own boss, so following me and my content can be very inspiring for those types of people. I’ve been in the business longer than a lot of creators, and I have continued to maintain my platforms successfully throughout the years. I think having this amount of experience and credibility is what makes me different from other creators.

What type of content do you share on your social media platforms?
I mostly make fashion and beauty content. I also post lifestyle things like vlogs and share parts of my personal life with my viewers. I’ve been creating since I was 10 years old, so continuing to share experiences that happen in my life is definitely important for me.

Do you have any tips/tricks for creating engaging content?
STUDY! Spending time on the platforms you are trying to engage with to learn trends and what kind of content works, is so important for finding success. It’s also important to not just follow or copy trends, but to understand the tools that work and then apply your own personal style to them. You can copy exactly what other successful creators do, but you have to offer something unique in order to truly connect and serve a purpose to viewers.

What’s your favorite social media platform to use and why?
I was 100% an instagram girl, but recently it has switched to TikTok! I really love the way TikTok connects people, shares information, and how much more casual it is to post. I feel like YouTube and Instagram’s standards are just too much now, and it’s so much more rewarding and exciting to create with less pressure.

What’s your favorite fashion trend at the moment?
My favorite fashion trend right now is the low waist. I’m loving low waisted skirts and even low waisted baggy pants.

How do you keep up to date with new trends?
I honestly don’t try to keep up with trends too much. I feel confident in my personal style. When I had been very trend focused in the past, I felt the least like myself and always ended up regretting the looks. I now just consume style and trends through social media and apply them where they fit naturally into my personal style.

What are some recent brands you’ve discovered and loved?
I recently have really been admiring Mirror Palais, Orseund Iris, and of course my brand, STEELE.

What’s a typical day to day like for you?
Every day is different depending on what jobs I have lined up. For the most part, I wake up, eat, respond to emails, do my hair and makeup, film some sort of content, edit the content, prepare new content ideas for the next day, and then catch up with friends.

Where do you live and what’s a short itinerary you’d recommend for someone visiting?
I live in Los Angeles and here is a short itinerary I would recommend: Go on a hike, pick up a smoothie from Erewhon, check out the beach or a pool (your preference), eat at the restaurant Zinque, do some shopping in the area, and go somewhere cool for dinner and drinks like Delilah, The Nice Guy, Nobu or Catch.

A fun fact people would be surprised to know about you?
I think people might be surprised by my athletic past. Strangers might assume that since I do beauty and fashion, I wouldn’t have been into sports. Growing up I played softball, volleyball, competitive cheerleading and golf. I really loved playing sports, but I just loved making videos more. As my online success grew, the ability to be on a sports team diminished.

Go-to beauty routine?
Glowy skin, cream contour and blush, brow gel, winged eyeshadow or eyeliner, and a brownish lip liner.

Share the moment you became an established digital media influencer. Did you always know this was what you wanted to do?
The moment I realized the success I had and could continue to grow in the future was when I got offered my first brand deal at age 13. At this point, I started to see my hobby as a career. I always knew I wanted to be in fashion and in front of a camera, but at the time being an influencer or content creator wasn’t even a job. I didn’t know being an influencer or YouTuber would be a possible career when I started doing it.

What advice do you have for someone who aspires to have a career like your own?
Trust your gut, stay true to yourself, study trends and always be learning how to improve, prepare for ups and downs, create boundaries between your personal life and public life, be honest, share positivity, and most of all, create things that excite you.

Last song you played and movie you watched?
Song: La Curiosidad by Jay Wheeler and Movie: Morbius

What was your favorite part of the Modeliste getaway to Red Frog Beach, Panama?
I absolutely loved the chill vibes. The resort was beautiful and everyone who worked there was so friendly!

What did you love most about the resort?
The resort felt like its own island! It seemed very private and it was extraordinary to see all the wildlife. It was awesome to just take everything in.

Top 3 travel destinations on your bucket list.
Mykonos, Ibiza, Bali.

What upcoming projects are you working on?
I am always working on new things for my clothing brand, STEELE. There are lots of cool things and announcements coming in the future. I can’t wait to share!

What would you like to say to your fans?
If you’re new here, WELCOME! We’re going to have lots of fun and I hope following me adds something positive to your life. If you’ve been a follower for years, thank you for being so loyal and supportive for so long. It’s really special thinking about the people who have believed in me over all this time and even through moments I might not have believed in myself. I have so much love for anyone who follows, likes, comments, views, shares, or buys from my brand. I really put a lot of passion and care into what I share with the world and the confidence I get from the support is just so special . I am so thankful.