Kendz Midler Toussaint

BMW: Does the name Kenzo have any meaning?
Kenzo: My real name is Kendz. Kenzo is the name a friend called me by after I told him he looked like he should be called Geraldo. More and more people started to call me that way and now the majority of my friends know me as Kenzo. I asked my parents what was the story behind my name (Kendz) and I found out even though it did not have a specific meaning. It was supposed to be my older brother's name.

BMW: You were born in Haiti. When did and what made you move to France?
Kenzo: My parents got separated in Haiti. Later, while my father moved to the US, my mother moved to France and my brothers and I moved along with her. I must have been four years old when I left Haiti, so I didn't really choose to go to France but I am really glad we moved there. You know France is a great place to grow up and/or raise kids. I love this place!

BMW: Good to hear that. And now you are in the US. What made you move here in 2001?
Kenzo: Since my father was already in the US, moving there had always been an option. My younger brother had moved here a few years earlier and I guess it was a matter of time until I made the move myself. At that time I was in college studying Law. After my second year I realized even though it was very interesting, it wasn’t what I really wanted to do. When I left France I didn't know exactly what I was going to do but I wanted to look on the other side of the Atlantic to see if the grass really was greener.

And... I think it is for the most part.

BMW: Now... Perhaps my best shot of you is the one on one foot, on your toes in fact... in black and white, with your eyes looking up. How much work goes into a shot like this? How hard was this and how did the photographer work with you to pull this photo off?
Kenzo: It's amusing that you ask. Sometimes I look at a shot and I smile when I think about how it came about. For this particular shot I wasn't standing on my toes but I cannot really get into too many details since some photographers like to keep their tricks. All I can tell you is that was one of the hardest shot I have done. I actually cut my finger and got a scar from it. I think what makes it hard but at the same time interesting is that the photographer has an exact picture in his mind and tries to recreate it with a person. But different factors such as the person's flexibility or even gravity laws can make that mental picture tricky or even sometime impossible. Little details like the exact position of your hands, feet or the facial expression can make the session long and difficult. This one was! At the end it's always a fun time (almost), and it is satisfying when a shot comes out well.

BMW: Some great modeling and photography there. We don't hear of many Haitian models... Perhaps Garcelle Beauvais... What other big Haitian names are out there when it comes to modeling?
Kenzo: You are right we don't hear of many Haitian models and I am not sure if it is because there are not many or they just don't proclaim being Haitian. For example, I couldn't give even one name right now... but this might be because I often have a really hard time remembering names.(laughs)

BMW: What have you accomplished so far as a model?
Kenzo: I always feel strange when someone calls me a model. But I guess that's how someone who poses for photographers is called. I have only been "modeling" for 3 years and I have been focusing more on my job since I left Hawaii about a year ago. I have done shots for diverse projects such as magazines, art gallery expositions and runways. I also had the opportunity to work on films but nothing too serious.

BMW: Looks like you are heading in the right direction... How do you compare the male modeling industry in the US compared to that in France? What has been your experience especially as a black male model in both countries?
Kenzo: I think location is really important when it comes to modeling. I never really did any modeling work in France. I remember doing a photo shoot a year or two before leaving but it didn't go anywhere. I know that black modeling is limited there and not as well developed as here in the US. The US has a much larger and better-established black community. As for modeling in general, although Paris is known as a big fashion city, the modeling industry is at a much smaller scale compare to places like New York or LA. I think there are far more opportunities here in the US.