Staying true to yourself can be hard in an industry that is forever changing and wants you to change along with it. However, David Duguan prides himself on staying authentic to his heritage and being intentional with his selection of campaigns and companies he works with. As the model and nursing student navigates life on a broader scale, he is still very big on evoking change in his community, understanding his rights, and moving consciously as a black man in society.
After being convinced by his photography teacher in high school to submit photos to an agency, David signed to Helen Wells Modeling Agency in 2019, and hasn’t looked back since. The Ghanian-American model has also made a point to incorporate his culture into his work by participating in African-inspired photoshoots and editorial projects, in hopes to educate others and be a light. Showing them that if he can do it, they can too.
The UpNext: How do you balance school work and your modeling career?
David Duguan: I really try to give myself a pay break, as hard as it is, so if a gig is not paying a certain amount of money, I try not to do it because I try to keep my priorities up to par but it is hard. You definitely have to get your priorities straight and think about the long term value of it. Balancing them both like a scale, just to make sure that they’re equally shown enough love.
The UN: What are some things that you feel like Black models got through that white or other minority models may not?
DD: Black models in some cases receive more prejudice than blatant racism. It’s a little different now as black models have become more of a trend nowadays, especially dark-skinned models. They’re more in high demand now, more strongly with social media and it’s great for me because yes that’s how I get paid, but that definitely doesn’t make it right.
The UN: With being a Black model, how do you deal with racial tragedies that arise in society such as the Ahmaud Arbery & George Floyd cases?
DD: I definitely try to use my platform as much as I can to educate other people. I did a podcast with two friends of mine, Nate & Josh, to help educate people on the education we know and help expand people’s knowledge. It was a double-edged thing to where we gave information and we received information which turned into a two-part video on Youtube. In my personal relationships, I really try to help people by educating them to try to make sure they don’t fall prey to the system that is built up against them such as with business ownership and finances.
The UN: So you know I have to ask you about this.. what was it like working with Crest and then later being featured by GQ magazine?
DD: Initially, I actually missed the deadline for submissions for the ad. It’s normally set up where your agent lets you know about an opportunity through email and the deadline you are given can be anywhere from hours to a day and this particular day, I actually didn’t check my email so I missed it. Normally for larger opportunities, they want you to send in a video or more information, but for this they didn’t. I winded up reaching up to my agent to try and still get me the opportunity, but she didn’t answer so I actually contacted another agent who contacted mine and eventually finessed my way into getting the opportunity. I had no idea that I would actually be working with Crest until one of the stylists told me. I was actually working on some things for 2EZE when I found out about my GQ feature from my little brother who called and sent it to me. I knew it was a possibility but it was a very slim chance because GQ works with various brands and Crest still has lots of other models than just me.
2EZE is a clothing brand that combines modern architecture and fashion together. David has a true love for fashion styling and puts his energy into designing things for the brand in his free time. David got introduced to the brand after dropping off a friend to their Unity in the Jungle fashion show as they were in preparation. Ever since then, they’ve been connected. COVID-19 sadly put a pin in the annual event, but this did not stop him from adding his skills to their team. From this, both Nate & Josh have become older brothers and mentors to him.
The UN: How has the pandemic affected your career and schooling?
DD: It hit me with a bang at first because I’m a nursing major, I would have a lot of labs so it was definitely hard for a little bit. My grades definitely took a small hit. When you’re at school, you’re in that specific environment to learn but when you are at home you associate that more with relaxing so it was different.
The UN: Has the pandemic impacted how you navigate your personal relationships & if so, how?
DD: It was really hard at the beginning and the pandemic stopped a lot of trips I had in the works. Initially, I found ways to be with my friends and family members. I was just trying to keep my distance as much as I could to avoid spreading the illness. Eventually, I just learned to adapt. I feel like the world is about adapting and you can’t necessarily stay stuck on one thing.
The UN: Are you dating anybody right now & do you think that celebrating Valentine's Day in quarantine is still worth it?
DD: I’ve been single since birth! But I definitely do think celebrating Valentine’s Day in quarantine is still worth it if you’re spending time with people you care about. It’s not necessarily about money, but spending quality time.
The UN: For anyone out there that may be interested in what you do, what would be your advice to them?
DD: My advice to them would be to be yourself! I’ve seen so many people in this industry lose themselves, but always remember to be yourself. The people that make it the furthest are the ones that stay true to themselves and know who they are. The industry is hard and it’s not always glamorous but no industry is perfect. People try to use this as validation, don't do it because of that, do it because you actually enjoy doing it. Be yourself and everything else will fall into place.
David is considered to be “Up Next” because he is not ashamed to share his authenticity and artistic energy with the world. What he brings to the table is more than what meets the eye from his charisma to his innovative mindset. Among these traits, he also recently created a new foundation alongside his mother called the Duguan Foundation which is currently in the process of building a school in Ghana.
To keep up with what David has going on and his career, follow him here