ALL ABOUT ALAY

Alay Bowker, the newest it-girl on TikTok and Instagram, sat down with us to discuss her new success and how she strives to help others find health and wellbeing.

I was first scouted for modeling when I was twelve years old in Toronto. My mom has modeled for the majority of her life and guided me through the industry, which I am forever grateful for. She suggested I only do commercial modeling at such a young age and only allowed me to enter the fashion world when I was nineteen.

I was definitely late to the TikTok game, I only downloaded the app in late February of 2021. A lot of people around me were telling me to start posting and sharing recipes on the platform, so I did. I then started receiving requests to show more of my balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, which led me to build a following of almost 150k within 3 months. I shared my mental and physical transformation through TikTok, which has allowed me to inspire others and guide them to living a more healthy and balanced lifestyle. The main message of my platform is that you can both feel good and look good, a message that isn’t voiced enough on social media. I receive hundreds of messages from girls who have struggled with disordered eating, an unhealthy relationship with fitness, a negative mindset about themselves and their worth, and so much more as a result of social media. I think my message resonates with this audience, because I was once a victim too. Once I entered the fashion modeling industry I was faced with the pressures of achieving a certain size, as well as looking as gorgeous as other models I came across on social media. I developed an unhealthy relationship with fitness and food, and thought the less I ate and the more I worked out, would mean the more gorgeous I would be. But over my journey I realized that I didn’t need to be miserable in order to meet the beauty standards that this modern society has set, I could live a healthy and balanced lifestyle and be in the best shape of my life. I think that it is through my personal struggles with standards of modern beauty that I learned meaningful lessons that I am now able to share through Give Me Glo.

The Internet has heavily impacted every aspect of modern life, and has had major impacts on the modelling industry specifically. The internet has made everything accessible to absolutely everyone who is searching for something. For instance, you can google the measurements of Kendall Jenner and find her body weight in seconds. You can google how to lose 10 pounds in a month, and find hundreds of answers. This access to information is dangerous. Models are constantly comparing themselves to each other based off of the numbers that have defined their worth, being criticized by the masses, and so much more. Models are no longer being judged by casting directors, fashion editors, and others who are involved in the industry, but by everyone who has access to the internet. I don’t think this is a result of the modelling industry itself, but rather something each individual holds when they have the power of the internet in their hands.

However, during recent times this power of the internet has been used for good. More and more movements are coming out for the mental health and equality of models, providing them with a platform to have their voices heard. I, myself, have utilized the tool of the internet to influence other models through my brand Give Me Glo, spreading the message that a healthy and balanced lifestyle is the most sustainable way to maintain a career in modelling for both physical and mental health. I think that the internet is a very powerful thing and has just as much potential to be used for good as it does for bad. But I think the modeling industry is moving in the right direction, and has shown strength and acceptance during these chaotic times.

Healthy living to me means balance. Balance between health and indulgence, balance between sweating and relaxing, balance between working and enjoying. A healthy lifestyle does not just mean you are free of disease and illness, it goes so much farther than that. It is relative to your mindset, your mental health, your physical ability, your nutritional habits, and so much more. Your body needs movement, your body needs fuel, and your body needs rest. It is all about finding the perfect balance between all three of these that results in a healthy lifestyle. The key to a healthy lifestyle is balance.

If I could change anything about the modelling industry, it would be the mindset surrounding diet and fitness. When I was first introduced to meeting certain measurement criteria and the standards of the fashion modeling industry, I was pressured to eat next to nothing and workout 7 days a week. This resulted in me being constantly exhausted, my skin being in a horrible condition and my body storing any form of energy that it could get. I couldn’t maintain or sustain my measurements and was constantly battling to lose weight and look my best. It was only when I found the perfect balance for a healthy lifestyle that I achieved my measurements, kept my skin glowing and have had no problem maintaining it all. I am able to feel amazing

The best advice I have ever heard in my life was, “be as you wish to seem”. If you wish to seem happy, you need to be happy. If you wish to seem confident, you need to be confident. If you wish to seem absolutely anything, you need to be that. I think this advice applies to both the modeling industry and the influencer industry, because more so heavily emphasize personality and the energy people give off. People attract the energy they give off, so if you want good things to come to you, you need to be giving off nothing but good and positive energy.

In my spare time, I love to spend time with my loved ones, do some reading, as well as cook, enjoy amazing food and workout. I am an avid reader, it’s how I spend my mornings and nights. I find that getting away from my screen first thing and last thing of the day does amazing things for my mental health. I also love to cook, I find it almost therapeutic as there is more time that I can’t spend looking at my screen and allows me to focus on one thing. I love to try different cuisines and experience the foods of different cultures, especially with friends and family. And of course, I am a huge fitness enthusiast and enjoy incorporating fitness and wellness into my daily lifestyle. You can definitely find me doing a boxing class with some friends and then heading to an amazing dinner.

You can find me on Instagram at @alaybowker and you can find my brand Give Me Glo. on both TikTok and Instagram at @givemeglo. I am also on Youtube, also under Give Me Glo.

I hope to focus all my energy on my modelling career and building my brand Give Me Glo. I think both goals go hand in hand and I hope that they both continue to succeed. I hope that through these I will be able to experience all the world has to offer.

and stay in the best shape of my life, all while enjoying my favourite foods like pizza, chocolate and more. It is this healthy balance that I think the industry should adapt, it will not only benefit the mental and physical health of the models, but also keep the models looking their absolute best all year round. It is through this balance I have found, that I am able to maintain my measurements without having to think twice about them, making it a sustainable and healthy lifestyle.