l I odel and actor Jasun Wiggins has appeared and fiihion shows. Most ffiin many calendars , Y lrecently, you can catch him on the cover of the annual Rundu Men calendar. How did you get started modeling? lwent to schoot at NorfoLk State University, and that's where I started modeting. After that, I spent five years in New York doing more fashion stuff and then I moved to Attanta. I was with my ex-girl at an expo and watked past [Attanta-based photographer and calendar publjsherl Rundu's tabte, and she wanted to work together. This is my second year with Rundu's calendar. Now, l'm on the cover. Do people recognize you often?
It's kind of amazing. I get more recognition from catendar work than any other media.
As a model, have you ever been asked
to do something that made you uncomfortable? It took me a while to get comfortabte within the modeLing reatm because I'm a tittte shy. some of the modets are exotic dancers, so I think it's a tittte easier for them to do certain things. But Rundu made it easy for me. lt's not forced, and you can see that in the images. Do you use
the "l'm a model" pick-up line? No. Actuatly I don't tike to say that. I've noticed that when I say that, the whoLe energy of the conversation changes, usualty for the worse. They think you feet a certain way about yoursetf. I don't like to tett peopl.e that l'm a modeL, I tike my work to tatk for me. lf people notice me, then I apprecjate it, but I don't throw it around. I've been btessed that women have responded wetl to me. Do you date female rnodels? No. Wlth modeting, I always fett tike an outside be-
cause I come from a smatttown. I'm from Hampton, Virginia, the same town asAlten lverson. To go from there to a big city is a different experience.
What attracts you to a woman? I Like sincere women. I tike the progressiveness of Northern women, lthink their sawy is sexy. At the
time, I like some of the traditions of Southern women. l'm big on energy and vjbes. I tike to connect in many different ways other than .just the same
physicat. My ex didn't reatty underrtand what I was doing. she tried, but with modeting, r'f you're not in the industry yoursetf it's hard to understand. She was very jeatous. I was very patient and compromised so much. A tot of times when I went to shoot in the istands, she was right there with me, and I don't think the staff was feeting that because I was there to work. Wlth women, for me it's about the vibe and the connection. lf she's attractive too, that's beautifuL. Everybody wants something nice to look at now and then.
How do you stay in shape? ActuatLy, lthink I'm fat in Rundu's catendar, I have two rotes that l'm lauditioning for], and she caught me when I was preparing for the rote. The guy is big and ripped, so I was getting ready to butk up and then chiset down. I onty had about two weeks notice to get ready for the shoot, which was cooL, but I wasn't jn the best shape. She put me on the cover, though, so I guess it was good enough. Right now l'm eating a Lot and tifting hea\y. When it's time for me to get lean, l'tLstart running in the morning and drinking two or three gatLons of water a day. To order the Rundu filen 2OO5 calendor, visit www.rundu.com, You csn olso find more photos of Jasun ot www.ethnicitymodets.com.
- Jessica Koslow (Photo: Rundu) OZONE MAGAZINE NOVE}TBER
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