Ivy Dominique, American-born Ukrainian/Russian, opened up to Harper’s Bazaar about her new year holidays, “This and every year, to welcome the new year, I start by doing my daily meditation and reflecting on the previous year. I then make a list of goals, dreams, desires, and ideas and a solid game plan to bring it all to fruition.”
Ivy Dominique – The Model and Actress
Being an award-winning actress, producer, international model, and former pageant queen, she has graced the runways of New York Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, and Paris Fashion Week. She has also been featured on multiple billboards in Times Square, New York, and on the covers and pages of numerous magazines in the USA and abroad.
Ivy recalled her first billboard in Times Square, New York, “It was a gigantic NASDAQ billboard during New York Fashion Week for Burning Guitars. I stood there in awe. Watching people looking up, pointing, commenting, and taking pictures of it was a surreal experience that I didn’t think I would ever get to experience. I’m so grateful.”
Tulle dress, Mirimari. Flower headpieces, Kat and Clarese. Multi-colored earrings, Tova.
As an actress, Ivy has been featured on TV shows such as The Good Fight and Successions. In addition, she has several award-winning independent films to her IMDB credit. She recently produced a film – Jack Be Nimble. It stars Bai Ling, Vernon Wells, and her husband, Steve Silver. “It is currently on Amazon Prime, Tubi, and Roku streaming platforms. The story follows a bunch of tabletop gamers (dungeons and dragons) living in a retirement home. They embark on a team adventure when one of their members (Vernon Wells) becomes convinced that a demon (Bai Ling) is stealing the resident’s souls,” the actress told us.
Dress, HALEIA. Earring, Oscar De La Renta.
The Analog Astronaut Candidate
In addition to her busy schedule with modeling and acting, Ivy has her Ph.D. in Psychology and is certified in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Grief, and Trauma. More impressively, she is an Analog Astronaut Candidate. Her research focuses primarily on Space Medicine and Technology and Human Factors.
Dress, HALEIA. Earring, Oscar De La Renta.
The multi-talented scientist explained to us about Analog Missions. “They are field tests in locations that have physical similarities to the extreme space environments. Tests include new technologies, robotic equipment, vehicles, habitats, communications, power generation, mobility, infrastructure, and storage. Behavioral effects – such as isolation and confinement, team dynamics, menu fatigue, and others – are also observed. Analog missions provide NASA with data about strengths, limitations, and the validity of planned human-robotic exploration operations, as well as define ways to combine human and robotic efforts to enhance scientific exploration.”
Dress, HALEIA. Earring, Oscar De La Renta.
As an analog candidate, Ivy is working on research as PI and CO-PI and developing experiments to be used in upcoming analog missions. She is also training and preparing to be deployed in analog missions herself. “Over the next three years, I will be deploying on multiple missions to the Mojave Desert, Nepal, MT Everest, and Mongolia to collaborate with the Mongolian Space Agency,” she revealed.
Tulle dress, Mirimari. Flower headpieces, Kat and Clarese. Multi-colored earrings, Tova.
A childhood filled with trauma and pain
Life was not all roses for Ivy Dominique. “My mother was addicted to alcohol and pain medication. I was abused by my stepfather, starting when I was very young. Yet I went to school each day hiding my bruised body and emotional pain pretending life was good.”
In her 20s, she ended up in a highly abusive and controlling long-term relationship that almost cost her her life. At the end of her relationship, she “was left with permanent nerve damage in my hand, damage to my vocal cords, scars, fractured cheek, broken ribs, multiple forearm fractures, missing teeth, and severe PTSD. I lost my house, job, and savings, as well as accrued over $100,000 in medical bills.”
Dress, HALEIA. Necklace: Ms. Belle.
Determined to help others
“I survived and overcame so much to get where I am today. I learned to value my life and myself. I did a lot of self-work, healed, and have solid boundaries and ZERO tolerance for abuse in ANY form,” Ivy told us with determination. “I have helped hundreds of women quietly get out, gain independence, and heal to live their best life. Not only survive but thrive! It has been a serendipitous journey being able to use what happened to me to help others and to have a profound impact on so many people over the years.”
Dress, HALEIA. Necklace: Ms. Belle.
Ivy uses her celebrity platforms to her full advantage, even speaking at international conferences and the United Nations to advocate and bring awareness to multiple issues such as PTSD, Domestic Violence, Consent, Sexual Assault, human trafficking, invisible illnesses, mental health, and veterans.
Dress, HALEIA. Necklace, Ms. Belle.
After all the hardships she had to experience, Ivy now has a happy life with a husband who loves and respects her. Steve Silver wrote a lovely post on Instagram, “Like a true friend, she has had my back, been my greatest supporter and steered me away from potential mistakes. I love you, Ivy, and thank you for putting up with me.”
Dress, HALEIA. Necklace, Ms. Belle.
At the end of our conversation, Ivy concluded, “You never know what someone may be going through. Please take time to actively look and listen. Within each of us is the power and potential to make a difference in our own lives as well as others’ lives. Sometimes the smallest gesture of kindness can be the means to making a profound difference to someone. Never underestimate even the simplest act of kindness or compassion and how far-reaching its impact may be.”
Dress, HALEIA. Necklace, Ms. Belle.
** Team Credit **
Model: Ivy Dominique @modelivydominique.
Photographer: Allison V Brown @av_brownphotography.
MUA: Dakota X Fairfax @ DFX_the_MUA.
Hair: Claribel Navarrete @beautybymsbelle.
Wardrobe Styled By: Ivy Dominique @modelivydominique.
Eyebrows: Bree @ Brows by Bree @ browsbybree1.
Nails: Tony at Cosmo Nail Bar.
Retouch: Tata Plechkova @ retouch_tata.
Set design: Ivy Dominique and Allison V Brown.
PR: LSA @leo.alderman.
Wardrobe: pulled from The Confessional Showroom NY
@the_confessional_showroom_nyc
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
