At a young age, I was always fascinated with fashion styles and accessories.
Also, my favorite game as a child was to play dress up and show my family and friends what unique pieces I would put together. My friend and I would pretend to be in a fashion show and it was the best thing ever. Doing this, it expanded my dream, my passion, to become a true real model in the fashion industry.
MY LOVE OF FASHION
As I got older, my amazing high school, East Career and Technical Academy, had plenty of fun electives and one happened to be Fashion and Modeling. I immediately signed up for this elective and was stoked to be in it. I wanted to learn everything about the fashion industry and how to walk like a model and pose like a one too. Even though I already had some tricks up my sleeve from pretending to be a model ever since I was a child, it was still necessary for me to take the next level of education and to acknowledge this industry. One thing for sure is that the fashion industry is no joke and is actually pretty harsh.
I have come to the realization that modeling has its positives and its negatives throughout my years of experience. I started modeling at the age of 16. I was tall my entire childhood, so I told myself why not? I’m 5’9″ and slim. I fit the standards of being a real fashion model, and it was my dream, so I took the chance and went for my very first gig. Modeling boosted my confidence and it made me feel alive. It was probably the best decision I have ever made because I doubted myself that I was not pretty enough to be a model. I went through plenty of photo shoots, paid gigs, non paid gigs, and just volunteering to be a model. It definitely became a hobby of mine to the point I wanted it to be my career. Nonetheless, networking is a plus and a must! By networking you can have plenty of contacts and people to reach out to you or to them when in help.
FREELANCE MODEL
By the way, I am 21 now and I’m in no agency. I consider myself a freelance model. I am a freelance model because being in an agency takes a certain percentage of money that you made for a paid gig. I told myself well that’s not fair because a model is doing all the work she deserves the right to all of her money. That is why I’m not in an agency. I’m not saying that agencies are bad because some are not, but I just believe that a model works hard for their pay. With that being said, some gigs don’t even offer food for models. You have to bring your own snacks or some people say don’t even eat at all because we want you to fit in the designers outfit. This is a fact. I have heard it myself. I find it outrageous. Especially because I’m a foodie person and I love to eat! Designers can be harsh as well, some will say you’re too ugly or too fat when you’re literally a twig, or say none of my outfits will look good on you to your face.
THE REALITY OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY
It’s a very cruel world in the fashion industry and it is actually very sad because it can create psychological problems to many models, women and men. At the age that I am now, I have decided that modeling was never meant to be a career of mine. I actually hated the industry at a point in my life, but I still love fashion and designer items. I had to put modeling to a pause and really reconsider what I really want to do in my life that will make me happy and successful. Therefore, I continued my education. I am a hospitality management major at UNLV and I couldn’t be more content about it. It truly fits me. Especially since I was in the Culinary program at ECTA. See I told you I’m a foodie person.
All in all, modeling is a great thing to experience, I will never not love to model. I accomplished all my goals to being a model, which were, to be on live TV, on the newspaper, and ultimately be in fashion week. I am extremely proud of myself and it taught me to be confident and true to myself. Everyone is beautiful and unique in their own way. If someone tells you, you are not a fit to their standards, happily move on because they obviously don’t know true beauty. Modeling will always be a hobby of mine and of course, my selfies will be everlasting. Stay classy my friends.
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