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Interview with Chelsie Raleigh — A little bit about me!

Chelsie Raleigh is an 18-year old model residing in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts.

How would you introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Chelsie Raleigh and I am eighteen-years-old, born and raised in Massachusetts, currenty living with my parents and my sixteen-year-old sister Kayla. I work at a local company, My Princess Dream Party, and dress and act as a princess at events and children’s birthday parties. I am also a full-time student at Western New England University pursuing a degree in civil engineering. I love playing the piano, modeling, going to the beach, and spending time with my family!

Chelsie Raleigh showing her long hairWhen, how and why did you first get involved in the modeling industry?

I first began modeling when I was twelve, after a friend of my mom forwarded my photo to a company in New York. I was then contacted to do a test shoot, and when my photos from the test shoot were released, I was asked by other companies to appear on advertisement brochures for their businesses. As my photo spread more and more, more
opportunities came to me, and I soon signed non-exclusively with an agency in Boston and in New York. I have ever since fell in love with modeling.

What are your personal and professional goals? Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?

My goal is to complete college and obtain my PE license to further my career in civil engineering. I also hope to continue to expand my modeling career, and basically to try my best to be successful and follow my dreams!

How often are you modeling and what does it usually consist of?

Modeling often comes in spurts, since I find myself some weeks to have a job four times a week and others to have only one. I mainly do print work, but have also walked in several fashion shows for designer companies, as well as appeared on many promotional advertisement cards, been on the cover of magazines, been featured inside many magazines on multiple pages and spreads, and have been on the cover of multiple children’s game boxes. I have also been featured on billboards hovering over highways. I range from high fashion to fitness and all the way to swimsuit.

Please tell us about the best and/or worst experiences you’ve had so far in modeling.

Almost every experience I have had in modeling has been amazing. One of my most favorite things about modeling is that my sister Kayla does it with me, since many times we are modeling together, which only makes the experience more enjoyable, because I get to share it with my best friend. We always encourage each other to try our best, and help each other with anything; having your best friend by your side in an experience like this is incredible.

Chelsie Raleigh lying on a wallHave you had anything funny, embarrassing or completely out of the ordinary happen during your modeling career?

I was once modeling for a magazine in Times Square, and was dressed in all high fashion apparel with many cameras and guards around me. With my hair blowing wildly through the wind, it made for quite a scene, and during the middle of the shoot, in the dead center of the over-crowded times square, the naked cowboy approached us and began singing “I need you” and other funny tunes. The gentlemen with the “Free Hugs” sign also came over to us. Needless to say, I soon had a large crowd around me, including some times square entertainers who made the experience unforgettable.

Is there anything you would change about the modeling industry if you could?

If I had to change something about the modeling industry, I would change the height requirements. Being not too tall myself, I find it difficult to book certain jobs; some of the most beautiful faces in the modeling industry come from those not reaching the height requirements.

Do you practice any sports and what do you typically eat? Please elaborate on the importance of nutrition and exercise in your life.

Ever since I was two I have been involved in competitive gymnastics, and currently attend group exercise classes at the fitness club I belong to about two to three times a week. I eat typically healthy, but am not afraid to have sweets every now and then, although if I am craving it, I am most likely going to satisfy that. Nutrition and exercise is important in my life because I feel it’s the key to a healthy lifestyle.

Please share something people don’t know about you.

Many people don’t know my love for music. I am self-taught on the piano and play whenever I get the chance.

Would you change anything about yourself?

I wouldn’t change anything about myself. I believe one of the most beautiful qualities is loving yourself.

What features do you look for in a partner?

When looking for a partner, I look for honesty, kindness, trust, respect, reliability, and overall lovable qualities. I feel if you love someone for who they are, looks should be the last quality to make an influence.

Visit Chelsie Raleigh’s website for more photos and information.

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Interview with Taylor Tran — Model and Highly Trained Hip Hop Dancer

Taylor Tran is a 20-year old model residing in Denver, Colorado.

How would you introduce yourself to our readers?

I was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, but my life now is all mainly Denver based. I’m a full time licensed hair and makeup artist and in my free time I’m either working out, modeling, at church or dancing with my hip hop crew – Academy of Raw/Hype 303 -check us out on YouTube!!- we perform, travel, and compete in various competitions around the US. My greatest priority is to love God and love people!

When, how and why did you first get involved in the modeling industry?

I was actually always told I should model since I was super young. I never really looked in to it much. I was in school to be a cosmetologist at the Aveda Institute of Denver and I quickly learned it was a pretty diverse industry, we have access to collaborate with some of Colorado’s best photographers and stylists and more. I saw a flyer for a model call in the institute for the NAHA competition and decided to go and was chosen. Through that, I was asked to model for fellow makeup artists and hairstylists and even photographers that came in to take photos of our work. I started building up a portfolio and just really networked a ton. The idea of being signed to an agency always kind of freaked me out but one of the photographers I worked with really encouraged me to submit to Donna Baldwin Agency and I got signed right away!

Taylor Tran modeling a flowered dressWhat are your personal and professional goals? Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?

Honestly, there’s a lot I want to do. I feel really blessed because it seems to me like my heart and mind have lined up with what God has planned out for me as far as my passions and careers go. I’m not aiming it super far out right now, I’m focusing on the beginning of my career as a hair and makeup artist because I just started 3 weeks ago, building up a stable clientele and making enough to travel and open up opportunities for myself. Do I hope to go further in modeling? Absolutely. That dream also scares the crap out of me because I also know though that it’s a very competitive industry, but I don’t think it’s something I can’t achieve. I hope to move to Cali in the near future.

How often are you modeling and what does it usually consist of?

It all just kind of depends, the past two months have been super busy for me as a model with Denver Fashion week and shoots and such but it’s all just mainly random. My agent will email me when a client is interested, I also keep contact with many different photographers and love collaborating artistic vision. For me, modeling consists of getting to sleep in and waking up and heading out on location looking like a scrub because they’re going to do your hair and makeup for you – which is one of the best parts. I do mainly print work and photoshoots and also runway, but not as much since I’m shorter than your standard runway model. I’ve done fashion, editorial, glamour, art, commercial, sports and others for portfolio work, magazines, a book cover, and more.

Please tell us about the best and/or worst experiences you’ve had so far in modeling.

Best experience was when a photographer and stylist found me on my agency’s site and flew out from South Carolina to work with me, I thought I’d just be traveling around my state shooting with them but I really had an intense spiritual connection with these people. We woke up as early as 4am and road tripped to Georgetown, St. Mary’s Glacier, and Garden of the Gods just shooting, eating good food and exchanging good music and having some really deep talks. It was amazing and I made some incredible friendships. I don’t really think I’ve had a worst experience, my very first photo shoot was for a hair competition and they dyed my hair neon orange which I thought was going to be awful, but it faded really pretty and I actually kept it for a long time.

Taylor Tran modeling black lingerieHave you had anything funny, embarrassing or completely out of the ordinary happen during your modeling career?

Probably just the photo shoot I talked about with the people that traveled from South Carolina, totally out of the ordinary. Loved it though. I don’t think I’ve had anything embarrassing happen… Yet!

Is there anything you would change about the modeling industry if you could?

I noticed that it’s more common now so I guess it is changing a little! I would change the majority of the height requirements for top agencies to 5’7″… Mainly because I’m 5’7″ hehe.

Do you practice any sports and what do you typically eat? Please elaborate on the importance of nutrition and exercise in your life.

I do! Dance is probably one of my very greatest passions above most. I’m a hip hop dancer with one of Colorado’s finest hip hop crews called Academy of Raw, formerly Hype 303. We practice 4 days a week and do various performances, battles, competitions, an more. We also travel and compete around the US and have dance fam in places like LA, Hawaii, Vegas, even the UK. We do a lot of intense training and working out. I also try to workout on my own as often as possible, mainly cardio and strength training, I’m a fan of HIIT and I also run a lot. Nutrition has recently become a lot more important to me and I mainly eat clean. I drink a lot of smoothies and try to avoid chicken nuggets which is actually the hardest thing in the world. Just saying.

Please share something people don’t know about you.

I’m actually a very passionate writer. I write poetry, I write what inspires me, I write about my daily life, where I’m going, what I’m experiencing, and more. I have kept consistent journals from the moment I’ve been able to write when I was young and I know for a fact my life wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t. I don’t know why but I’ve always had a strong instinct to document and express absolutely everything in that way.

Taylor Tran showing her blonde hairWould you change anything about yourself?

I want an inch! Just one more inch! I always say that. Haha.

Have you ever gone without wearing underwear all day? Why & what did you do?

Let’s be real here, I’m a very spacey person, always have been. When I was in kindergarten, I wore a really pretty and flowy light blue dress with blue and green flowers all over and and a blue cardigan to daycare one day, and as I was outside on the playground I noticed a breeze that I didn’t notice before. I panicked and sat down and cried and refused to tell the teacher or anyone why for hours because who forgets their underwear? Me, that’s who. I can remember exactly what I was wearing years ago on the specific day but I can’t remember my own underwear. That’s talent.

Visit Taylor Tran’s website for more photos and information

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Interview with Desi Lea — Tiny Girl, Big Dreams

Desi Lea is a 22-year old model residing in Stockton, California.

How would you introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Desiree Lea Torres, I am 22 years old and I was born in Los Angeles, CA, but grew up in Stockton, CA for the majority of my life. I currently live with my mother and two younger brothers, whom of which drive me crazy 99% of the time… sorry guys!. I plan on moving back to LA sometime in the near future and it will be my first time away from home, so it’s both exciting but a little scary! But I think I’m ready to leave the nest. I absolutely love music and have been involved in the local music scene since I was 13 years old and I’ve met most of my friends through attending shows and concerts. Aside from the obvious love for the music, I love the synchronized energy everyone has at concerts. You can literally just feel the emotion in the atmosphere and it’s such an amazing thing to experience. I also really enjoy spontaneous roadtrips to just about anywhere. I just love to adventure. But then I also have my days where I just want to lay around, look like hell, and watch netflix all day. Haha.

When, how and why did you first get involved in the modeling industry?

I first got into modeling when I was 14, but didn’t stay in it for very long at all. You know how every kid goes through an awkward phase? Well I think mine lasted about 10 years, and 14 was not a good year for me. A couple of years later I started getting into photography and really loved that. I would do all kinds of shoots, but most of the time I would prefer to shoot bands and live shows. I first got back into modeling when I was around 19 or 20 when a photographer friend of mine wanted to do some shots of me. Of course at first I was apprehensive because I still had my teenage self-esteem, but we did it anyway, and the pictures turned out a lot better than I expected! So after that I would just do small shoots here and there with her or other friends, just for fun, and that’s when I decided that maybe I could really turn this into something, so I began to build a portfolio.

Desi Lea at the cemeteryWhat are your personal and professional goals? Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?

Hmmm, well there’s a few magazines that I would love to work with, as well as doing some music video or short film work! I would love love love to be able to do runway, but being only five feet tall is an issue, I’m too tiny! In the next five to ten years I just see myself still working and still bettering myself in this industry. You can never stop improving!

How often are you modeling and what does it usually consist of?

At this time, I will usually do 4 or 5 shoots a month, but that’s partly because I’ve been a little lazy. Haha. I do all types of modeling, except for full nudity and erotic, but kudos to the models that do! It’s just not my thing.

Please tell us about the best and/or worst experiences you’ve had so far in modeling.

Okay, so I’m really into creepy, spooky things. My bedroom looks like Wednesday Addams meets mega nerd. Anyway, I recently did a shoot for a magazine based in San Francisco, and the photographer had an antelope skull, complete with these huge spiral horns. I picked it up and commented on how awesome it was and he flat out just asked me if I wanted it! I was so excited I couldn’t believe it.

One of my worst experiences was when I got my first scam email on MM. I was asked to do a shoot for a cosmetics ad that was going to pay very well, and be published in a very well known magazine. I thought it was a little odd right off the bat but I responded anyway. After several email exchanges, I was sent a check and was told I would receive another after the shoot. The person I was emailing asked me to cash the check right away and then send an amount to the “designer” I would be working with along with my measurements. So I go to the bank, where they tell me that the check is a fake. So embarrassing. After that I contacted the magazine I was supposedly doing the ad for and they said they had never even heard of this person that had been contacting me, and even after all of that, this guy still had the nerve to try and tell me he was the real deal!

Is there anything you would change about the modeling industry if you could?

I do wish there was more runway work for smaller models like myself!

Desi Lea prayingDo you practice any sports and what do you typically eat? Please elaborate on the importance of nutrition and exercise in your life.

To be honest, I don’t do too much. I try to eat healthy but I definitely have my days where I just pig out. I am just taking full advantage of the fast metabolism I have. Haha. I do a lot of cardio and some yoga. I absolutely love running. I’ll put my headphones in and just go for miles sometimes.

Please share something people don’t know about you.

I was diagnosed with depression when I was 11 years old and since then have been diagnosed with a few other mental disorders. It really sucks how as of lately it’s the “cool” thing to have something like that wrong with you, because I would love to be able to feel normal. My disorders held me back from a lot of things in life for a very long time, but in the past year or so I’ve begun to feel a lot better, and modeling has definitely helped me with that and boosted my self-esteem. I still have some really rough days, but they’re slowly but surely getting fewer and fewer!

Would you change anything about yourself?

I think I’ll always wish I was taller. Haha. I feel like I could take on a lot more jobs if I were at least 5’8 or something. I think I would also change how shy and antisocial I can be at times. Some people perceive me as being rude or stuck up but I’m really just nervous!

What do you wanna do?

I wanna rock. Rock!
-Please don’t sue me, Twisted Sister-

Visit Desi Lea’s website for more photos and information

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