My Story
Depression is something everybody knows of but very few people understand unless they’ve gone through it. I spent years learning how to navigate through my new reality and finding what would bring me joy. In the process I went back to the little girl in me that saw the world through fresh eyes and possibilities. That process led me back to summers in elementary school when I’d stay up late with a sandwich bag full of Cinnamon Toast Crunch watching ANTM reruns and trying to stay awake for one more episode. It’s because of those memories that I’m here today doing what I love.
How did I get started?
I knew in order to start, having a portfolio would be very important. In Cleveland, Oh there are few fashion photographers and I had no idea where to find those few. But to know me is to know that when I set my heart to something it’s never a matter of “if” and always a matter of “how and when”. On my days off I would get up early in the mornings think of a concept I wanted to replicate, do my hair, do my makeup, create my own photoshoots, then attempt to edit them. These shoots took place in my apartment, outside my apartment building, and other random locations outside. All practice for when opportunity came knocking.
Why modeling?
For me modeling was never something I did just because people said I should try it and it was never about the “glitz and glam”. To me there is a freedom to being able to represent something bigger than myself. The best artist don’t only show you good work, they make you feel something behind the work. They allow you to interpret their work in a way that makes you feel connected to it through your own life experiences. For me it’s always been about being able to tell a story and being so encompassed in that story that others find it easy to relate and connect to. Tapping into my own life experiences, finding an emotion to portray, and allowing myself to become someone different than the person that walked into the studio is how I do that.
Inspiration
Schiaparelli is one of my all time favorite designers and a dream client of mine. The pictures above and below were partially inspired by Daniel’s inspiration from a silver egg given to him by a friend for New Years Eve. To him that egg was the catalyst for his phoenix inspired collection, for me it’s the inspiration for these photos. This shoot was broken up into three parts of the phoenix transformation with these pictures representing both the death of what was and the birth of what will be.
Why Houston?
I say this ALL THE TIME, Houston is such a creative Mecca. There is a creative here for every niche with just as much passion for what they do as I have. That’s the kind of environment that not only breeds creativity, but also keeps you motivated and pushes you to go further and there’s nothing like being around likeminded people. I’ve been so blessed to meet so many ingenious people that have not only helped me gain experience in modeling, but are the reason I’m able to have a portfolio (that I’m so proud of) to show for it
España
Durante años, uno de mis objetivos ha sido aprender español. Mi abuelo es boricua y ese fue uno de los mayores motivadores para ser persistente y constante en el aprendizaje. Ahora que llevo un par de años aprendiendo, me encantaría viajar fuera de los Estados Unidos para comprender completamente la cultura española, ya que esa es la versión del español que he estado aprendiendo todo este tiempo. Quiero vivir allí durante al menos 6 meses y hacer algo de modelaje allí también. También podría poner lo que aprendí a buen uso.
Goals
Dream clients I would love to have (besides Schiaparelli of course) are Cavalli, Christian Siriano, and Wierderhoeft. Luxury fashion brands I’d love to work with include Bottega, Dolce and Gabbana, Bvlgari, Rolex, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, and Jimmy Choo. Makeup brands would be Haus Labs, Fenty Beauty, L’Oréal, Maybelline, and MAC Cosmetics. There are so SO many brands I’d love to work with but if I keep listing the page will get full🤣. I plan to be in ad campaigns all over the world, walking in shows for names the average person has yet to hear of, and building connections that will last a life time. It’s never a matter of “if” and always a matter of “how and when”.
GET IN TOUCH
Contact
Sincerelyjasminealexis@gmail.com
Location
Houston, Tx