We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lexx Lauray a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Lexx thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been one of the most interesting investments you’ve made – and did you win or lose? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
The best investment I made was pouring into myself! Growing up, I was an active, happy, and vibrant kid with high-functioning ADHD. From elementary to high school, you would find me in jazz and marching band practices, Lacrosse games on Saturday, after-school drama club meetings, and quarterly week-long theater plays as the lead character! I have always had a passion for the arts, and I spared no second to indulge and learn something new. Then, the day came when I was going to graduate high school and my family questioned what I was going to do with my life. Well, of course, it’s obvious! I will be an artist! When I revealed this to my family, sadness swept across their face, but it wasn’t from a disappointment in me, they were sad for me! To them, Art is only a passion and not a high-paying one. They saw in me a life of poverty, starvation, and desperation but I didn’t see the same! My passion for the arts was exactly that, a passion! it brought me happiness and made the hard times in life bearable. Income from my passion never crossed my mind- I simply wanted to exist as my creative, free, and loving self but this response from them made me second guess whether I was living a childish dream and if now was the time to grow up, in addition to making them happy. So I thought about what else I was good at outside of the arts, and I decided to shine a light on my passion for science and medicine. I devoted the next 14 years after high school to a career as a Medical Doctor. Throughout my time in Undergrad, post-grad, and medical school, I began to realize that, ironically enough, this is art! Medicine and science is art. I saw the beauty in the simple things that made a person feel heard and listened to, or the intricate details of laboratory experiments and keeping cells alive, I learned the history behind HELA cells and how medicine came to be under the cloak of slavery. I began to have a strong sense of passion for medicine and I turned it into an art form. Not only did the idea of medicine transform, it also transformed me and my view of the world. It made me engage with people from an understanding and empathetic approach. I couldn’t help but laugh at the thought that as an artist and creative, everything is Art!
In my final year of medical school, I decided to delve back into creative and expressive art through modeling, acting, and performance. If art is in everything we do, why should I avoid my other passions for medicine? I can love and do it all! So, the best investment I made was into my passions and the pursuit of self-discovery. I live in a world now where I feel free to be and exist and create. I no longer care about people’s opinions of me because it’s my life to live and I am in charge of how it goes. That’s all I have wanted out of life.
Lexx, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I want to serve as a beacon of change in the fashion and art industry. As a non-binary, gender non-confirming non-conventional plus-sized Model and artist, I see the world slowly evolving and opening up to all kinds of beauty. We are breaking the beauty standard and although I am hopeful, I believe this change is taking too long. I want to be a representation for those who are like me and not like me seeking change and inspiration in this industry!
I found love with modeling and because I see modeling as a passionate art form, it allows me to freely express myself in meaningfully connected ways! What I enjoy most about modeling is meeting designers with the same creative expression as me. In these last few years, I have manifested being able to model as a non-binary person and to be placed on photoshoots and runways that challenge my non-gender conforming creative self to represent something that breaks the beauty standards and ideals of gender roles in society. With this dream and vision in mind, I relocated to the capital of fashion in the US- New York! To my pleasant surprise, I have been well accepted here. I have walked the runway at New York Fashion Week for the past 4 seasons and have been cast for editorial and print modeling! You might catch me in your local magazine and on social media as well! I have worked with experienced designers from Los Angeles, London, New York, Paris, Miami, and more. I was even hired to model for emerging designers such as The Adonijae Wear Collection created in Buffalo, NY. AdoniJae was created by Candace Banks and is a brand committed to inclusiveness and creativity. She wants her brand to be for everyone. Her motivation stems from a commitment to make a positive impact on the fashion industry and reinforce the idea that there are no rules to fashion!
Another passion of mine has always been bringing unique and creative people together in ways that allow them to network, socialize, celebrate life, and enjoy quality time with each other. I began event production as part of an organization based out of South Florida in 2023 where I create elevated, decadent spaces for Black and Brown QTPOC in the community! A few years later, my organization is still going strong hosting monthly events at unique venues across South Florida. I have developed a dedicated following and have even collaborated with Gay Pride organizations in our region and beyond! I have been able to network and collaborate with other prominent community members and organizations to further redefine spaces for LGBTQIA+ people. I am looking forward to branching out of Florida and into New York and connecting with fellow community leaders to advocate and create safe spaces for members of the community and allies. I have a passion for healthcare and providing resources for those in need, and as such, I am always seeking ways to give back to my community in ways of healthcare education and volunteer work.
Overall, being a model, creative, event producer, physician, and jack of all trades allows me to access a plethora of spaces and encounter those who are just as multifaceted as I am! I look forward to Lexx Lauray becoming a household name and others knowing that when my name is on an event or if I am in a space, it will be welcoming, creative, inviting, and serve as a safe space to be your true authentic self.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
In my view, I believe that fashion shows and organizations can best support artists and creatives by paying them what they are worth. I believe that unions should be made so that people who wish to break into the fashion and modeling industry don’t have to pay to participate in shows wear organizations are making their income from designers, models, photographers, and press but not pouring anything of substance back into the industry. The first runway show that I walked, made me sell 8 tickets priced at around $90 per ticket to family and friends, if i was unable to sell these tickets, I could not participate. I have never been much of a sales agent and this was overwhelmingly exhausting for me. I managed to sell 3 tickets and I was forced to purchase the rest to be a part of the show. In addition to this, I had to pay for transportation and housing the weekend of the show. I poured finances and resources into this runway and ever tapped into the resources of my friends and family, and left with nothing but mediocre experience. No training, no practice, and barely any advice from the organization. After that experience, I vowed to never pay for a show again and I have not since then.
However, it is well known in the modeling industry that models do not get paid their worth. Not only do we advertise for free, but we bring people who want to see us walk which helps these organizations with their ticket sales. The fashion industry is abusing our talent and it is now coming to light. I wish for a change in the toxic environment around the fashion industry. I wish for it to be more inclusive of genders, sizes, and sexuality and to pay models for their time and talent. Watching the uproar behind the injustices for actors in SAF-AFTRA really gave me hope for our industry to become better than what we are today.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding part of what I do is serving as a representation for others who feel like they do not “belong” in fashion. for the Theybies that see the fashion industry as being very binary and are looking for a space to fit in. I love serving as a representation of plus-size models who don’t brand themselves as plus-size but simply a model. I look forward to showing that you can be a professional and also a creative and that these two worlds are not exclusively separate. I find joy in showing others that it is possible to navigate the world authentically and explore it passionately. Life is an adventure and should be sought out for the enriching knowledge, growth, and rewards that we learn along the way. I look forward to being a representation of everything they say we, as members of society, can not be!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexx_lauray/?igsh=MWs3ZmhjbmhlcWltZQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Image Credits
Magi Kendall Arthur, NY Alison Gregory Photography, NY