We recently connected with Carly Driver and have shared our conversation below.

Carly, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

From a very young age, I always knew that I wanted to become a model and I was very determined to achieve that goal. When I was younger, I would dress up in my mom’s clothes, I would host my own fashion shows, and I loved taking pictures of myself. I would spend hours in my room playing dress up, trying on makeup, and looking at models in magazines. I would alwyas tell myself and others that I was going to be a model when I grew up… and now I am! I am honestly still in shock that I am living my wildest dream. My mom saw this as an opportunity to get me started with modeling and she signed me up for modeling classes at Millie Lewis. I learned how to walk the runway, how to pose, did photoshoots and walked in a fashion show at the end of the year. I did not book any jobs as kid, but I enjoyed learning about modeling and it boosted my confidence. As I got older, I wanted to take modeling seriously, and I did a lot of research about the insudtry. I started working with a local runway coach, I did a lot of photoshoots, I walked in fashion shows, and I even went to New York to train with supermodel Coco Rocha. Recently, I signed with my agency (Westhaven) and I am working on building my portfolio and booking more jobs. Since beginning my modeling journey, I have learned a lot through trial an error, and I have experienced success as well as failure. Modeling is not a quick process and it took me years to get to where I am today. One thing I could have done to speed up the learning process was to take my career seriosuly at a younger age and not wait until I was older to pursue my dreams. There are many skills that are essential for models to have to be successful and some of those are: learning how to pose, how to walk a runway, how to dress for castings, how to do your own hair/makeup, and how to walk in different types of shoes. These are all skills that you have to learn about your physical appearence, but you also have to learn mental skills too. Some of those include: learning how to deal with rejection, how to manage your time, and how to network with others. As a model, I have faced many obstacles that have stood in my way of learning more. One of those obstacles is living in South Carolina. I love my state, but unfortunately there are not a lot of opportunities for modeling here, and I have to travel to other places for opportunities. Another obstacle is finding people to network and connect with. I was on my own for a long time, and it took tons of research to find people to connect with and build a modeling community around me. Over time, I have found more opportunities and connected with so many talented people in the industry. I am so glad that I did not give up on my dream of being a model and I am thankful for the incredible journey of learning the craft!

Carly, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started working in the modeling industry when I was 8 years old. My biggest dream as a kid was to be a model, and I was not going to give up on this goal. I remember people asking me “what do you want to do when you grow up?” I would always tell them “A model!” They thought I was crazy or they would ask me If I had a backup plan. No matter what, I still said I was going to be a model because I was going to follow my dreams. My mom decided to sign me up for modeling classes at Millie Lewis and I learned the basics of modeling at a young age. I learned how to be confident in front of the camera, walk with poise, and how to have a passion for modeling. I will never forget being able to walk in my first fashion show at 9 years old! When I was a little bit older, I participated in their professional modeling classes where I won 1st runner-up for model of the year! I also I booked my first professional modeling job where I got to model hair extensions for the Lauren Ashtyn Collection. I had a blast on set, and this job inspired me to jumpstart my modeling career- so I did! My mom and I I started doing lots of research and I decided to take modeling seriously. She has been my biggest supporter and I would not be who I am today without her. She has spent countless hours driving me wherever I needed to be, learning how to do my hair and makeup, shopping for photoshoot outfits, booking plane tickets, and so much more. I will never get tired of seeing her face light up when she sees me on the runway or when I get my photos back. After searching far and wide, I met a local modeling coach (Luis Lopez) and I started taking modeling classes with him. I met many of my modeling friends through him and I am still friends with them to this day. I have worked on several photoshoots, walked in fashion shows, and collaborated on projects with all of my talented friends. I then had the opportunity to audition for Greenville Fashion week with a local photographer and designer (Krissy King). I made it into the show, and I was so excited because it was my first real fashion show. After that, I had the opportunity to walk for Krissy King in New York Fashion Week with The Society. I could not believe that I was going to be walking in New York, and it was such a memorable moment for me. A few months later, I met a local photographer and designer (Patrick Cox) and I started working with him. I did my first high fashion photoshoot and started building my portfolio. The next year, I had the opportunity to walk for Patrick and Krissy at New York Fashion Week for the second time. When I got back from New York, I hit the ground running and started working with a lot of local photographers and I was able to do some really creative photoshoots. Some of my fondest memories were getting my hair and makeup done for these shoots because it was so cool. I then walked in Greenville Fashion week with Maegan Heinz for 2 years in a row, and I even got to walk a dog down the runway! At this point, I had built up my portfolio, but I needed an agency to help me book more jobs. Patrick Cox helped me to get signed with an agency this year, and we got to work right away. I am forever grateful for him and all that he taught me about modeling because he was one of my biggest supporters and he believed in me since day one. In addition, I had the opportunity to attend Coco Rocha Modeling Camp in New York and I will never forget this time in my life. I learned everything there is to know about modeling and I still can’t believe that I got to work with her! I have put in years of hard work, time, and dedication into modeling, and I still work very hard every single day to live my dream. I am so proud of myself for learning how to put myself out there because the world deserves to know the name Carly Driver!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Resilience is a powerful word. To me, being resilient means not giving up, to keep pushing, to keep fighting, and to keep going no matter what life throws at you. A time that shows my resilience was when my senior year of high school. At this time, my modeling career started to take off and I was really happy with everything I had done. However, I hit a point where I became discouraged because I started to realize what it really took to become a model, and I was not sure that I could live up to those standards. I learned that most agencies had a height requirement of 5’8″ and taller. I am 5’3″and I did not meet this strict requirement. Also, I was very insecure about my ears because I have big ears and I didn’t like the way they looked. I looked different from everyone else, I always hid them, and I never wore my hair up. I thought I could not become a model because I did not look “normal” and I was very upset by this. My dream was starting to slip away because it felt impossible to become a model. During this time, I still did photoshoots and walked in shows, but deep down I felt lost and I didn’t know what to do. However, one day I was on Instagram and I saw a model camp called Coco Rocha Model Camp in New York. I researched the camp, and it turns out that Coco Rocha was a famous supermodel. I decided to apply for the camp because I felt like this would be the next step in achieving my modeling dreams. To my surprise, I was accepted and I was beyond excited about this incredible opportunity! I packed my bags and headed to New York ready to learn from the best. At the camp- we learned how to pose from the queen of pose herself, as well as her iconic runway technique, and we worked with her 1 on 1 during our photoshoot. Before attending camp, I had no idea how to pose and it really stressed me out trying to think of poses during shoots. I learned the art of posing, and now I can pose effortlessly with beauty and grace during shoots. Out of all the things we learned, the moment that stuck out to me the most was during the photoshoot. Coco wanted me to wear my hair up for the shoot, and this made me really nervous because I was so insecure about my ears. I did the photoshoot and Coco hyped me up the entire time and helped me to get some of the best photos I have ever taken. After the shoot, she could tell I was nervous about my hair being up and she looked at me and said, “I love your ears, I think they are beautiful and they make you unique- You should be proud of who you are.” I was shocked because Coco Rocha told me she loved the one thing I didn’t like about myself. She then told us that a lot of models have unique features and that agencies love them because they are unique and their features are what make them who they are. This moment forever changed the way that I looked at myself and modeling agencies. I learned how to love myself and that it is a good thing to be unique. I also learned that I can still achieve my dreams of becoming a model, even if I looked different. She also told us that a lot of agencies were removing their height minimums and it really doesn’t matter how tall you are. I left camp feeling empowered and more confident than ever. I still think about what Coco said every. single. day. because that’s just how powerful the camp was. Thank you, Coco. I learned how to appreciate my ears and I started modeling with my ears showing because I truly loved myself. I didn’t care what anyone thought about me and I was proud of who I was. A lot of photographers and makeup/hair artists love my ears because they can create really unique looks with my features. One of my favorite quotes is “Never apologize for being you,” and this quote inspires me to love myself and to be proud of who I am. I got my spark back and I felt confident that I could achieve my dreams- and I am currently living those dreams! A few of my goals are: to move to New York, sign with a big agency, walk in Paris fashion week, be on the cover of a magazine, and to represent people with unique features. I will achieve these goals because I am resilient. I learned that when I felt ready to give up, to keep going and be resilient. Even if the odds are against you, you can do anything you put your mind to. Life is too short to give up on your dreams… so I will fight to achieve my wildest dreams!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Modeling is a form of art that inspires, creates, motivates, and empowers. It is graceful, beautiful, and delicate, but it can also be dark, rough, and harsh. It is not determined by one adjective, rather it is determined by many different adjectives. Modeling It is objective and nobody will ever see a photo, piece of clothing, or fashion show as the same. Modeling aims to create powerful and innovative pieces of art that make people think and feel something. For me, the most rewarding aspect of modeling is getting to create art with myself- because I am the canvas. I love being able to create different looks with hair, makeup, clothes, poses, and photography. One time, I had purple eyebrows with lace glued to my face, a fluffy braid, a gold sequin jacket, and a huge hoop skirt. Another time I had a black leather jumpsuit with snakeskin boots, and my hair glued in waves on my face. A different time, I had a brown dress with green lipstick, green eyeshadow, and crazy teased hair. Each one of these shoots featured different elements that told a story through me. I absolutely love getting to model fun and unique looks with myself because I am passionate about creating something that is inspiring and that makes me feel good. I enjoy showing people my pictures and making them think and feel something because every look/shoot has a story to tell. No two pictures will ever be the same, and I will never get tired of looking at my pictures and saying “Wow, that’s really me!” Sometimes I get my pictures back and I am in disbelief that I created something so compelling and jaw-dropping. Modeling is more than getting to wear cool clothes or having fun hair and makeup. It is about producing pictures that will cause people to talk, think, and feel something. It can be positive, or negative, they can laugh, cry, talk or say nothing, but at the end of the day, if you inspired someone (even if it’s 1 person) it is so rewarding. I like to have range with my modeling and my looks. I am still myself, but I get to portray different people, different outfits, different personas, and I get to escape reality. When I am modeling, I am fully invested in the character I am portraying. I have some pictures that are colorful, happy, and fun, and have simple poses. At the same time, I have pictures that are black & white, dark, sad, and have more complex poses. I get to do commercial shoots that are everyday looks and I get to do editorial shoots that are high fashion looks. Every single one of my pictures has a story to tell and I am fascinated with telling a story through my modeling. When I am preparing for a shoot, I look at a mood board for inspiration, I listen to music during shoots, and I escape reality to become someone else. I look back at old pictures of myself and I still remember the stories behind the photos, the stories behind the hair/makeup, or the stories behind the outfits. I recently did a shoot with Patrick Cox and his leather collection, and those photos turned out phenomenal. We had a unique set with boxes, ladders, chairs, and we had creative hair and makeup, and the outfits each had their own extraordinary story to tell. To me, modeling is much more than the clothes, hair or makeup- it is about creating art with yourself that is out of this world. One of my favorite words is Meraki (Greek). It means to do something with soul, creativity, or love; to put something of yourself into your work. That is why I model- to create art with myself, to tell stories, and to inspire.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @carlydriver

Image Credits
Matthew Tyler Priestley Patrick Cox Krissy King Epic Joy Photography Leslie Kerrigan Joshua Scott Morgan Getty Images