We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Karmen Brown. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Karmen below.

Alright, Karmen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

The first time I was ever paid for something model-related actually wasn’t for modeling in itself. I was still in college at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) at the time. There’s an organization there for Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies (CARS) students called Threads. They host a couple of different fashion shows throughout the school year that showcase the designs and work of CARS students, along with other participants. One year, a designer in the show reached out to me to ask if I could help coach her models for the runway. I had been involved in Threads a couple of times now and was also a part of the modeling troupe organization on campus, Mystique. I had never even considered coaching or helping others with modeling outside of my troupe, but I was down to help. I wasn’t even anticipating getting paid for something like this, but the designer told me she really wanted to pay me something for my services. I was really grateful to her for that. Working with the girls was a great experience for me. It was amazing watching them become more comfortable and confident in such a short time period, and getting to see them walk the runway afterwards. I even follow a couple of them on social media and have seen them continue to blossom with modeling. It’s a part of what made me realize I want to help others reach where they want to be. I want to be an open book and pass on things that I’m learning and picking up along the way. The experience also helped with me recognizing all of the different avenues for being involved in this industry and community.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a model and creative. Modeling is one of my top priorities right now, but I like the term “creative” because it encompasses the other things I’m interested in and currently exploring. Along with modeling, I’ve picked up photography and content creation and I’m sure I’ll do many others. I’ve always seen myself doing more than one thing, especially creatively.

I was first introduced to modeling my freshman year of college at UNCG. I joined a modeling troupe called Mystique, which was a performance based organization focused on all aspects of modeling. Throughout the years, I not only modeled, but also served in leadership positions where I helped with producing and promoting our events. I noticed I had a real passion for this industry in its entirety, from conceptualizing creative projects and campaigns, to bringing them to life through runway and photoshoots. I set up my first photoshoot on my own towards the end of 2020 with photographer Alycee Byrd. I loved every minute of the shoot and it made me realize that I was capable of doing this professionally. I’ve been pursuing modeling as a career ever since, often driving or assisting in the creative direction and styling for projects I’m involved in. I’m most proud of being featured on a digital billboard in Time Square in NYC, along with being posted to Nikon’s official social media pages. I was also able to model a bridal gown made by NYC designer, Antonio Gual, who then posted my behind the scenes content to his Instagram page.

Through modeling, I became drawn to photography and content creation. I took film and digital photo courses, initially to understand posing and lighting better, but I ended up really enjoying it. I decided to minor in photography my senior of college and I’m working towards making more photography collections. Content creation sort of fell into my lap. Being a freelance model in this digital era, I’ve used social media heavily for promotion. When video content came about, I started posting behind the scenes clips and snippets of my runway walk. It was intimidating at first, but I’ve grown to love making videos and it’s helped me put myself out there. I’m looking forward to learning more and growing as a creator.

I believe I stand out as a model and creative because of my versatility and professionalism. I can understand modeling from multiple perspectives, having experience with photography, promotion, and creating and executing concepts. My major in college was Communication, which is an important skill to have in this industry. I can be fun and bubbly for commercial brands, but I can also be fierce and powerful for fashion editorials. I can provide different types of energy on a runway, especially with my troupe background. I put my all into anything I do and I pay attention to every detail.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

When I decided to take modeling seriously, one of the first things I did was write out my “whys” and goals. By “whys,” I mean the deeper reasons why this is important to me and why I want to do it. I learned about this from another model and a mentor of mine, Lola Chél. In this industry, it’s necessary to understand what drives you early on. It has to be something so significant and personal to you that it’ll help you push through when times get rough and you’re constantly facing rejection. Over time, my goals have changed here and there, but my “whys” have always been the same. I’ve loved art ever since I was a child and I knew from an early age that I wanted to do something artistic with my life. This industry allows me to literally be art and to be immersed in it. I want to be a part of and help showcase the amazing ideas and stories of different creatives, along with creating and telling my own. I’ve struggled with putting myself in a box because of the standards of the modeling industry, but I want to defy those boxes and feel empowered in what I do. I want to inspire people who come from where I’m from or similar places. I want to use what I learn to empower others and help them reach their goals. This creative journey is giving me the opportunity to do all of these things.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Every art form fosters personal expression and allows people to tell stories. It’s rewarding bringing those stories to life and getting to express different parts of myself with what I do. With every project and every person I meet or work with, I learn something new about others, myself, and the world around me. I’ve pushed myself, become more confident, thought outside of the box, and showed a side of me that I don’t get to in many other spaces. Art and creativity reinforce that there’s an infinite amount of things to do and that there’s no limits. As I move forward, I believe in this more and more and feel myself evolving with each experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://karmenbrown.format.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karmsbro/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karmen.brown.357
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karmen-brown-b2007b1b2/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/karmsbro

Image Credits
Amiya “Culture” Whitfield (@culturallyiconic) Terrence Wormack (@trynotimages) Anke Sturhahn-Humphreys (@anke_1313) Michael Garris (@mgarrisphotography) Karmen Brown (@karmsbro)