Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kenzie Clark. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kenzie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?

I think a lot of the time, models as a whole get misunderstood. I think people look at us and think, “Oh they just want to look pretty, get a lot of attention, and feel physically validated. There’s no skill involved.” Let me tell you, that could not be further from the truth. For me, modeling is so many things. It’s a creative outlet; there are SO many things that can be done with the human body when posing. There are endless options to what you can create through fashion, a backdrop, and posing. Endless stories to be told, countless emotions to be portrayed, there’s nothing I can’t do when I’m modeling. The creative process fulfills my soul. Modeling is also a way to make an impact on the world around me. When I’m posing for a photo, I’m expressing all the emotions inside me. I’m pouring out my emotions for the camera to capture, so that when people look at my photos; they feel something. Whether it be positive, negative, sad, happy, I want you to feel something when you look at my photos. I want to evoke emotion and make people think. I want to challenge people to look inside themselves by seeing inside me. It also makes it like a therapy session for me. I always come out of a shoot feeling like I’ve gotten something off my chest. Lastly, and this is a point I’m very passionate about, modeling is HARD. It is physically HARD. If you’re doing posing right, you know what I’m talking about when I say you will discover muscles you never knew you had. We hold these difficult poses for sometimes 30 minutes or more depending on the shot they’re trying to get. We’re busting out hundreds of these poses for 4 to sometimes 12 hour photoshoots. Most of time; IN HEELS. Models have strength and endurance like you wouldn’t believe. It takes a special kind of talent to do all this while not showing your discomfort in your face. Understanding the misconceptions of modeling has just made me even more adamant about challenging peoples assumptions about the job.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

A little known fact is that I actually started out in the music industry. I was a musician for most of my life; I’ve been on stages since I was 6 years old. Fast forward to 2018, when I was modeling for album covers and whatnot, I noticed I had a knack for modeling and I loved doing it. After I started posting some of the photos, photographers started hitting me up with wanting to shoot with me. I quickly learned I had a special skill for this and that I need to start charging for my services. It honestly just all snowballed from there. Fast forward to now; I’ve walked in New York Fashion Week, won awards for my runway walk, I’m signed to Premiere Models, I’ve been on covers of magazines and been internationally published, etc. The journey has been absolutely crazy.

I’m first and foremost a fashion/editorial model. You can book me independently or through my agency. I also offer pose coaching and runway training classes, either one on one or a group setting. I also include some industry training during these sessions. Things like, how to get signed by an agency, what kind of agency would be best for you, what clients look for in a model, how to represent yourself to be the most successful, what to expect during a casting call, how to navigate difficult or sketchy situations, etc. I have also been known from time to time to do styling for shoots or individuals, or general creative direction for projects.

What I believe sets me apart from others, is my sheer level of skill. I have a natural eye for creativity and fashion, and I believe that no one else can do what I do with my level of efficiency, dedication, and passion. I bring magic to a set.

What I am most proud of is the impact I’ve made to the people around me. I’ve gotten several messages from people saying that I’ve inspired them, I’ve helped them come out of their shell, I’ve pushed them to be their truest self, etc. Messages like that make me cry. That is the highest form of reward for me.

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

The modeling/fashion industry has been progressing so well in terms of inclusivity and body positivity. I’ve been so proud of how far we’ve come. However, there are still steps we need to take. 1. We need petite model representation!!! There are incredible models all over the world who are getting rejected from opportunities in their career simply because they’re not 5’11”. To me, this is absolutely ridiculous. There is not a place for that discrimination in this day and age and I want to be a pioneer to make that change.
2. We also need tattooed model representation!!! I recently had the opportunity to attend a casting call for Wilhelmina models, and I was appalled at the treatment of tattooed models. I talked with all of the tattooed models that were at that casting afterwards and they all said the same thing. The second they walked in and the scout saw their tattoos; they were completely disregarded. We were treated like we were entirely inferior. Again, there is not a place for this discrimination in this day and age. We have tattoos, we have stretch marks, we have acne, we have wrinkles, we have body hair. Our individuality is what makes us beautiful, and the fashion industry needs to stop thinking otherwise.
It’s one of my biggest goals in my career to help change these things.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resilience is key when pursuing a modeling career. Rejection is a DAILY thing for us. We are basically disposable canvases for clients. If we don’t have the specific hair color, eye color, body type, etc., that client wants for their project, we’re not getting booked. You can’t take it personally. It’s a very dangerous place to be in mentally if you start to believe your worth depends on your physical attributes, and the modeling industry doesn’t make it easy to NOT believe that. Although that agency or client didn’t want you at the time, keep trying! They may want you in the future, or for a different project. It all depends on what’s trending at the moment, or what physical attributes match the needs of their project. I had to learn very quickly to not let that affect the way I see/value myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://moodyhumanbykenzie.wixsite.com/kenz
• Instagram: @kenziekreme
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/Hy73ysTVKGA

Image Credits
“New Wave” by Mob Journal Magazine cover shot by Ricky Pineda Opium Red Magazine shot by Michael Cheyne NYFW award picture by Rachel Moore Black and white full body photo by Zach Whitmore Black and white portrait photo by Ricky Pineda “Lace collar and belt” photo by Jacob Smith NYFW show model poster shot by Ricky Pineda Pose coaching BTS photo by Leo Witcher