In school I found it hard to socialize, I had just about no friends. Some kids couldn't even tell if I was a boy or a girl since I had short hair, and boyish features. That was how all the mocking started, I was told I was ugly by people all my life, especially in school. At first I used to feel hurt, but I soon began to accept it. Even as I progressed to middle school and high school, I still didn't manage to make many friends, I wasn't close with my family either. I could tell my parents were still disappointed in me no matter how well I did in school. I guess they always felt I would grow out of my awkwardness eventually, but I never did. I was alone most of my time. I had a lot of time to think, to gain knowledge about many things I've wondered about.
I was 22 when I met Calvin Klein. I was vising a friend in New York, I had gone to get something from a grocery store near the hotel I was staying at. I remember specifically I was walking down the organic foods isle, when I felt I was being watched. I turned to see a tall, lean, grey haired man, grasping a shopping basket, scrutinizing me. I frowned at him at first, then I realized I had seen his face somewhere before. He smiled then briskly walked towards me, held out his hand and said,
"Hi, my name's Calvin".
I knew who he was now.
"Calvin Klein?" I asked, surprised at my sudden outburst.
He smiled and nodded, then apologized for staring at me. He said he was looking for models for his new line and really liked my look and the way I walked. I couldn't believe him. How could he like my look when I was told I was ugly since I was a little child. He gave me his card and told me to come by his studio for an audition. I was skeptical but my friend I was visiting at the time persuaded me to go. I felt there wasn't any harm in just going for an audition anyway, so I went. Calvin Klein loved me, I was walking for him during fashion week within a month. A runway which many models work years to finally be able to walk. Soon I was being whisked off to exotic places I've always wanted to visit. Walking runways in Paris, Milan, London and Tokyo, I had become a high fashion model. I began to fall in love with the world of fashion very fast. Even though being a model deemed to be quite a tiring job, constantly traveling and maintaining your body shape, I loved it because it gave me an outlet to express myself. Especially through fashion photography. I loved doing spreads for magazines.
I realized this was my calling in life. I loved high fashion because it embraced the "ugly" side of the world, constantly twisting and changing the perception of beauty, constantly redefining the definition of beauty, in some cases even changing the course of history. Even if someone isn't interested in fashion, it does affect them in many ways. I met many fashion design icons such as Karl lagerfeld and Anna Wintour and began to truly understand the "heart" of high fashion. After working in the industry for approximately ten years, I was being termed as a fashion icon myself. I was surprised, all I had done was express my own passion for high fashion modelling.
The industry also brought me and my husband together. I remember I was in Paris, at a photo-shoot for French vogue. He was rather new to the industry then, and this was his first major break. Having shot with many master photographers, I could tell he was nervous, but he hid it well. We soon realized both of us were extremely alike. I understood his artistic vision and he understood my passion. We've been inseparable ever since.
Many perceive the fashion industry to be a stressful world, full of unreasonable dictators and starving models all for money and fame, but they couldn't be more wrong. The fashion world is truly a place where people with burning passions come to realize their dreams, where people work hard, day and night to create something that they can be proud of, and to me, a place where I found acceptance, inspiration and most of all a place where I feel beautiful.
I was 22 when I met Calvin Klein. I was vising a friend in New York, I had gone to get something from a grocery store near the hotel I was staying at. I remember specifically I was walking down the organic foods isle, when I felt I was being watched. I turned to see a tall, lean, grey haired man, grasping a shopping basket, scrutinizing me. I frowned at him at first, then I realized I had seen his face somewhere before. He smiled then briskly walked towards me, held out his hand and said,
"Hi, my name's Calvin".
I knew who he was now.
"Calvin Klein?" I asked, surprised at my sudden outburst.
He smiled and nodded, then apologized for staring at me. He said he was looking for models for his new line and really liked my look and the way I walked. I couldn't believe him. How could he like my look when I was told I was ugly since I was a little child. He gave me his card and told me to come by his studio for an audition. I was skeptical but my friend I was visiting at the time persuaded me to go. I felt there wasn't any harm in just going for an audition anyway, so I went. Calvin Klein loved me, I was walking for him during fashion week within a month. A runway which many models work years to finally be able to walk. Soon I was being whisked off to exotic places I've always wanted to visit. Walking runways in Paris, Milan, London and Tokyo, I had become a high fashion model. I began to fall in love with the world of fashion very fast. Even though being a model deemed to be quite a tiring job, constantly traveling and maintaining your body shape, I loved it because it gave me an outlet to express myself. Especially through fashion photography. I loved doing spreads for magazines.
I realized this was my calling in life. I loved high fashion because it embraced the "ugly" side of the world, constantly twisting and changing the perception of beauty, constantly redefining the definition of beauty, in some cases even changing the course of history. Even if someone isn't interested in fashion, it does affect them in many ways. I met many fashion design icons such as Karl lagerfeld and Anna Wintour and began to truly understand the "heart" of high fashion. After working in the industry for approximately ten years, I was being termed as a fashion icon myself. I was surprised, all I had done was express my own passion for high fashion modelling.
The industry also brought me and my husband together. I remember I was in Paris, at a photo-shoot for French vogue. He was rather new to the industry then, and this was his first major break. Having shot with many master photographers, I could tell he was nervous, but he hid it well. We soon realized both of us were extremely alike. I understood his artistic vision and he understood my passion. We've been inseparable ever since.
Many perceive the fashion industry to be a stressful world, full of unreasonable dictators and starving models all for money and fame, but they couldn't be more wrong. The fashion world is truly a place where people with burning passions come to realize their dreams, where people work hard, day and night to create something that they can be proud of, and to me, a place where I found acceptance, inspiration and most of all a place where I feel beautiful.
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