Lexie, A Model and Student from Portland, USA

Could you tell us something about what you do?

I am a model backed by Elite Management Worldwide. I am a fulltime student majoring in Mass Media and Communications. As of now, I am in the middle of balancing somewhere in between both. Modeling helps pay for school, and school helps pave the way for my future career, so it works out nicely.

How did you first become interested in modeling?

I was scouted by Paul Marciano of Guess Jeans when I was 16 years old. He flew my parents and I to LA to shoot at the headquarters. Without that exposure, I think it would have been hard to ever get out of the small town that I come from. I competed at Miss United States when I was 17 years old, and placed in the Top 15. That granted me a lot of exposure with photographers and dress companies like ASHLEY Lauren, who became a good friend of mine. I have worked for her since I was 17. It’s always a great time.

What do you enjoy most about modeling?

I love modeling because like acting, it gives you the ability to transform yourself into whatever you want to be. I love the feeling of successfully creating a certain time period or theme and making it come alive.

What are you working on at the moment?

Right now I am mainly focused on my degree as I am in the spring semester. I got back from Miami last month shooting with my mother agency, Elite Miami. I just got back from Atlanta working with the ASHLEY Lauren team, and I leave for Los Angeles in a couple of weeks, where I will be working for the summer. But for now, it’s pretty much 99% school orientated.

What are the challenges in what you do, and how do you overcome them?

The number one challenge in modeling and my job would be that of pressure and negative vibes. Obviously it is a very cutthroat industry, as there are a million beautiful girls in the world vying for jobs. It takes extremely hard work, persistence and focus to achieve your goals. You have to ignore people who have nothing nice to say, and just continue to do your own thing. It’s a skill I’ve learned after getting thrown into the industry at a young age. Be kind, be real, and if you don’t have anything valuable or nice to say, don’t say it.

Could you describe your personal style?

Gap sweatpants, Wal-Mart baseball hat, Goodwill t-shirt.

What is your present state of mind?

So focused, ready for spring semester to end, and ready to crush this summer.

What music are you listening to at the moment?

Gucci Mane, Ozzy, Cyndi Lauper, Elvis, @FlowerShopUnited. I like everything. For some reason the world thinks that the only good art comes out of NY, LA, MIA, Paris, etc. Half of the creatives that are the biggest names now crawled from the trenches trying to get to those cities. More respect needs to be shown to smaller companies and artists because you can only listen to Drake and Big Sean for so long. (30 seconds).

Which artists or designers inspire you?

For the most part I inspire myself. I am my own motivation. I don’t really look at the work of others. Maybe that’s a bad thing.
I love Pam Anderson, Post Malone, Lana Del Rey, and Stephanie Seymour.

What is the purpose of art, in your view?

Its freedom of expression. Literally. What else would it be? Same thing with chefs and creative restaurants. It’s a freedom to do what you like. Art critics crack me up because I don’t think its possible for a piece to be bad. It’s all opinionated. There is no right or wrong answer, ever. There is no one purpose. It’s an expression.

How do you spend your free time?

I like laying on the floor and eating Cheetos. I love to hike, take pictures, chill with fam, see new places and read books too. I love hanging out with my boyfriend. Lately with school I mostly just take the time to breathe and focus on the next task at hand.