How were you discovered? I was listening to the radio and went to a model search.

Where is your favorite city to travel and why? Killeen, Texas because that' where all my friends are!

What do you like to do in your free time? Dance, dance, and well, dance.

If you weren't modeling, what could you see yourself doing as a career? Being a photographer. I also LOVE to take pictures.

What do your friends think about you modeling? Some are really happy for me but there are also some who are angry that I'm doing it!

If you could book your dream job, what would it be? Dolce and Gabbana all the way.

What are your must-have makeup essentials? Lip gloss and eyeliner, couldn't live without it.

Who is your favorite designer and why? All of the above because any one who can be that creative in clothing is my favorite!

What advice would you give to a girl trying to break into this industry? Be positive and never be someone you're not!

What is the best part about being a model? The people you meet and work with.

What do you miss most about home when you're working? My grandma's speeches on how I'm gonna be the best LOL.

Who are your style icons? Avril and Pink they're soooo crazy!

How do you prepare for a photo shoot or a runway show? I usually tell myself I'm gonna rock it like no one else!

What are your hidden talents? I can bend and fold like no one else LOL.

How/where were you discovered?  I was discovered at a local benefit runway show.

What is your favorite food?  Anything with chocolate in it!

Where is your favorite city to travel and why? That is a tie between Chicago and New York.  Chicago because that's where I was born and New York because I LOVE it!

What do you like to do in your free time?  I LOVE to dance especially ballet and hanging out with my three sisters who I love so much!

If you weren't modeling, what could you see yourself doing as a career?  I would be either a doctor or a teacher.

What do your friends think about you modeling?  My friends are very excited for me and are always supportive but I do miss them when I'm working.

Do you ever get to keep the clothes from the shoots?  YES! That's my favorite part!

If you could book your dream job, what would it be?  I would love to be booked for the cover of Teen Vogue and American Vogue!

What are your must-have makeup essentials?  Clinique SPF 15 City Block, Lancome Juicy Tubes and Bobbi Brown mascara.

Who is your favorite designer?  That would be a three-way tie between Marc Jacobs, Miuccia Prada and Juicy Couture.

What do you think the hardest part of modeling is?  The hardest part of modeling is trying to balance school and family because family is most important to me!

What do you wear on go-sees?  I wear a warm smile and a good attitude!

What do you miss most about home when you're working?  My family especially my three sisters: Kristine, Kimberly and Kariann.  Oh, and my puppies too!!!!!

Who are your favorite models? Coco Rocha!  I think she's really cool and she's a dancer too!

What advice would you give to a girl trying to break into this industry?  I hate to sound like a cliche but in order to live your dream you have to believe in yourself.

How/where were you discovered? In the grocery store. I ran out to the car to see if my mom left her purse in⿿ there at the same time an agent was turning around in the parking lot,⿿ he saw me and followed me into the store and voila!⿿⿿

How do you manage school and modeling? It's all about time management. I can handle it!⿿ ⿿

What is your favorite food? Probably ⿿popcorn with m&ms. But don't tell my agency that :)⿿ ⿿

Where is your favorite city to travel and why? Destin, Florida. It's⿿ where my family spends our summer break. ⿿

⿿What do you like to do in your free time? I like to read, go to⿿ movies, shop, you know: typical girl stuff. ⿿
If you weren't modeling, what could you see yourself doing as a ⿿career? I'd say I'd want to be either an actor or a brain surgeon; I⿿ mean, who doesn't want to meet Dr. McDreamy? :)⿿

What do your friends think about you modeling? Not many of them know, ⿿actually, just my really close ones. They think it's cool.⿿ ⿿

Do you ever get to keep the clothes from the shoots?  Not yet, but ⿿I'd like to! ⿿ ⿿

If you could book your dream job, what would it be? That's really ⿿hard, but a spread in Teen Vogue would be nice (wink, wink) :)⿿ ⿿

What are your must-have makeup essentials?  I don't really wear⿿ makeup, just lip balm. ⿿ ⿿

Who are your favorite models?  Cintia Dicker and Caroline Trentini,⿿they're both gorgeous!⿿⿿

Who are your style icons? Rachel Bilson and Reese Witherspoon. Again,⿿ gorgeous and classy.

What advice would you give to a girl trying to break into this ⿿industry? Be yourself and be patient. ⿿ ⿿⿿

Ladies! Please sit up and take notice of Justin Gaston. Hailing from Louisiana, I think he is one of the most delightful male models around today. At 18 years old, with a southern drawl, captivating brown eyes and incredible charm it is easy to see how he has worked his way onto the sets of some of the most esteemed photographers in the business. We first noticed his appeal when he came up to Teen Vogue for polaroids last summer and we immediately cast him for a shoot photographed by Raymond Meier (Nov 06 page 140). He has since gone on to work for Diesel, Gianfranco Ferre and Abercrombie and Fitch to name a few of his notable achievements. Keep your eyes peeled for more Justin because I think this is the beginning of a wonderful career. What do you guys think? Do you have any favorite male models? Please share!

Remember my previous post about newcomer Irina K? Take a look at her Teen Vogue story Sunny Delight in our June/July 07 issue. What do you guys think?

Agency: Trump
Age: 16
Height: 5'9
Hometown: Riverside, CA
Favorite model: Gisele Bÿndchen
The best fashion advice you've ever received: "Confidence is all you need."

My top 3:
Items I can't live without:
1. Cell phone
2. Chapstick
3. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

Places I've been:
1. Philippines
2. Paris
3. Virgin Islands

Designers:
1. Marc Jacobs
2. Cavalli
3. BCBG

Favorite foods:
1. Sushi
2. Pasta
3. Filipino Food

Items in your handbag:
1. Heels
2. Chapstick
3. My portfolio

Phone numbers in your speed dial:
1. Agency
2. Best friend
3. Pizza hut

In my opinion, one of the most remarkable new girls to come on the scene this season is Ali Michael. She joins Hilary Rhoda and another newcomer, Chanel Iman, as a new big thing in modeling: the American model. After years of the industry catering to Brazilians and Eastern European models (still very popular and gorgeous!), it's so refreshing to see these All-American beauties claiming their rightful place in the industry. With her full eyebrows, Texas charm, and unbelieveable first runway season, she is doing her part to solidify the American model's place in the industry. Ali first came up to Teen Vogue last summer and we booked her for a fashion story—just off of her Polaroids! From there we've had a fantastic run of 4 stories with her, including taking her to Japan. I am thinking this is the tip of the iceberg, and we will have an influx of Americans on the scene. Fingers crossed!

Above, Ali in our April prom story and on the Lacoste runway. Check out two of her photo shoots for Teen Vogue below!

The New Romantics (April 2007)
Made in Japan (March 2007)

A former book worm and future Economist? This model's got beauty and brains!

Agency: Supreme
Age: 18
Height: 5' 11"
Hometown: Tomsk, Russia
Moment of discovery: At the library
Favorite models: 1960's supermodel Veruschka
Life after modeling: Economist
Best fashion advice you've received: Be yourself

TOP 3: DESIGNERS
1. Jil Sander
2. Calvin Klein
3. Ossie Clark

TOP 3: PEOPLE I ADMIRE
1. My mother Margarite
2. My father Andrey
3. Kofi Annan

TOP 3: CDs
1. The Virgin Suicides Soundtrack
2. Live Through This by Hole
3. Goodies by Ciara

TOP 3: FOODS
1. My mother's soup
2. Scallion pancakes from Chinatown
3. Frozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity

TOP 3: BEAUTY ESSENTIALS
1. Elizabeth Arden's eight-hour cream
2. any bubble bath
3. Bumble &  Bumble's hair powder

TOP 3: NUMBERS IN MY SPEED DIAL
1. my mom
2. my best friend
3. my agent

I love it when I see models on magazine covers, especially since it's so rare these days. Don't get me wrong, I love celebs, but I kind of miss when covers were all about models and they became recognizable enough to be household names. That's why I was so happy to hear about Vogue's May cover. Seeing these fantastic models, many who have passed through the Teen Vogue office, gives me great joy. You are probably too young to remember this, but Vogue did a similar cover in April 1992 and now, fifteen years later, a newly-minted generation has emerged. It has taken that long to cultivate a new collective crop of great models. Hopefully, in another fifteen years we'll be referring to Coco, Chanel, and Caroline like we refer to Linda, Christy, and Naomi⿿as iconic models who don't require a last name. Fingers crossed that there will be more model covers to come!

What do guys think of the cover? Who would you have put on it? Do you think we should put more models on Teen Vogue's covers?

Thanks for all the comments! Going through them, I see that a lot of you are interested in breaking into the modeling industry, so I thought I'd give some tips on how to get started. From what's shown on television I feel like girls and guys get a very skewed view of what the modeling industry is really about and what is expected of potential models. First thing's first: You have to be realistic. Just like many other professions out there, modeling has some pretty stringent criteria that is rarely overlooked. Most important is height⿿most (but not all!) models are at least five eight. The best way to tell if you have what it takes to be a model is to have someone take color snapshots of you with no makeup, natural hair, and wearing fitted clothes (shorts and a fitted tee or a swimsuit work well). You should be photographed against a white background, and you'll need face shots (smiling and not smiling) and a full body shot. If you live near a major U.S. city for modeling (New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, or San Francisco), call individual agencies to see if they have an "open call." This is a time set aside by the agencies when potential models are invited in for a consultation. Go to this armed with your snapshots. If you do not live close to a modeling hub, don't worry. Call an agency in one of the larger cities and ask if they work with any smaller agencies in your neck of the woods. You can also send pictures to agencies with all of your pertinent info, including a phone number in case they are interested. Be sure to include your measurements (bust, hips, waist) and hair and eye color. Take lots of pictures because you will not get them back from agencies once you send them. Good luck! And let me know how it goes....