While working at a snowball stand, Molly Graham, a then high school senior, received a notification about a casting for a modeling agency. After a mentor of hers, Ali McNally, said the agency was good, she headed out for the auditions, and the rest is history.
She spent that summer modeling for Heroes Models in New York and worked on building her portfolio. Graham, now a mass communication freshman, looks to continue her modeling career.
Before Graham moved her skills to New York for the summer, she had experience modeling locally. She started modeling in December 2015 when she attended New Orleans Center of Creative Arts with a focus on Violin. There, she met an important colleague at a young age: Tieler James, a former NOCCA student and multi-award winning designer. Graham went to Vancouver with him and then began her life as a model. She also modeled for Cake Magazine and L’Officiel Manila before going to New York two years later.
“I didn’t pay attention to my looks when I was younger,” Graham said. “I was involved in music so I was busy and didn’t really think about it.”
Modeling agencies now look for multi-talented people to model for them, Graham said. It has become more about the individual, rather than just their looks. They also look for distinctive characteristics to create a more original concept. They want their clothes to stand out, and for that to happen they need an interesting model.
“My freckles are a big thing with my modeling,” Graham said. “They make me stand out.”
Agencies want more than just a pretty face, so Graham has an upper hand. She has mastered the violin from her days at NOCCA, and she is also very focused in her school work and wants to work for a design brand or a magazine after she graduates.
“A lot of people think that models are stuck up, and even though it may be common to find that in the modeling industry, it’s common to find in any industry,” Graham said. “I’ve met some really nice people and have also come across some really rude people. You have to take that negativity when you hear things you don’t want to and brush it off.”
When working in a profession that focuses on looks, it is important to accept constructive criticism and to know how to love yourself. Graham has become more confident in herself and her modeling career over the years.
One day, Graham hopes to model for Paolo Sebastian or Chanel. These brands fit her unique, feminine aesthetic.
“I love how elegant and enchanting the brands are,” Graham said. “However, it would be fun to model for Gucci. I love modeling streetwear and more realistic clothing.”
Graham’s favorite part of modeling is getting to meet many different kinds of people, learning about their lives and their stories.
“You make a lot of friends and you get to have a lot of different experiences that I wouldn’t have thought that I could have,” Graham said. “It’s fun to pretend to be something or someone that you’re not sometimes. Even when you’re doing something that isn’t typically your style, the model’s personality always shines through.”