The September Issue 2013 September 2013 | Page 102

I was discovered in a local beauty pageant in Texas. I caught the pageant bug at a young age and finally decided to give it a try at eleven. My first agent was in the audience, and that was the day that started it all. Like many models, I was a really awkward looking child. Imagine being 5’9” as a twelve year old. I remember my teachers telling me I was photogenic and should model, but I had no interest until I finally said, “why not?” My favorite shoots by far are the ones that take me to exotic locations and the ones that allow me to play a character. I recently went to Cape Town, South Africa and had to hang upside down for a shoot in these amazing handcrafted bodysuits. The modeling industry is one of the few industries, or maybe the only, where it is perfectly legal to be discriminatory. If a designer wants only blondes in her show, she can have only blondes. If a designer wants only models from Oshkosh, Wisconsin in his show, he can. That’s something that I’m still learning to accept. Some things are completely out of your hands, but everything else is there for the taking. I moved to Los Angeles like thousands every year to pursue my actual passion, acting. I’ve been in commercials, music videos, television shows, and just completed my first movie. I am extremely excited about the things to come in 2014.

LESLIE ALLEN
model

Black Dress- Helmut Lang Heels- Giuseppe Zanotti Earrings- Stylist Own Bracelet- YUBIYOU