Today we’d like to introduce you to Britney Celamy.
Hi Britney, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My Name is Britney Celamy I am 18 years old and I’m from Boston Massachusetts. My story Begins in 2019 when I was walking in the mall and was approached by a Barbizon model’s scout, they had told me that my facial qualities were very unique and that I was a beautiful individual who should think about modeling and asked me if I ever thought about it before. During that time being I had never seen myself as a model or even seen myself has beautiful was struggling with confidence and seeing where I fit in life I was with my cousins and they had told me that I should sign up, I was very unsure but Barbizon had said that there was a chance they might call or they might not so I figured why not about 2 to 3 months later I was contacted by Barbizon and was called in for an audition I was unsure but I went anyways six months later I graduated and was put into the Barbizon system this was now in 2020 but I couldn’t start my journey because of quarantine and Covid I was very unsure of where to begin and all possible opportunities that I had were either canceled or pushed back because of covid. But in 2020 I decided to try and run for Miss teen Massachusetts of 2020 although I didn’t win it was quite the experience that I will generally never forget seeing all the girls so excited and meeting so many new people it was my first runway experience and I learned so much from it and I plan to try and run again in a later time. After the Barbizon class I was very inspired and very intrigued on how to start my modeling career regardless and Covid wasn’t going to stop me so I began creating my own profile by reaching out to photographers to create a comp card and just a profile in general after a while my page begin to get more of a notice has, I began posting more. By the end of 2020, I had photographers reaching out to me Collab. By mid-2021 I had been published into magazines and walked for twice for NYFW. In summer of 2021 Barbizon hosted an Anuel model casting in Florida I had attended the event that lasted for seven days and by day seven I signed with my first official agency Donahue models. I then began to walk for more designers and walked in RI Fashion week. All of 2020-2021 I was my own manager for a while because Covid has still not gone away but I had done so many deals with designers and photographers and my page was increasing day by day although I’m not famous yet I aspire to become has big as Winnie Harlow and Noami Campbell one day. I’ve been told that I what is too short to become a Runway model and proved them wrong. I was told that I don’t have enough confidence to be a model and showed exactly where my confidence can take me. I’ve been told that my skin was not enough to be a model and my skin is what I hope to make part of my brand, to show the little black girls that are watching me that your skin is enough and never let the words of others tear you down or ever make you feel as if you’re not enough. These words have broken me down tore me apart and built me right up again.
The support from people that I don’t even know has been far greater than I can imagine I appreciate it more than ever. As I travel the world doing work, I meet more interesting people as I go, I’ve walked in RI, MA, NY, FL, DC and I know many more states to go but I’m proud of how far I’ve come and I thank my mom for her unconditional support in me through it all. I hope to make my mark and leave a name for myself everywhere I go. And people will know my name across the whole United States modeling is what I do and what I love the fashion, the designers, the photographers and the models each with a different purpose and story that all comes together.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road but nothing in life comes easy if you want something you have to go get it… by any means and has for modeling starting off at 15 years old especially on your own means failing and learning from your failures there’s been so many times for I’ve had been told that I was too young or too small or too skinny I’ve been told by so many photographers that I just basically wasn’t enough I’ve been told by designers that I’m not what they’re looking for I wasn’t the standard I was in a blonde with blue eyes and although we are now in a new generation where times have been overturned and minorities are now getting seen and creating more of a difference in the world at an age such as 15 the only thing that I can do was believe what they were telling me to the point where I almost stopped trying and gave up on my dream a dream that wasn’t even a dream until after I stepped foot into the modeling agenda when Covid hits and I only was still a minor but now I was a minor with no agency no idea where to start and no support and as much as I felt has giving up was the best option something inside of me told me not to so I was resilient when one person told me I wasn’t enough I went to the next and the next and the next and I didn’t stop until I got what I wanted and part of the criticism that I got from others was motivation for me to prove to them that they were wrong. Antonio 21 I want to Washington DC for a modeling competition here my goal was to be recognized my goal was to be noticed by someone to not only prove to them but to myself that I was enough my goal was partially completed their there was an agency who is interested in me but they weren’t completely sure if I was the one for them I had met with them several times even after Washington DC we had gone through many zoom calls they had me audition more than once a conclusion that they said that I liked confidence in myself and then I only was I under confidence that the same time I was overly confident to come to terms my overconfidence was a fake it was a try and prove to not only them but to myself that I was enough because I know other people were telling me I was I still didn’t quite believe it they had told me that they weren’t going to continue with me and that I should work on several things usually when things didn’t go as planned I’d feel hopeful for the next time but for some reason the specific time brought me down a lot I think it’s because of how hard I was trying an addition for them three times and every single time I came back with exactly what they told me to do I was only 16 with so much hope and so much faith that maybe they could see what I couldn’t see but I guess they couldn’t but my mother reminded me that in life you don’t always get what you want, and when life knocks you down it’s up to you whether you get back up or not. although I was disappointed, I didn’t let this stop me in a month later I got my first paid shoot designer who is just starting her website and needed a model to model every single one of her clothing for her website. this was one of my first accomplishments and although I have this accomplishment, I’ve still got many obstacles such as a shoot that I had that was between me and another model that shoot was supposed to highlight our skin complexion because I was a dark skin and she was A lighter complexion I had no problem with this shoot because the meaning the photographer had told me seemed very genuine when I got to the shoot. The photographer had told me that I was darker than he had expected not only that but the photographer had hired a make-up artist but the makeup artist didn’t have any makeup to match my complexion I hadn’t brought my make-up because I was told that they were going to do it for me but she still put on the lighter makeup on me and the entire time I felt uncomfortable because of the little remarks they’re making about my skin color. I wanted to cry and I wanted to leave but for some reason my in the head I thought this was a part of the job and then I’m probably gonna go to this in the future so I might as well get through this it now, I had made a commitment that I was going to go to the shoot and felt it be rude of me to leave looking back that should’ve never happened and I probably should’ve left but of course, that shoot got my first front page magazine cover although I hated how I felt during the shoot it was an accomplishment over time these are things that a dark skin models never have to go through. In the fashion industry in general there are so many untalked-about obstacles that shouldn’t be “an obstacle”. When I first started modeling I weighed about 120 for a 15–year-old some people can call this and average weight and some people can argue that it’s underweight, I’ve always struggled with eating on a regular daily basis but when I start modeling it’s started being more recognized especially by family my weight was costly a subject that seems to be on people’s minds a lot for some reason it was either I was eating too much or I was eating so little and the common denominator for others was that it was always because of modeling. I have never purposely starved myself for modeling and I was confused onto why others had thought that and because of it always being pointed out I have started paying attention to my weight more often I didn’t know whether I should see myself as skinny or as too big. The common social society standards of what a model should look like was stupid to me I had been around so many models of different shapes sizes and colors that I didn’t see why society try to analyze one color one size and one shape has so what’s a model Can and should be, as annoying as it is for people to comment on what my weight is and what it probably should or shouldn’t be I choose to ignore it every single time because I want to show that there shouldn’t be a standard and that not only am I perfect and beautiful just the way I am that’s so are they.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Minority made majority?
In the future I plan to create my own modeling agency as well I’m still thinking of names but what’s really stuck so far is minority made majority, I plan on making this agency strictly for minorities to represent people of color from Latino to black to Asian I hope my agency represents the beauty of change. to show how far we’ve come from back in the days when minority couldn’t even get a job or a house or even simple basic human rights. with my background with modeling, I hope to be able to really represent and understand every single model that I sign. I hope for my agency to be known for its diversity and uniqueness. it will be different from others because of the standards and base that we got. I hope my agency brings culture representation of the non-represented, and brings Fashion to a whole Nother level. I will represent people of all colors all sizes to show that we are society standards.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My biggest advice for when people ask me how to begin modeling is start with taking photos basic photos such as headshots, full body, and half body shoots in clothing such as clothing as you would see in Walmart or T.J. Maxx, or target even. Then start by getting your measurements such as your height your weight, your bust, Waist, hips. When you’re done with basic photography start going on YouTube or Pinterest or even just looking at models through Instagram or Facebook and learn how to do different poses and start with doing 35 poses in a minute. Once you’ve created a profile for yourself, you can continue to start signing yourself up for agencies online some may ask you to come in for a practice shoot and this is where your 35 poses in a minute will come in handy. Finding agency could be hard but creating that profile for yourself can create a platform for agencies to see the potential.
If you don’t wanna agency which is completely fine you can also model without one this is a bit harder but it’s not impossible your profile needs to be a bit longer with photos containing such has beauty, editorial, fashion and whatever you’re most interested in finding a platform for where your photos will be such as either Instagram or Facebook or even creating a website for yourself will be vital to putting yourself out there. If you plan on representing yourself, I’d recommend shooting with whoever you can to create a platform from yourself what are that’s Collabs or you pay for it. Meaning of different photographers allows exposure to other photographers and even designers. Modeling isn’t the easiest without guidance so reaching out to other models also is very helpful and learning from photographers Who seen it all can help you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.donahuemodels.com/female-models-1/britney-celamy
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKWn_XwAmSo/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072478538828
Image Credits
Hugue-Robert Marsan
Captivity_101
Mavvro Todd
Stacy Shell
hoffoto ImSituated
