Exclusive Online Editorial: Villanueva and Stone Shoot Model Kayslee Collins

Joe Villanueva and Katie Stone are a photography duo based out of L.A., they’re sharing exclusively with Galore their photographs and interview of model Kayslee Collins. Not only do the duo photograph Kayslee perfectly, but the interview with the young model gives us a refreshing understanding of model life and how people in that industry live. Kayslee, having modeled for 10 years, is very knowledgable of the world she works, which brings additional life + strength to Villanueva and Stone’s already amazing photos and video. Here’s the interview with Kayslee, followed by the pictures and video.

Where are you from?

I’m from San Diego, California.

How has modeling changed your life?

Changed my life? Hmm… well… I’ve been doing this for so long that I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. It’s when I feel most comfortable but I live a different kind of life. When I took some time off modeling I realized a few things. I could have easily lived a very normal life in San Diego. You know, get married maybe, I was even thinking of becoming a yoga instructor. It’s changed my life in that way. At the same time I’ve attracted this my whole life. It hasn’t really changed, it’s always been there.

How long have you been modeling for?

I’ve been modeling for 10 years… Woah. WOAH.

10 years. Wow and how old are you?

I’m 22.

So what type of girl does it take to be successful as a model?

I’m a firm believer that you have to put in the effort. There are a lot of people in our industry who take our work for granted. They sit there and complain that they’re not where they want to be in life. That’s because your agent can’t do everything for you. YOU have to make it a point to work your freakin’ ass off! Be creative and develop new ideas. There’s only so much they can do for you. You get what you put in.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face overall and on a daily basis as a model?

It’s hard to have the confidence you need because you’re surrounded by beautiful people every single day. Social media can be a good thing, but it can also be a really, really bad thing. I have to literally take time to separate those two worlds because it can really affect me. I dont even realize it. It just hits me one day and I don’t want to get out of bed. It’s so easy to get into that social media spiral. I have learned to choose NOT to do that.

So how do you deal with it?

I have great friends that can relate and I have great parents that I can call and they will help me. But… it’s a really sensitive subject. It’s kind of embarrassing. For example, I was dating someone who was so “anti this industry” and I was in a very dark place at the time. I had body issues, dealing with acne, and just things come up. I’m human, you know? Sometimes it’s just hard. I write. I journal. Or I’ll go to a yoga class. Something to release. I’m also really into water. Music helps me a lot too. And like I said earlier, having good friends that can relate really helps. I live with an actress/model so she deals with the same things. The thing is, I don’t think anyone really talks about it out loud. So it’s important that we tell people how we feel.

What, in your opinion, needs to change in order for models to be properly recognized?

This whole ‘celebrity thing’ has evolved into a bigger issue. It used to be supermodels on the covers of magazines. Now it’s fucking Beyonce on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Don’t get me wrong I LOVE Beyonce but you know… At the same time more models need to DO more. It would be RAD to see other creative aspects of these beautiful girls. Whether it be making a beauty line like Miranda Kerr, or writing a book, or doing a fucking workout video, I don’t know…There needs to be the “whole package” with models. I feel like our culture is very into the ‘“do it all” mentality. Let’s encourage girls to do more. We need to recreate ourselves. Don’t look at yourselves like just a pretty face. If you have other dreams and goals then DO them while still modeling. It’s hard to balance but worth it. Some days though, I just want to be normal and eat gluten.