Naimah Whaley Is Set To Take The Modeling World By Storm
For years, the modeling scene has dominated everything from Runways to Video Shoots to Flyers for Parties, all the way to Madison Ave, and Promotional Billboards. It’s often viewed as a glamorous lifestyle and one that many men and women often seek. But is it for everyone? Well, one new model, in particular, Naimah Whaley is banking on that as one of the newest members of Rune Model Management.
Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 21-year-old newly crowned model and licensed cosmetologist is ready to show the world that when nerves are replaced with confidence, anything can happen. I sat down with Naimah and asked her a few personal and professionals questions as she gets ready for this life-changing journey.
What drove you to pursue a career in modeling?
I grew up a foster child until I turned 5, which was when my mom adopted me. I enjoyed being an only child for a while before my mom had my beautiful little sister and basically gave me a real-life baby doll! I’ve always wanted to be a model since I can remember. I used to wrap myself up in towels and scarves and finish it off with a belt and my mom’s church heels just to parade up and down the hallways like I was on a runway. I went to
Cosmetology School to learn more about the beauty industry and graduated with a license. Not long after that, I traveled to New York as my Uncle’s personal assistant for New York Fashion Week and it was paradise for me!
How does it feel to go from assistant at Fashion Week to aspiring model to signing with an
agency?
It feels amazing! Knowing what you want to do and then being surrounded by people who share that same love, energy and effort is refreshing and motivating! Modeling has always been a dream, but I never believed I was good enough until I was put in an environment full of other people living out the same dream I had.
Related: Fashion: RichKid ClothingLine Makes Debut At New York Fashion Week
After Fashion Week I decided to be bold! I wasn’t going to tell myself I’m not good enough to do something I’ve always wanted to do anymore, so I did some research. It started off with the models I met in New York. I asked them about how they found their agencies and what they looked for in them, so I would know what I should be looking for as well. Then I googled agencies in my area and some that were out of state but still pretty close.
Do you feel you have a uniqueness about you that will draw companies to you?
I do! The funniest thing I’ve realized and actually related to with other models is, whatever you were most insecure about growing up tends to turn into your best features! Growing up I was always really insecure about my smile and my teeth, now my smile is the main thing people notice and love about me.
Growing up my hobbies were always me giving any and everyone a makeover whenever I got the chance and making outfits out of random items around the house and sporting it all in my mom’s heels and giving the whole family a runway, but it didn’t stop there because I made my little sister work the imaginary runway too. I ALWAYS wanted the credit for giving her the best makeover my family has seen and designed the best outfits no designer has designed before. But what I didn’t know at the time was that feeling of wanting to stay so attached to the beauty/fashion industry was never going to leave me.
Where do you see yourself in this business in 5 years?
In 5 years I imagine myself modeling on the runway as well as spotting my photo in beauty campaigns and making more connections and networking Opportunities, like learning more about the advertising and marketing aspects.
Name 3 brands you would love to work with and why?
RichKid Clothing, because they’re an inclusive brand of streetwear fashion that looks good on everyone. Dolce & Gabbana, because they always nail every fashion show they have and they’re consistent in bringing BACK fashion trends like excessive denim, faux fur, animal prints, etc. FashionNova, because I’m a huge fan of their outfit selections and styling choices! They have a wide variety of different styles and sizes.
Any advice for women looking to break into this industry?
The biggest advice I could give is to speak up! I’m the type of person that’s only really outgoing when I’m comfortable around someone and shy literally every other time I’m not. The more I actually spoke up and said what I was thinking or asked the questions I wanted to ask, the more I became remembered and noticed.
The first time I spoke up was when I messaged a model on Instagram that I’ve followed for a long time and asked her questions on what it was like to be a model and how she did it. The shy me was telling myself “she probably won’t respond, she doesn’t care about what you have to say”. I was completely wrong! She messaged me back in great detail about how she worked for her success and extended amazing advice that made me feel 10x more confident. At that moment I felt like I could do anything and that’s all it took! Speaking up allowed me to make connections and friendships and really all together showing how I can be a friendly and approachable person.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
