KYLIE VONNAHME: A MODERN SUPERMODEL

Meet Kylie Vonnahme, the 24-year-old Texas model who was scouted at a Taylor Swift concert and never looked back.

Kylie Vonnahme isn’t your traditional runway model. Behind the high fashion Patek-wearing images of her seen on Vogue covers and Versace runways, comes a John Deere-riding country girl with a unique heritage. Hailing from a small suburb of Dallas and raised as a “country girl,” Kylie built her modeling career from scratch after being scouted by a talent agent at a Taylor Swift concert when she was just 16 years old. “Agents find unique and creative ways to discover talent,” Kylie told PARK magazine. “You hear everything from girls being found at flea markets to music festivals to just on the street.” The encounter with the scouting agent was initially dubious, but Kylie and her family let their guard down after the agent flashed a business card from Ford, one of modeling’s most reputable talent agencies.  “It was completely random, I was always short growing up and I got a crazy growth spurt, and all of a sudden I was this tall skinny girl which was something that the scouts saw as potential.” said Kylie, “I still had my braces on, I definitely never got into it much. Scouts are amazing in that they have an eye. I look back and don’t see the model in that 16-year-old me with braces, but it worked out.”

Alexander Wang, Versace & Chanel.

It wasn’t long after her first encounter with an agent that Kylie was gracing magazine covers and hitting the runways. Her first job was for a JC Penny advertisement when she was 18 years old. “It was a very foreign experience,” Kylie told PARK, “There’s absolutely no training or courses or anything so you’re kind of just thrown into the mix and have to figure it out for yourself. It was intimidating.” Shortly after her JC Penny shoots, Kylie’s career turned to top runways and high fashion like Alexander Wang, Versace and Chanel. “The turning point in my career was the first season on the runway I debuted with Alexander Wang in NY, Versace in Milan, and Chanel in Paris.” Kylie said, “You start to create a name for yourself in the industry and you’re finally being put up for the big jobs and the big campaigns.”

The quick rise from John Deere-riding Texan to high fashion debutante had a profound impact on Kylie. The fast-paced career path demands a rigorous lifestyle with many ups and downs happening behind the scenes. For one, models like Kylie need to keep in shape in order to fit their modeling profile. “When you’re sixteen the body comes kind of naturally,” Kylie said, “As you get older it becomes difficult to maintain.” Additionally, models are faced with constant rejection, which can lead to financial and emotional insecurity. “It’s like any other career – we work very hard and it’s taxing both mentally and physically. We are rejected daily, PULL QUOTE  and it’s a career full of ups and downs. Our work can go through phases where we are working every day and flying around the world, to phases where we only book a few jobs in a couple of weeks,” Kylie said.

 

Kylie’s Podcast: The Not So Simple Life

When COVID-19 hit the globe, the modeling industry ground to a halt. As a result, Kylie’s career went on hiatus for 6 months. But under the cloud of uncertainty that descended over the industry’s future, Kylie was able to stay positive by practicing mindfulness and by launching her own podcast. “To take care of my mind and body during covid I started a passion project, my health and wellness podcast,” Kylie told PARK. “I found it was important to stay inspired and mentally stimulated during these hard times; it was easy to get caught up in the news and madness but by working on something so centered on how to look and feel your best I was able to stay in a good headspace and keep distracted from these stressful times.” The podcast, The Not So Simple Life, explores ways to enhance physical and mental wellness by providing tools for our emotional toolboxes. One of the ways in which Kylie copes with the grinding pandemic has been with daily meditation and physical exercise. “I make a point to move my body every single day,” Kylie said, “My favorite types of workouts are Pilates and weight training. When I’m working out consistently, six or seven days a week, I feel my best both mentally and physically. Fitness has become a big passion of mine and I truly believe it’s good for both the body and the mind. I am a big morning person and find waking up early and starting my day off in a slow and controlled way has played a big role in keeping me in my best headspace. I wake up and meditate every morning and that has made a world of a difference.” Kylie recommends taking baby steps for those embarking on their wellness journeys.

 

Helping Endangered Wildlife

In her free time, Kylie advocates for endangered wildlife, with a focus on elephants. “There are many declining wildlife species that are soon to become extinct, and I don’t feel the awareness is where it should be,” Kylie said. Kylie believes that through social media we can raise awareness. “Social media has provided a way that a population can put pressure on governments to fix things that are harming these animals; for example, poaching is a major problem in Africa. Social media has the power to put the pressure on these governments which in turn would make a huge difference in helping these animals to survive.”

To listen to Kylie’s podcast and learn more about her advocacy visit (linktr.ee/TheNotSoSimpleLifePodcast)

Instagram.com/kylievonnahme