We Had the pleasure of meeting and talking with Aspiring Model & Actress Kechi Lee. We sat and talked about some of the things that interest her and how she see's herself making an impact in this industry.
Spike: Where Are you from? How did you get into modeling?
Kichi: I'm originally from New Jersey however I've basically been raised in Philadelphia. Overall I've been modeling seriously since 2014. Since then I've been in fashion shows, music videos, i've been published & acted in a few different things as well. Pretty much it all started out as a hobby. Before I would get approached all the time about modeling but never really had a interest when I was younger because I was set in my tomboyish ways & never really saw myself in that sort of thing. So Around this time I was older & I figured I'd just try it out as a hobby & see where it goes. At this point I was much more open minded, so I figured I'd give it a shot. When I initially started I didn't really have a objective or motive. I was just doing it for the hell of it honestly.
Spike: What makes Philly's fashion unique?
Kichi: Personally I think what initially makes my city's fashion unique is the character & the personality that it has. Even with there being a range of styles there's a certain swag that you just get from Philadelphia that you don't get or see anywheres else. I feel here it's more then just an expression but it's a way of life.
Spike: How would you describe your professional interests?
Kichi: Describing my professional interest would entail as much creative freedom, range & diversity as possible. I'm a free spirit & I don't like restrictions. I have tons of interests & things I set out to accomplish that I hope will ultimately bring about some sort of changes with the entertainment & arts industry.
Kichi: Describing my professional interest would entail as much creative freedom, range & diversity as possible. I'm a free spirit & I don't like restrictions. I have tons of interests & things I set out to accomplish that I hope will ultimately bring about some sort of changes with the entertainment & arts industry.
Spike: Who are some of your favorite models and designers, and why?
Kichi: To be honest I don't really have any favorite models or designers. I'm very versatile & diverse individual. As me being a creatively open individual I appreciate many types of fashion & the different personalities & characteristics of models & their fashionable choices.
Spike: How would you describe your style? Consider anything and everything from color to historical eras and more.
Kichi: The best way to describe my style is moody lol. I say this because I most often dress according to how I'm feeling in that particular moment. Overall I don't really limit myself when it comes to anyhting I do. I'm very adventerous, spontaneous & love trying new things, so I change up my style/look pretty often. I have different changes in my moods so my outfits reflect that heavily. One day I might have a dark gothic type of vibe & the very next day I can be feeling super vibrant, colorful & full of life. Simply, I would say my fashion mantra that I live by is "It's not what you wear but how you wear it". I feel this holds true to the essence of fashion because people are so hung up on brands, fads, trends etc. That they forget that at the end of the day its still clothing, whether its attached to a high end, high demand, popular name or look that not everyone will wear the clothing & give it true personality & character. So whether its gucci, fendi, prada or easy pickens, forever 21, wet seals etc it's the way that someone makes the clothing work for them as an "individual".
Spike: What is fun and rewarding about modeling? & What are you Dislikes?
Kichi: What has initially intrigued me & made modeling more interesting & fun is the fact that you meet & come across so many dope individuals with amazing ideas as well as visions & we all can come together to collaborate those thoughts & manifest them. It's always fun being creative & it's even more of a plus when you have others to be creative & weird with. The rewarding part lies within the end result. That for me is seeing the vision come to life, networking with awesome individuals & having a sense of fulfillment & freedom. The thing I dislike most about modeling would be the lack of diversity & different resources to do different things. It seems to be oversaturated with mediocre repetitiveness & it makes it hard to work outside of this box that everyone wants to place you in. Modeling can be too play by play per say in the aspect of which no more wants to bend & break the rules, go against the grain & work outside of that box typically.
Spike: What advice do you have for other aspiring models?
Kichi: The main advice I would give to any aspiring modeling is to be grounded, stern & focused. A lot of things or individuals & temptations will come along to try to knock you off your square & take you so far out of you element. However, if you check everything at the door, are direct, set boundaries for yourself & are straight forward with your expectations, all the other bull shit will cancel itself out. In addition to being stern, grounded & focus you have to set limitations for yourself & know what you're not into or looking to do. Do what makes you feel comfortable at the time. Although you may not have a full understanding of who you are, have a idea of what you want to be perceived as & alter accordingly.
Spike: What are your goals as a model?
Kichi: I'd like to consider myself as being a chill, open minded, creative empath. I'm very observant & analytical but overall visual. This is why I enjoy creating on multiple levels. I consider myself to be an all around artist because I create on different levels and I do much more then just modeling. In addition to such, as a model I want to push the envelope & be the 1 to set a different place for things. I'm unified to a degree but I don't like following strict rules or really any for that matter because I don't like to place any limitations upon myself. So with modeling I want to say tuck the standards & mediocre way of thinking & do whatever I want & show others that they can do that & be comfortable doing so without having to conform & submit to the bull shit. Generally I'm interested in this carever because it allows me to be expressive in a different way & communicate differently. I feel as though I can help others who struggle with their appearance & confidence in a way that will help to uplift them. I want to show them that you don't have to be a size 0 or 5'9 to be considered a model or beautiful. Furthermore, once I started to take modeling more seriously I saw it as a opportunity to be more expressive & open to who I truly am. Many people stereotype me based solely upon my looks. However, when they see the pictures I take, I do it in a more artistically tasteful & poetic way. Furthermore, it's a way for me to shed some light up on the saying "don't judge a book by it's cover" in hopes for the world to get to know & see the real me as well as helping those to see themselves beautiful just as they are.
Follow Kichi on all Social Media, and be sure to stay tuned to her latest Photoshoots and projects.
