Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiara Sherman.
Kiara, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
How I started? Well I’ve always had a passion for fashion and always wanted to be in the fashion industry, but behind the scenes. From high school to college, I started designing clothes, bags, and logos for myself and friends. I had tons of creative ideas but felt like I didn’t have enough opportunities.
For a period of time everywhere I went people kept asking me, “are you a model?” “your freckles are so beautiful, do you model?” and I would say thank you and just laugh it off. My best friend was with me most of the times I was approached my people asking me about modeling, we were at lunch one day and she asked me why don’t I think about modeling. I thought I was too fat, looked too different, and was not comfortable being in front of the camera. I thought about it and decided to give it a shot but didn’t know where to start. So I sent out a text message to a handful of my friends asking them did they know any photographers.
One of my friend’s cousin was a photographer and she sent me her number, I set up my first photoshoot and hated it lol. I hated seeing my reflection but everybody else that saw the photos thought they were so amazing, and I didn’t understand what the hell they were seeing. But I loved the process of the photoshoot, planning the wardrobe, finding the location, telling a story through photos. So I did another photoshoot and another one, and I started to love what I saw, the more pictures I took and the more I saw myself I started to love and appreciate my reflection. That was so powerful to me; modeling gave me confidence, self-love, and a new passion!
The next step for me was finding an agency to get to the next level. I got signed to an agency and booked my first audition, the Susan G. Komen “Know your girls” breast cancer campaign for African American women. The second gig I booked was Thirty Seconds To Mars “Rescue Me” music video, and a handful of other projects.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No, it has not been a smooth road. One of my biggest struggles was managing a full-time job while trying to take auditions in L.A. (four-hour drive to do one audition) so I would have to take off from work or leave early. There were many times I would leave work, drive two hours, audition takes 5 minutes, get back in my car and drive two-plus hours to get home, all to find out I didn’t get the gig.
One of my other struggles was “thinking” I didn’t have enough resources to put together photoshoots. I always have tons of ideas for photoshoots and creative concepts, and I would start thinking about all the things I needed and how much money it would take and feel like I didn’t have enough to get it done. Once I realized all I had to do was use what I already had! I found a photographer, asked my friends to model for me, asked friends for props, borrowed items from people, to get the job done. So my advice would be to use the resources around you to get the job done. Don’t be afraid to ask people around you for what you need. Believe in yourself and your vision!
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I’m a model and creative director. I’m most known for modeling and my freckles. But I’m most proud of my “Construction” photoshoot I did. That shoot was the most stressful and satisfying project I’ve done. I came up with this dope concept and had to bring it to life. I picked four beautiful women to model, picked all four outfits, I had to hand sew on of the outfits from scratch, picked the hairstyles, find the perfect location, get a hairstylist, find an assistant to help me on set, etc.
Once the shoot was done and came out flawless, I managed to get the pictures published in a printed magazine. I loved every part of the process for that shoot and got to watch it go from a thought to reality and to print. I’m different because I’m super creative and I always find a way to create dope content.
It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
Instagram is my favorite app because it allows me to see the world and converse with so many talented people. I listen to a few different podcasts daily/weekly: The breakfast club, Strawberry Letter, and Brilliant idiots.
Contact Info:
- Email: kiarasherman5@gmail.com
- Instagram: @kiarasherman5
Image Credit:
Dinorah Gonzalez
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