Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Baker.
Tiffany, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Well, I guess the beginning of this journey started with an ending, as they say journeys do. I played volleyball at The University of Texas at Austin, and since high school had aspirations to play professionally. My collegiate career was riddled with injuries and my body basically said ‘no more’ despite my mind and my heart wanting to keep going. My career ended the spring before my redshirt senior year without me having any say, and I was crushed. This, coupled with a bad breakup led to me entering graduate school at Texas State University pretty lost, confused, and depressed. I could go on forever about how I was surrounded by some amazing people during my time here and how transformative this period of my life was, but I’ll spare those details. I will say during this time I was very much trying to find myself and my identity outside of being a “volleyball player” which had been such a huge part of my life for so long. While I was in Austin with a friend, I was approached by a photographer in a boutique on South Congress who asked me to model for them (Hint: I said yes). I was so nervous, anxious, and insecure during my first shoot. I will never forget it. But for whatever reason, I wanted to keep doing it. I can’t really explain why. Maybe because of the challenge, or perhaps underneath all of the nervousness, I felt excitement about doing something I had never done before. Fast forward through having two different mother agencies in Austin, being turned away by several major agencies, learning so many valuable lessons about self-worth, body image, the modeling industry, and so much more. I didn’t really find my love of modeling until I stepped away from trying to pursue agencies and started recognizing it as my art, my way of self-expression, my way of moving in and out of different characters, my way of telling a story, my way of honoring and loving my body. I always tell people I feel like modeling is acting in still frames. It’s been 5 years now, and a fairly short and late start to modeling, but the timing could not have been more perfect for me. It has brought me community, opened so many doors (being MYSELF), and helped me find and explore parts of myself that I had no idea existed. That is where I am now. Enjoying this journey that my evolving craft as a model has taken me on. A journey that is still unfolding.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been smooth, but I can’t even imagine having the perspective I have now without the things I experienced. Before I decided to be a freelance model, there was a lot of pressure to eat a certain way, to exercise a certain way, and of course, to be a certain size. I was used to eating and exercising for performance as an athlete, but I realized these things I was being asked to do for modeling didn’t necessarily make me a better model. It didn’t make me ‘perform’ better. It made me more palatable to these conventional standards of beauty and fashion. It took me a while to realize this, and my relationship with food and exercise turned toxic for the first time in my life. I found myself wishing my body were different, despite all of the amazing things it had already accomplished. That is how toxic the industry can be. Thankfully, I was able to recognize what was happening and choose my health and happiness first. On top of all of that, agencies kept telling me I was “too tall.” So, I decided I was going to do things my way.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I would say I am most proud of staying true to myself despite all the pressures telling me I had to conform or couldn’t be as successful as I have been with my height and body (but there is still so much success to be had!). Obviously, the fashion industry is changing, but that change is slow. A lot of “models” just don’t represent everyday people. I’m glad that I can show out for the 99.99th percentile of women/nonbinary folx in the world who are as tall as a I am. And to be honest, the “success” I’m talking about isn’t just related to the jobs I’ve booked. To me, the success is also found in allowing myself to grow and evolve my craft as a model and continuing to push myself out of my comfort zone. It is found in continuing to do work that fills me up and inspires others to do the same – no matter the medium.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I would say for me, a lot of the success in my life and as a model has been linked to being able to meet amazing people at the right place, at the right time. I would say in a way that is “lucky” because the career I had as a volleyball player and the career I’ve had as a model, and even my professional career in healthcare truly would not be the same without the people I have encountered along the way. Obviously, I don’t think luck is enough to pull you all the way along in life, I think it has to be combined with a willingness to work hard and do something with the opportunities that come your way. But I will always be grateful for the cards I was dealt growing up and the cards I continue to be dealt now. I am going to continue to do something great with them.
Contact Info:
- Email: tiffanydbaker0@gmail.com
- Website: www.ty-baker.com
- Instagram: @__tiffanybaker
Image Credits
Evens Leandre
Moyo Oyelola
Cecilia Alejandra
Kaidon Ho
Monique Rodriguez
Stellina Stampouli
Rashad White
Paige Newton
Brittany Bell
Vivian Arthur
