Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis King.
Alexis, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started officially modeling at the age of ten years old, when my aunt and mom walked me into a small agency in my hometown of Amarillo, TX. I remember my aunt being a model when she was younger and they always showed me her pictures, and she thought I had what it took to follow in her steps as well as my mom pushing me in pageants from the age of two years old.
I used to stay up and watch America’s Next Top Model every single day it seemed, and I was so obsessed with Tyra and what she stood for being a black model with curves and still being a supermodel in the industry. It gave me hope that I could do the same thing and that I could be a supermodel! I used to practice all the challenges from the show and try to beat all the girls, and I swore I could win if I was ever able to enter it was always a dream of mine to be on that show.
Moving forward, I was working with this agency for at least two years, but I was being scammed, and all my money was getting taken as well as my dreams. I was paying for everything and receiving nothing in return especially being the age I was, it was so easy to take advantage of me and only give me $2o checks after shows, but my mom slowly started realizing the scam and ended my contract with that agency.
I tried to join another agency in my town at the time but it was all the same thing, they wanted your money for no results, and so I gave up for a while and just focused on school.
In school it was never cool to be a model, I always got made fun of for my dreams especially when career day came around everyone used to tell me that modeling wasn’t a “real job” and I would never be able to be a model, so I changed my dreams many times to try to please others and fit in more but I couldn’t resist my calling.
I eventually entered a model and talent showcase when I moved to Wichita Falls my junior year of high school, and I was so happy and excited. I knew that modeling is what I wanted to do and I knew I could do it even after the showcase was a sham and didn’t work out just another investment gone to waste, but I did gain one thing which was learning about the real agencies and what they looked for.
So after high school, I moved to Dallas, TX for college and to pursue my modeling career.
Great, 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?
The road has been very far from smooth for me. I came to Dallas with big modeling dreams, and they didn’t go as planned at first since I was considered “thick” at the time and had some extra meat on my bones. I tried to submit to an agency after agency online via email, and they all turned me down or didn’t respond at all, telling me to lose inches off my hips and waist then resubmit. I even went to an open call once and turned flat down and called plus size because of my bust size, and this really cut deep because it took me so much courage and self-motivation for me to convince myself to go into the agency and be seen.
I went there at least 3 times before I could actually get the guts to go inside, but I’m glad I went through those things because it helped me build a brand around myself outside of modeling on social media where I promoted myself as a model and was able to work with many different people in the local scene and do what I loved. I just knew there was another level I was supposed to be at so I worked and worked out constantly to lean out, but more importantly, I started to rebrand myself as the model I wanted to be so I could be seen that way, and I was lucky enough to be a fill in for my current managers show at the time.
I had been through so many managers that said they wanted to help me but just wanted to use me for their own names and when I met my current manager everything changed because I knew he was serious and really wanted to help ME. He helped me get my confidence in my runway walk back, and he polished me in many ways to get me booked for the biggest shows in Dallas as well as helping me get signed to my current agencies The Linicomn Agency and MP Miami.
I always tell girls just to show up to everything and anything because that’s all it takes sometimes, you just have to show up once, and the rest can be history, but if you don’t show up, you can always be missing an opportunity. I am far from the end point; this is actually just the beginning, and I’m so excited for what is in store for the future!
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am a pretty versatile model which I am very proud of because I can pull off multiple different looks or personas and I can do print work. I can slay the runway, and act which is amazing to be talented at all equally.
I am so proud of my booking big projects without having the biggest, most well-known agency because that is not promised.
I believe that what sets me apart from others is my willingness to help others and may want to see others win with me; I try not to compete with anyone I want everyone to win!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moment in my career so far is very hard to pinpoint I am so blessed to have been able to feature in national commercials such as On the Border and Home Depot, as well as to walk for high-end designers like Louis Vuttion, but my most proudest moment would be hand modeling for Neiman Marcus because I have become one of their regular hand models and hand modeling is not easy at all!
Contact Info:
- Phone: 4696826397
- Email: alexiskinglink@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/_ilikelexx
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/iLikeLexx
Image Credit:
Elvon images, Dierra Lacy, Avion Thomas Photography, Sanchez Murray, Burnett Taylor, RJ Alvarade, Deon Casey
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