Today we’d like to introduce you to Kris Dew.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started my modeling career at the end of 2019. I had just barely started to get my portfolio together when the pandemic started. I tried to get back into the swing of things, but with Covid restrictions, no agency representation, and no clear idea of what I wanted to do with my career, it was difficult. I often felt like I was spinning my wheels and not getting anywhere; I went through periods of burnout and even quit a few times. As a petite model, it seemed impossible to find an agency I fit in, I was constantly facing rejection after rejection. In October of 2022, I hired a friend to take digitals for me as a last-ditch effort to submit to a few agencies again. I was overjoyed beyond words when I signed to 2 agencies. Since then, I’ve been lucky to find myself working regularly in Dallas, and at this point in time, I’m very close to being full-time as a model. It wasn’t easy, and I still face a lot of obstacles and rejection, but this industry has taught me rejection is redirection. If I had not gotten back up time and time again, I never would have reached this point in my life, and as much I want to say I’m self-made, I wouldn’t be here without the people that took a chance on me as well.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. In the beginning of my career, I went through periods of frustration burnout, I quit for months at a time. Reflecting now, those periods were happening because I was trying to force myself to be someone I wasn’t. In a creative industry, it’s absolutely necessary to be true to yourself. Aside from burnout, I also have issues with self-doubt; in those moments, I reaffirm why I’m chasing these dreams and what I get out of this industry.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’ve done a number of campaigns for Dallas local designers, such as N.Y.M.F. By Co, KDaniels, and 1FNGR, as well as national brands like Boot Barn, Google, and R+Co. However, I’m most well-known for some of the roles I’ve played in music videos, some of which include artists like Maceo Plex, Rosegarden Funeral Party, Ishi, etc. Music videos give me a unique space where I can pull things from my background in dance, art, and theater and create a performance that retranslates a song from audio to visual art. I would say the previously mentioned background gives me a creative edge in the industry as I have a lot of experience visualizing what I look like from a 3rd person perspective. I also have experience in video production, marketing, creative directing, graphic design, stage crew, makeup and hair, photography, etc., so I understand a lot of what’s going on behind the camera/scenes as well.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I think people would be surprised how often my personal style is involved in the shoots I do. Rarely am I “playing a character” and more so playing different versions of myself
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @kris.dew_
Image Credits
Newt Zonifay
McCarthy Media
