Fall 2005; Interview by Sun Karma
We thought it was only fitting that we bring back the most popular vixen interviewed here, because we are all about you, the viewers. Celeste, who is rumored to be returning to the Import Scene (ala Jay-Z returning to rap), has seen it all and been through it all in her short but successful modeling career. In her return to NYConfidential, she gives her take on today’s modeling scene, and the trials and tribulations that only a real diva goes through.
This is a tough industry. Often, models are rejected all the time. Were you ever discouraged? What did you do to overcome it? What happened when you finally ‘made it’, did those that rejected you look at you differently then?
Wow I have definitely been there. People didn’t want to support me when I first started out. A lot of people talked badly of me, saying I shouldn’t even do it and how I was a “no name” blah blah but hey the haters made me work harder so they’re the ones that actually got me where I am today and of course MY FANS!!! Gotta love ‘em.
Did you ever think that you would get this far?
Yup. Anyone can do it as long as they’re driven.
What is your secret to success? Everyone has a formula..what is yours?
I made a lot of things happen for myself, I didn’t sit around and wait for things to happen. I was also lucky enough to have collabrated with some very good people.
What makes you unique as a model? Is it important for up and coming models to find a niche and to market themselves in that niche, or to just ‘go with the flow’ and find a mentor until they can find out what it is that they want to do?
Hmmm…I’m unique because I did what I wanted, I didn’t want to be another cookie cutter type model, I think I look unique and I have my own personality and ideas.
How do you market/promote yourself? Do you do it on your own or do you utilize an agency? A lot of models think that yahoo groups and recipocral linking is important..what is your opinion?
I do all that myself, I use my yahoo group as a message board to chat with my friends. I think word of mouth is prob the best advertising tool
Whats in the future for you? Do you plan on doing this for another 10 years or is this a transition for you? Often, models have a ‘life’ expectancy in this biz (age wise)..how do you feel about that limitation or does it limit you at all?
I’ll be doing this for as long as I can. It’s fun and I love it.
In your opinion, paysite (pay-per-month basis) or portfolio site, or both?
Mine started off as a portfolio site but I got a lot of requests for more pictures, so I turned it into a pay site. It’s definitely a lot more work but I gave my fans what they wanted.
What has been the most influential experience or motivation to you this far?
Respectful photographers motivate me to be a better model. Did that make sense? Oh well, it did in my head lol.
Did you have a ‘mentor’ model that you looked up to when you first entered the industry?
Nope.
What is your advice to models trying to break into the biz? I know that you have alot of experience and a wealth of information to offer models that are just breaking into the field. If there were three important things that you could tell them, what would they be? What would you warn them about as well?
Stay tru to yourself, watch out for skandaluz people, and work hard.
How do you network? And is networking truly important?
It is very important and I’m actuallly pretty bad at this …it’s pretty hard in Seattle, like who the hell should I network with? haha
This industry can be quite catty…how do you deal with the drama, or how do you overcome it?
I don’t. It will always bother me. How can it not?
We all have things in life that ‘ground’ us from time to time and remind us what is really important. What are your grounding elements in your life?
My family, friends, work and school.
Sometimes in life, we have to take shortcuts or the reallllllllyyyyy long way to get where we want to be and go where we want to go. It is no different in the entertainment and modeling biz- did you ever have to experience this and how did you deal with it- were you patient or did you just bite the bullet?
My shortcut would probably mean moving to Cali but I chose to stay in Seattle and I don’t regret it one bit!!!
