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Meet The “REAL” Alexa Models
Victoria Warren, Irina Vishneva, Jessica Myslikowski, Katie Holliday, Keren Ericksen Macklin, Kim Ulmer and Leigh Songer
ALEXA MODEL AND TALENT MANAGEMENT
www.alexamodels.com [2]
550 N. Reo Street, Suite #300
Tampa, Florida 33609
813.289.8020 office
[4]Victoria Warren
Victoria was born in Ukraine and grew up mostly in New York City. At the age of 13 she asked her father to take her on a model search LA Looks was hosting at the Empire State Building and won first place. She signed with an agency and shot for major magazines and commercials. It wasn’t until she was attending New York University that she decided to stop modeling and focus on her degree. Victoria married James and lived in England for five years, in which time she had two children, Alyssa and William. They moved to Florida over a year ago and Victoria decided to give modeling another chance. She met with Susan at Alexa and hasn’t looked back.
Shorts by Easy Money
Bra by Wacoal
Vest by Adrienne Landau
[5]Irina Vishneva
I always dreamed of becoming a model when I was a little girl back in Russia. My dream really came true when I moved to the U.S. I was approached by a stranger who asked if I had an interest in modeling. That’s how everything started. I attended Fox Models International showcase in December 2009 and was offered contracts by Factor, Chicago and Wilhelmina, Miami. The only thing lacking was a warm personal approach and caring that models could only get from smaller boutique agencies. So I was very lucky to become a part of the Alexa Models family. Now I always feel included and taken care of. Susan and Tim have always been very helpful. No issue is too small. Susan is a great source of valuable knowledge and inspiration for me. To sum it up, I’d like to say that I believe everyone should pursue his or her dream and never give up even if it gets very hard. The reward is priceless; you meet great people along the way, become a stronger person and gain a lot of confidence about yourself and your future.
Shirt by Vince
Skirt by Theory
[6]Jessica Myslikowski
Originally from Greece Jessica immigrated to the United States as a child. She is 23 years old and currently lives in Florida. She began modeling when she decided to send in her application to the Miss Polish-American beauty pageant. To her surprise she won the title Miss Polish-American 2008. One of Jessica’s winning prizes was a trip to Poland to represent the United States in the national 2008 Miss Poland contest. While competing in Poland, Jessica was still enrolled as a full time student at the University of Florida. She recently graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. Jessica is currently pursuing a career as a Physician Assistant and models through Alexa.
Jacket, Shirt & Pants by St John
[7]Katie Holliday
I entered the world of modeling at the age of 13. Dani Davis scouted me, who at the time was managing the Barbizon of Tampa. Dani soon introduced me to Susan and her agency, Alexa. With clients like Bealls, Dillards and HSN locally, we started my modeling career. Around the same time I became a contestant in the Elite model look of the year for 1995/96. I won the state of Florida and went onto New York City for the nationals. 10 girls won for the United States, including me, so we set off to Nice, France to compete against 59 other countries. I didn’t come home with the win that time but signed a contract with Elite anyway and started working out of Miami, New York, and LA. A lot of German catalogs, Target, JCPenney, Teen Magazine, Sketchers shoes, etc. It’s been a long trip so far, but I’m happily along for the ride.
Dress by Craig Signer
[8]Keren Ericksen Macklin
As a young girl I would pour through magazines and catalogs with hopes of one day becoming a model. At age 21 a college professor and friend encouraged me to pursue modeling. His daughter, Jennie Pickens was a supermodel and he would tell me how I looked a lot like her and to visit Alexa where she started. I went and met Susan who suggested a photographer and I began working. Today I live in Sarasota with my husband and son and enjoy shooting photography and modeling.
Dress by Craig Signer
[9]Kim Ulmer
Kim began a more than 25 year career in the fashion industry at the very young age of 10. After meeting Susan of Alexa at the age of 13 her career took off. Susan placed Kim with Elite in New York City then Kim went on to win Elite’s Look of the Year. That set off a 13 year span of foreign travel. From New York to Tokyo, then off to Paris and Hong Kong, Kim has worked in at least 9 countries. She held lingerie and beauty contracts in 3 different countries at the same time. Modeling has more than shown her the world which if you ask Kim, was the best part! “Good friends and fabulous cultures, these experiences have made me who I am. I am grateful to Susan for beginning such a rewarding and interesting career for me. That is the purpose of a great mother agent.”
Dress by Parker
[10]Leigh Songer
I was born and raised in southeast Virginia. All through high school I was very athletic, playing soccer, volleyball, basketball, and running track. I have always had the desire to be a model although I was taught to get an education first. I graduated from Windsor High School and continued to get a higher education at Shenandoah University. I graduated from Shenandoah University in 2007 with my Masters in Science of Occupational Therapy. I started my career in Southeast Virginia for a year and moved to Florida to continue my job and began my journey into modeling. I am currently residing in Tampa, Florida where I am ecstatic to work with Alexa Modeling.
Dress by La Femme
Wardrobe courtesy of Saks Fifth Avenue
Click here to read the cover feature story. [11]
Copyright © 2011 REAL Magazine
Photography used under license from Giovanni Lunardi Photography [12]
Photography Copyright © 2011 Giovanni Lunardi
Links to this article are encouraged
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