Author Spotlight
Mya Smith
Pacing through the hotel hallway in nude heels, a monochrome black outfit, pin-straight hair and a bare face, freshman Boston Caylor-Pryor needed to make her walk perfect. Older models had offered to judge her walk, a common thing that models do to help each other.
“They came over and helped me critique it so that I could be more confident when I’m actually showing the judges,” Caylor-Pryor said. “It was just really wholesome and fun.”
This was Caylor-Pryor’s first model casting ever, and after strutting through the hotel like it was a runway about a million times, she was ready.
Modeling for big brands has been Caylor-Pryor’s dream since she saw Shalom Harlow — a famous Canadian actress known for modeling for Chanel and Dior — on her TV screen as a little girl. She started modeling with the Talent Unlimited agency in 2022 after her grandma reached out to the agency. She’s starting her second year on the roster for Kansas City Fashion Week.
Caylor-Pryor takes two modeling classes a month, taking countless photos for her portfolio, practicing her walk until her ankles are red and working with her trainer to prepare techniques for KCFW. Each class can be tedious, being up to two hours, but with each session Caylor-Pryor gains more confidence and knowledge for her passion. She has the most fun when she gets to practice modeling with one of her close friends, freshman Avra Welling.
“[Auditioning for KC Fashion week] with Boston is probably my favorite memory,” Welling said.“It was so fun that day, we went to our class, we went to the hotel [for tryouts]. We missed the tryouts by like two minutes, and we looked so stupid. We were running around and it was just a lot of fun.”
Welling and Caylor-Pryor happened to be in the same health class in September, and after just a few brief conversations, they realized that they both tried out for KCFW, and soon after scheduled a private session with their trainer.
Welling started modeling in 2023 when her parents got her in contact with her agency, Exposure. Feeling her best while in front of a camera, Welling fantasizes about being an actress and a model.
“I like being in front of a camera, and it’s something that I could potentially see myself doing in my life,” Welling said. “It’s really creative and I think it’s a good way for people to express their art because some people don’t like being in front of a camera, but they want to be able to show off their art.”
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