Jason Harris
Kaitlin Marianelli may look stunning in the outside – but she also has brains to match her beautiful face and toned body. Her field of study is in fact Nanomaterials Engineering, and she eventually wants to work in fields such as tech, robotics, or aerospace. She was initially discovered by her agency via Instagram while she was doing her Master’s degree. She immediately signed with them after graduating and for the next 2 years after that, she lived in Asia, getting signed with other agencies in Hong Kong and Japan.
StarCentral Magazine recently caught up with Kaitlin to talk about her journey in the modeling industry and here’s what went down:
Could you please provide background about yourself and how were you actually ‘discovered’?
My name is Kaitlin and I’m from Toronto, Canada, but I’m ethnically Chinese, Italian, and Irish. First and foremost, I’m a huge nerd – my field of study is Nanomaterials Engineering, and I aspire to work in exciting fields like tech, robotics, or aerospace. My favourite thing ever is traveling. I’ve lived in 7 countries and visited 34, and I’m hoping to do as many crazy adventurous things as possible in this life!
I was discovered by my ‘mother agency’ while I was nearly finished my Master’s degree, via Instagram. My MA is Area Management, based in Bangkok, Thailand, and I signed with them immediately after graduating. For the next 2 years, I lived in Asia, getting signed with other agencies in Hong Kong and Japan – I would consider this the best years of my life.
What does it mean to you to be a model?
Modeling to me is embodying a persona or alter ego that I’ve had suppressed deep down for a long time! Sometimes I feel like my life is so polarized, and after modeling, I’ve let myself embrace a whole different side of who I am. It’s definitely taught me to break out of my shell, push boundaries, and shamelessly take up more space, literally and figuratively.
What sort of person usually follows you? Who’s your main audience?
My main audience is pretty evenly split between male/female between ages 16-35, mostly in North America and Asia.
What’s the biggest challenge to modeling?
My biggest challenge was not caring about what anyone thought of me on set, and at castings. Sometimes you have to act silly or exaggerate your poses, and with a whole crew of people or a giant line-up of other models watching, it was VERY intimidating at first.
Have you always wanted to be in the modeling industry?
I hadn’t considered modeling much since my whole life has been so focused on school and my long term career goals, and I grew up very camera-shy. It wasn’t until I was scouted that I started to see my potential.
What’s your personal mission in life?
My mission in life is to be able to tell the best stories when I’m old! I want to live a FULL life with diverse experiences, and I truly believe that will come from seeing as much of the world as possible, experiencing new cultures, and saying yes to crazy opportunities.
What has been the most memorable experience of your career so far?
Shooting with fully grown lions without leashes! I was shooting for a resort in Zambia and I had to walk through a national park with 2 lions in a wedding dress. Terrifying but so much fun.
Who have been the most interesting people you’ve met so far?
The most interesting people to me are always in the creative field, since it’s so far removed from the fields I’m used to. I’ve come across actors, music producers, film directors, etc. and I love learning about their creative process.
What is your favourite social media platform?
Instagram fasho!
How active are you on social media?
I’m decently active, I try to post once a week or so.
What will you advise other models who may wish to follow your footsteps?
We live in a privileged time where it’s so easy to get scouted and start a career in modelling if you have the passion and the potential. My advice would be to reach out to agencies either on Instagram or on their agency sites and start kicking down doors, and taking names. Do test shoots with photographers to build a decent portfolio with a wide range of moods and settings, and build confidence in your posing. It’s really all about practice, and good lighting!
What are your future plans? Inside your career or out of it.
My future plans in the short term are to move to the west coast and get an agency in LA. LA is a hub not only for modeling but for engineering opportunities as well, so I would get the best of both my worlds. I would love to be able to model for as long as I can, and it’s difficult in Toronto to do that.
Now, 5 questions for the ‘LIGHTNING FAST’ Round:
1. Last good movie I’ve seen Jojo Rabbit.
2. What do you consider beautiful and why? A plate of pasta with a giant pile of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on top because it’s one of life’s greatest things.
3. What haven’t you done yet that you wish you could? Swimming with sharks.
4. Complete this sentence: “If I had no fear, I’d…” Quit my job and move to Hawaii.
5. What is the one “flaw” you wouldn’t change about yourself? My obsession for bubble tea, or my sweet tooth in general.
Jason Harris
