LEXINGTON – Tailyn Mapp knew she wanted to be a model at the age of 14.
Watching the Victoria’s Secret fashion show in 2015, there was something about the long-legged women strutting down the runway that ignited a fire in Mapp.
“I don’t know what about that fashion show specifically made me want to do it, I was just mesmerized,” Mapp said. “I became obsessed with the whole industry.”
That night, Mapp sat down at her computer and researched everything she could about modeling. She purchased a two-year subscription to Teen Vogue, and followed high-fashion models on social media.
Now, at age 17, Mapp is well on her way to becoming a star in her own right. The Lexington junior recently signed with Next Model Management and will be traveling to Los Angeles in April to continue building her modeling portfolio.
“I’m going to be living in a model apartment with a few other models; the whole month I will be doing test shoots and going to castings and building my book,” Mapp said. “I’m a little nervous because I’m only 17, moving out of the house and going across the country by myself is a little scary, but it’s going to be a good experience.”
Mapp has been working with Pro-Model and Talent Management, a modeling and talent agency out of Fairlawn, since December 2016. The agency helped hone her modeling skills and prepare for the International Modeling and Talent Association (IMTA) Convention in Los Angeles.
At the IMTA, Mapp placed top three in all of her competitions and won Female Model of the Year.
“It was the craziest week of my life,” Mapp said.
Since signing with Next Model Management, Mapp has traveled across the country for work. She can be seen in recent print work for Rue 21, University Tee’s, and Evie Lou.
“The more I work, the more I fall in love with the industry,” Mapp said. “There are some hard parts and some bad parts, but overall it’s my passion and I’m really lucky to have found something I’m so passionate about at such a young age. Sometimes it’s hard to believe this is my life.”
Her ultimate goal is to join the models she admired as a young girl and walk in the Victoria’s Secret fashion show.
“As a 14-year-old just getting started in modeling it was just a dream, and since I signed with Next and talked to their bookers, it’s more of a reality than just a dream,” she said. “That’s what’s most exciting about this, watching all my hard work pay off and seeing my dreams come true.”
