Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsey Rose Weber.
Kelsey Rose, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My story begins in Tokyo, Japan where I grew up until I was nine years old. My family then moved to Los Angeles but I feel my years living abroad truly shaped who I am and my perspective on the world. It’s where my first experience being/looking different was and where my love for food developed which leads me to my current life as a curve model and a food stylist.
I began working as a curve model during college after I gained 50 lbs during my freshman year. It wasn’t very widespread and being a plus size model was a niche but it helped me learn to love my new curves and appreciate everybody as beautiful. I found a community of women who were confident and sizes 12+ and I absolutely loved it. I was in school studying film at Claremont McKenna College and had zero clues what on earth I actually wanted to do for a career so I kept exploring a career as a model and one in filmmaking.
After graduating I came home to LA and pursued modeling full time, I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities I’ve had. I’ve been able to walk in Times Square for NYFW, shot campaigns in beautiful placed and I’ve met the most incredible and talented group of women all sharing their voices in the body positive space.
2.5 years ago, everything changed — I was run over by a truck leaving me unable to walk normally for nearly 6 months. My career as a model felt over and I ended up unsigned and feeling like I was back to square one. I didn’t know where I fit in the industry since I had gained 50 lbs during my recovery. When I began walking again, I felt I wasn’t in my own body. Nothing fit me, I had been out of the game for a while and so I turned my focus to my career as a food stylist instead since that had been a slow brewing career for me.
I LOVE working as a food stylist – my job is insanely creative and I get to fabricate fake foods, paint food to make it look yummier and create digital content with the top down recipes. I work freelance so I get to create a lot of different content from BBQ to vegan bites so each shoot is always something new. I’ve food styled for Vogue & SELF and so I love to say I was published in Vogue (just not as a model!). You can check out my work and portfolio at www.KRFoodStyling.com.
Balancing these two careers has been a challenge but one that is worth every 90+ hour work week. I recently booked two national campaigns with Ulta and Walmart as a model and then completed the latest season of “Cooking with Jeff Goldblum” for Funny or Die and “Basic to Bougie” on MTV. My summer is gearing up to be filled with a lot of fun and I live every day in gratitude for my experiences.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Understanding myself as a curvy woman in this world has been a tough road. I was an athlete all through high school and wore a size 6/8 so when I gained weight my freshman year, my body felt foreign. This has been a common theme in my relationship with my body. I would gain weight, lose weight, obsess over my weight and I started to feel I was living in a body that I could no longer dictate happiness for. It took nearly dying after being run over by a truck to try and be kind to myself — my body survived that trauma so it felt unfair to keep beating myself up over what size my pants label said.
I ended up participating in Khloe Kardashian’s weight loss show “Revenge Body” and my goal was to lose the weight from my accident and finally feel I had control over my body again. It wasn’t the weight loss that I ultimately took from that experience, rather, it was knowing I have the power and control to do whatever I put my mind to. Ironically I ended up receiving a lot of hate from the plus size community for being on the show which is why I took a break from modeling after the experience but thankfully so as my other career began to flourish. Life is always a rollercoaster but I’m trusting the process!
Working as a curve model has been a blessing because I get to be apart of a community of confident women who are unapologetic no matter their size. This reminds me to practice self-love as I definitely have days where I get down on myself. Self-love is embracing YOU inside and out and I stand today as a woman confident in my mind, body, and soul. For any women interested in becoming a curve model, remember to be authentically you. When I started I was always told how to look, how to wear my hair and what clients I could book and it wasn’t until I started taking charge and being myself that I found success.
No matter what creative field you are in, push through obstacles and find support in those around you.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Since I have two separate careers going, it’s hard to say what I’m most proud of BUT I think no matter if I’m on a runway or in a kitchen, I’m known for being goofy, outgoing and vivacious. I try to bring spunk and joy to whatever I’m doing and I hope that is what people take away from working with me.
As a food stylist, I’m known for top-down recipe content as well as styling for commercials. My past clients include Vogue, SELF, Taco Bell, Beyond Burger, FabFitFun and more. I like working with a variety of different brands and I’m up for any challenge.
As a model, I tend to do a lot of runways — I had the pleasure of walking at NYFW in Times Square for Belle Rene and then back at LAFW for Melissa Mercedes and Rene Tyler. My first client ever was ModCloth and so I’ve shot a lot of ecommerce as well but I’m excited to have recently shot for ULTA and Walmart in national commercial campaigns.
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that a lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
Being yourself and finding like-minded individuals makes seeking advice and mentorship much easier. I’ve always tried to connect with the people around me – I’m triple cancer – so I try to find people I mesh well with. It is hard for me to push myself out of my comfort zone but I’ve found that when I do, it’s been some of the most rewarding experiences.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.KRFoodStyling.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealkelseyrose/
Image Credit:
Elizabeth Estrada Photography, Bruna Lacerda Photography, Nicole Alexander Photography, Holly Lynch Photography, Curvy Couture Intimates
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