Today we’d like to introduce you to Jalen Gunter.
Hi Jalen, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Growing up, my life was always split in two. Being a child in separate households meant that my time, clothing, and life were split into two worlds: my mom’s house and my dad’s house. I believe being in that split environment forced me to also split myself into different people. I’d be a certain person when with my mom, the ideal son, and at my father’s, I’d be just another kid lost in the sea of their other responsibilities to my siblings. I saw myself tending to simply switch into a role when I’d go from one to the other. Never felt as if I could be my true self. The whole of who I am. I would split myself into being a perfect student for my mom or an athlete for my dad, but I had never really tried anything creative aside from dabbling in photography, doodles in my notebooks, and an expansive list of music. Fast-forward a few years, I came to Howard, and my evolution began. Similar to most of my 2020 peers, I was required to stay home for my freshman year, but once I arrived on campus my Sophomore year, my eyes were opened to an entirely new piece of myself.
When I arrived at campus, I was in awe of the amount of creative talent. It was almost overwhelming. I remember the first time someone actually approached me about being involved in anything creative. The opportunity was to model for someone’s shoot, something I had never done before. I remember being so uncertain of what to do or how I should pose or move. But then something just kind of clicked. I felt right at home in front of the camera, helping the creative’s vision come to life. I would model a few more times, but things really took a turn when I had the opportunity to walk in my first fashion show. It was the Howard Springfest show titled MADHOUSE. We were required to try out and show what we could do, which for me was little to nothing. Apparently, they saw some type of potential because I made it in. As we prepared for the show, I was completely immersed into the culture of fashion, and I fell in love with it.
Being a model, I had to do a lot of self-reflection because I was thrust into such an unfamiliar environment. This allowed me to learn more about who I am and be able to shed myself of that “split personality.” After that first fashion show, I felt myself truly identifying as a model, and others agreed. My career as a creative, whose inception was at Howard, started blossoming. I initially started as a model, but eventually, I also started venturing into creative direction, styling, etc. This eventually led to me getting into content creation, another newfound passion of mine. Which leads us to the present. As of now, I am growing as a content creator and model as well as trying to give back to young black aspiring creatives like me. The opportunities and places I have been able to experience have been amazing, and I think to honor it I should do my best to give back to those who helped me discover it. I am very active in the creative scene at Howard, and I am trying my best to provide opportunities to others interested in this path I’m on.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all. One of the biggest challenges I have faced is giving myself credit for where I am on my journey. I have high expectations for myself, so it can be very frustrating when I don’t meet those expectations. This on top of a little perfectionism can really take a toll, so I have to be really intentional about being patient and kind to myself as I am on this journey.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
In the past year or so, I have been given the opportunity to get signed with a very respected mothering agency as well as meeting with some of the top agencies in NY such as New York Models, JagModels, Wilhelmina, Elite, and many more. I have also created a tiktok which has garnered 86,000 likes so far and created my own personal brand. In my content-creating journey, I have been able to work with brands such as Poshmark, Dossier, and even Amtrak. I am still in the beginning stages in my opinion, so it’s amazing to be able to see such progress in such a little amount of time!
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
The easiest way to work with me would be reaching out to my Instagram or TikTok, @jalentgunter, or emailing me at [email protected]. To support me, also feel free to check out my pages and give me a follow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jalengunter87ec.myportfolio.com/kiras-edits
- Instagram: jalentgunter
- Other: jalentgunter
Image Credits
Insta: @briannaslens @fantas.eye @mashellgoodluck @acescasinos @obilohii
