(Photography by – Jo Bailon – Words by Chloe James)
The young model from Boston who at only 21 has found her passion for traveling the world and getting inspired by making a stance for equality. After only getting into modeling a year ago she has done amazingly, filling her Instagram page with the most beautiful shots and working with some really talented photographers.
For this editorial Livy teamed up with Boston based photographer Jo Bailon, creating the concept of a ‘Modern day French Riviera woman’. Photographer Jo Bailon has managed to create some sleek and captivating images, which capture such femininity.
Where did you grow up?
– I grew up in southern, coastal Maine.
Where are you living at the moment?
– I currently live in Boston.
What/who inspires you?
– I’m often inspired by movements and campaigns that inspire solidarity among women,and women’s empowerment, and empowerment of marginalized groups. For example, I find the #BlackLivesMatter movement very inspiring, or the recent #BlackWomenDidThat hashtag campaign. Always’ “Like a Girl” campaign is another example of how feminism is inspiring a change in voice when it comes to representation. These are just the first three examples that popped into my head, there are so many others.
Did you always imagine yourself a model?
– No, this was an idea I had never entertained until I gave it a shot last year. After my mental health had endured a tumultuous year, I was in need of a lifestyle change, and I definitely needed to dig my confidence out of the hole it had nestled deeply in. Luckily, I had friends who were already with Maggie Agency (my mother agency) and I was able to get some valuable insight from them on what modeling was really like, and their encouragement played a huge role in my decision to dive in. I had always perceived the industry to be against my moral code, but after I gained perspective I was able to see that it is not solely a male-gaze centered, women’s agency-denying form of promotion, but that it’s a multidimensional community of collaborating artists.
Are you a fan of traveling?
– Yes, I’ve always enjoyed traveling and often can’t stay in the same place for too long. I’ve had the privilege (traveling is a privilege that only a small group of people have the opportunity to do, and not having the means or accessibility to travel does not make one lazy or not “cultured”) of traveling often to the Caribbean, where my parents have lived for the past 6 years. I’ve studied abroad in the UK, visited Spain, France, Italy, and the Netherlands, traveled to Mexico, and explored the US a bit as well.
Where’s the best place you’ve been and why?
– This is somewhat of an impossible question because it’s so difficult to pinpoint, but I truly loved living in London during my semester abroad. It was a beautiful and inspiring city, but what I loved most about it at the time I was living there was the ease of travel to other places. In the US, I can’t even get to Buffalo, NY for less than $200. Taking a plane to Spain from London was less than $100 US. I’m not sure if the recent political changes will drastically affect that, though.
How do you feel about nudity?
– I have absolutely no problem with nudity, and I’m quite disgusted by the hypocritical way in which women are both valued by and shamed for expressions of themselves in the nude. Women in pop culture are rarely portrayed as agents of their own sexuality and body image. Whether a nude image is meant to be sexy or raw or emotional shouldn’t determine a person’s moral worth, and what should be most important is the person’s role in image, and the agency they are given over their own bodies within that depiction. Ownership over our own bodies is denied in a variety of ways in our society, whether that is through legislation (such as laws that create barriers to reproductive healthcare for women), pop culture (such as problematic images in advertising), or judicial practices (such as the treatment and questioning of victims of rape during trials). By reclaiming ownership over our bodies through art, we can inspire a communal change in thinking, which can manifest itself within the institutions that currently take that away from us.
Who/what is your spirit animal?
– I love Italian Greyhounds! We all watched Jenna Marbles right? She started the whole Italian Greyhound trend I think, and I loved watching videos of her dog Kermit which started my obsession with them… turns out not only do Italian Greyhounds and I look alike, but we also have similar personality characteristics. They are extremely affectionate and love to be held, they’re totally shy at first, and they’re always cold. They are also really sensitive.
What advice would you give to someone trying to make it as a model?
– My advice would be to take time to think about all of your aspirations. Consider the time you want to dedicate to modeling, consider where exactly you want it to take you. Do you want to be making good money, do you want to be featured in Vogue, do you want to shoot high fashion or commercial work, do you want to have a large presence on social media, etc. After you consider the details, do research into the industry, and most importantly, shoot as much as possible. The more you do something, the better you get, the easier it is to network. Shoot every day, shoot every week. Take the opportunities and allow yourself to mess up and grow from each experience.
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See more of Livy Poulin here – INSTAGRAM / TWITTER
(Photography – Jo Bailon – MUA – Michaela Bosch – Stylist – Meg Galvin)
