When we go through our email we sort through messages from work, friends, family, and of course junk mail. But every now and then, we get a message that might change everything.
Chloe Bauer, 14, began her modeling career after her mother, Vickie, received an email about Phoenix Fashion Week’s model search that took place at the Phoenix Premium outlets. After Chloe returned from her soccer tryout, they rushed home to put together an outfit to wear for the model search. Despite never modeling before, nor wearing heels, she gave it a try.
“I’ve wanted to be a model and I thought I might try out,” Chloe said. “What’s the best case scenario? I could get an offer! There were a lot of beautiful faces and I was kind of intimidated.”
Chloe ended up wearing her mother’s heels to the competition.
Chloe was chosen to become one of Phoenix Fashion Week’s Top 40 Models, even edging out more experienced models, despite her youth and inexperience. No one was more surprised by this more than Chloe and her mother.
“I was shocked and very excited,” Chloe said. “I was through the roof.”
Now that she’s among the competitors she says she will bring the same competitive drive that helps her succeed on the soccer pitch to the runway.
Chloe has the look most models strive for, tall, long and slender. In the modeling world she’s been celebrated for her figure but at school it has been a completely different story for her.
“Because of my figure, I’ve been through a lot of bullying and teasing,” said Chloe. “Especially from the boys at school which are weird you would think it would be girls. They said I was anorexic and my mom didn’t feed me.”
Vickie spoke with the school after Chloe’s classmates continued to bully her.
“No matter if she weighed 500 lbs or 100 lbs, I don’t think anybody should attack anybody for the way they look,” Vickie says. “I think people don’t understand that they say ‘she’s so thin, she’s so lucky.’ But she’s getting bullied for the way she looks.”
Chloe maintains her friendly and bubbly personality despite the bullying. She gained confidence after progressing in the modeling competition.
“It was like a breath of fresh air honestly,” Chloe said. “It sounds horrible but it has almost become like a routine getting teased. I’m so used to it now but it’s such a change. I like it a lot.”
“What’s so great about this modeling thing is people are appreciating how she looks,” said Vickie. “They’re embracing her body style and I’m all for that.”
Chloe’s new found confidence was on full display as she walked the runway in front a crowd for the first time, at Phoenix Fashion Week’s Launch Party. Her family was taken aback by her fierce and confident runway strut.
“When we saw her come out, my husband’s jaw dropped to the floor,” said Vickie. “She walked in front of hundreds of people just and she’s a strong confident little girl. We brought her up like that way and I was really proud.”
