Today we’d like to introduce you to Maggie Krebs.
Hi Maggie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Hi! My name is Maggie Krebs and I am a fashion model and artist. I grew up drawing, painting, making jewelry, sewing… I have always loved creating. I took AP Art and sewing classes in high school. I attended Miami University with a major in Psychology, and two minors, one in 2D Design, and the other in Business.
I was never planning on making art or fashion my full-time job, but considered it more of a passion on the side. I was a member of the Fashion and Design Club at MU as a model, and their runway shows were some of my favorite memories from college. At my mom’s prompting, I attended an open call casting in Chicago looking for a hair model for Mario Tricoci Salon. They were having a modeling competition, and I wasn’t really expecting anything out of it except a fun summer. Little did I know that this was the start of my life working in a creative field, the fashion industry.
This competition opened up so many opportunities for me. It allowed me to film my first commercial, walk in runway shows, and ultimately get signed with an agency after winning the competition. I’ve been with Select Model Management (though they were Factor at the time) for 8 years now, and in that time they helped me get signed with Select in Milan, Fenton in New York, and Select here in Miami. It seems like it was meant to be, and yet I never expected my life to be what it is now.
The fashion industry sometimes gets a bad rep, but I would say I’ve had a great experience so far and I’m so grateful. I’ve found such confidence in this work and feel like modeling is one of the most creative outlets. You are immersed in a designer’s vision when you wear their collection and get to help them make that vision come to life.
You are constantly surrounded by talented individuals from all over the world; the travel I’ve gotten to experience has been such a dream. There are so many places I’ve been to that I never would have seen, if not for the booking that took me there. These past years in both my print and runway careers have been such a gift and I’m hoping to only go up from here.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The fashion industry will never be without its faults. The pressure to look a certain way is abundant. I remember wondering how anyone made a living this way; the rejection is constant, and at first, the investment versus the return on capital isn’t high, especially when you’re just getting started. The need for a steady income and a ‘real’ job title is never more tempting than when you’re not getting booked.
I remember my agent Bridget telling us in runway class all those years ago, “You’ll have to hear 99 ‘no’s’ before you hear the one ‘yes!'” This stuck with me as I’m sure it did for many girls. Continuing to work hard, not giving up, and finding market(s) that I work well in has been such a blessing.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
With this need for a second income, but also a flexible schedule allowing me to still accept bookings and castings, I started my Etsy account, ArtByMaggieKrebs. Finally using some of my college degree not only felt great but helped pay the bills too. I specialize in custom 5×7 watercolors, but I’ve been branching out into larger acrylic paintings as well, which you can see some examples of here!
It was life-changing to have something else to focus my energy on; sitting around waiting to hear if you got a callback takes so much mental energy (and isn’t making you any money either). Having a passion project allows you to not get caught up in the uncertainty of the industry.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
To my fellow models and industry friends: being kind to yourself is essential, especially when so much of society today tries to point out your every flaw and ‘fix’ you. This is never more apparent than when you’re on camera a lot; it’s so easy to pick yourself apart and compare yourself to others. It’s important to give yourself some grace. There will always be a new beauty trend.
There seems to be a never-ending cycle of products and services that women ‘need’ to achieve ‘perfection’, which doesn’t exist. The physical attributes that you might consider an imperfection might be the reason a designer casts you in the end. Like a piece of art, the aspects of yourself that make you unique make you beautiful. Focus on finding the clients and market that fit your look best instead of trying to change to fit a fad. You’re perfect as you are.
Pricing:
- 5×7 watercolors $48
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtByMaggieKrebs
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maggiekrebs/?hl=en
Image Credits
Zach Hawkins, Filippo Bonfiglio, and Simon Soong
