Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Hughes.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was blessed to be born and raised in Sunny Miami, FL and even though I travel a lot and lived part-time in many cities, Miami is still my home. I started modeling over 20 years ago with Next Models. There was something about the energy and adrenaline on set that made me embrace this industry and never look back. In 2009 with work slowing down due to many uncertainties in the economy, I began working part-time in a restaurant. I noticed my manager had a stack of bracelets on his wrist and I had the thought one day to see if he wanted to add one more. I went home that night and out of a determined spirit and a God-given talent I didn’t even know I had I made my first bracelet. With word of mouth, I sold over 200 bracelets until my first store Base on Lincoln Road saw someone wearing it and invited me for a meeting to sell my jewelry there which was the catalyst to my now successful unisex jewelry line that is now sold in high-end boutiques and hotels here in Miami (The Miami Beach Edition, 1 Hotel, BASE), HÜES @byhues / www.byhues.com. In 2018, my resume expanded from model and jewelry designer to the most rewarding job yet – Mom. I had planned on a natural birth but due to unforeseen circumstances, I ended up having a c-section delivery. Then due to the c-section, I had a very bad infection which led me back to the hospital for eight days and then had another surgery to fix the infection. It was def not the way I planned to start my motherhood journey however it was then that I learned my first lesson in motherhood. My son gave me the strength I needed knowing he was healthy and that made me so strong, I just wanted to get better to get home to him.
A c-section was not what I wanted due to longer recovery time and I felt this urgency as a model in this industry to “bounce back” in order to get back to work. I gained 50 lb during my pregnancy (which is above the “recommended” weight gain) and I knew the recovery time would be longer with a c-section. I never lost those last 20lb, I’m now a size 6, up from a pre-baby size 2 which is why I’m so thankful the modeling industry has now evolved to embrace women of all sizes. Something that I am a big advocate for inclusivity of all body types and sizes and I’m so happy that fashion is taking the initiative for this change. It took years to truly embrace my scar it was one of my biggest insecurities and I felt horrible about the way I felt because on the flip side it was how my son came into the world so it was a beautiful thing however, I couldn’t shake the pain that I was reminded of every time I would see my scar. I always say that scars come from a physical pain but we carry a mental pain for a lot longer even after the physical has healed. I believe God always brings purpose to your pain and I truly haven’t felt more empowered by my scar as I do today. I am very fortunate that in March of 2022 Frida Mom partnered with Sports illustrated in a pay with change initiative and was looking for a model with a c-section scar. I was so excited when I found out that they booked me for the job however then I realized I had never shown my scar before and I wasn’t sure how I would feel about it. MJ Day the editor of Sports Illustrated, made me feel like my scar was the most beautiful thing in the world on set shooting for the magazine. She truly reminded me of who I was and that it was ok to have a scar and still be beautiful. The fashion industry has such a narrow idea of what beauty is and I felt due to so many stigmas in our society that I had to hide my scars or imperfections. I had no idea that I was the first women to show a c-section scar in the magazine’s history and the reaction the photos would have. I received hundreds of messages from women that felt the same and carried the same pain and struggles and they felt seen and heard and beautiful and empowered and inspired. They felt they had to hide their scar and felt so much shame from it. This was something so underrepresented in the market. Not only did I receive messages from women that had c-section scars but from people with all scars. This is what made this more than any photoshoot I’ve ever done and it has truly empowered so many to feel more confident in themselves. I thought to myself if people felt this way from seeing my photos in Sports Illustrated then how much more empowered would they feel by seeing 100’s or even 1000’s of photos of people embracing their scars. So, I teamed with Estes Beauty to do a #scarlovechallenge. You just have to post a picture of your scar and hashtag #scarlovechallenge and $1 for every post will be given to World of Chidden to help underprivileged children.
I’m thankful for brands like Frida that are bringing awareness to birthing and normalizing the changes we go through as women and bringing products to the market to help with recovery. The idea of being what you were before you had a baby for many is not realistic – we in a sense give birth to our new selves. It’s the journey that makes us who we are and that’s something to embrace and hold tightly no matter what stage we’re in. As I navigated through life, always putting God first and working tirelessly until I saw the light of success nothing remotely came close in any regard to Motherhood. My son is now three years old and I can proudly say today I look at my scar and it was worth it and I would do it all over again – It’s my story and I will wear it like a badge of honor for the rest of my life. “It wasn’t until I embraced my scar that I truly experienced the power in it” Kelly Hughes
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Everyone has a different journey in this business. I definitely faced obstacles throughout my career. When I first started modeling, it was always my height…. I was too short and my hips were always bigger than they wanted. There were clients that wouldn’t even see a model if they weren’t 5’9 so it was tough to even get in the door. Then becoming a new mom with the struggles of still trying to recover and get back to work I faced a bigger challenge of “bouncing back”. I was told I was fat and I had to lose weight because there wasn’t a place in the industry for my new size 6/8 at that time. It took me a lot longer to recover from child birth so I wasn’t able to hit the gym like I would have nor did I have the time for it as I was a full-time Mom and my body was just not the same even if I did. Thankfully about 8 months after I had my son, the modeling industry started to shift and include models that were a size 6/8 with a curve division as they call it now. All of this definitely affected me and created a lot of insecurities which I’m so thankful now I have been able to inspire and encourage so many with my story for women in different stages of their journey.
How do you think about luck?
I don’t really believe in luck I think most things come with hard work and dedication. Getting the opportunity to shoot with Sports Illustrated showing my c-section scar which has changed my life was definitely a blessing from God and perfect timing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.byhues.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/kellyhues/ http://www.instagram.com/byhues/
