We had the chance to meet with model Belouka Almonacy to get some insight on her growth within the industry. Interestingly, by the age of 17 she was already on her own in another country living a modeling dream that was far pass her imagination. Born and raised in Haiti Belouka received her start when a well know photographer noticed her and referred her to an agency. When the opportunity came it was of disbelief because she never imagined herself to be a model. What she saw herself as one day becoming a pediatrician or a diplomat. She carries an extensive portfolio of A-list brands such as Cosmo, Seventeen, women’s health, Macy’s, Bonton, JD Sports, Foot Locker, Nike just to name a few and also travels abroad to places like London and Cape Town for modeling projects.
Coming to the US from Haiti was a huge challenge because it took a while for her to speak and understand English due to the language barrier. She explained her growth to us as;
“I got to learn a lot of things, see a lot of places and meet a lot of people. I’ve had to learn how to grow quickly and take care of myself since the age of 17. Business wise I think it’s more about controlling my money and making smarter decisions because in modeling you never know when your going to have a down time so you have to constantly stay on top of your finances. As a model I would say I’m still growing, I’m still learning”
What contributed to her success in the modeling agency is her personality Belouka explained making it easy for others to work with her while keeping it professional and always sending good positive energy. This is actually what contributes to a strong model she explained conducting yourself professionally, keeping a good attitude, and making it easy to adapt to the clients needs. Belouka’s advice to aspiring models is;
“Have fun with it, and know that the industry has a lot of ups and down, a lot of rejection and learn to not take it personal ”
