Behind The Muse: Kelly Mittendorf
It’s been over a year since I first met Kelly Mittendorf – the 18-year-old American modeling and social media darling from a small Arizona town. The past 2 years have been a whirlwind for the teenager; she experienced the kind of life she had only seen in magazines and on fashion blogs. In 2011, Steven Meisel photographed Kelly for the Prada Fall 2011 campaign, which catapulted her onto the high fashion scene before she had ever walked a show or posed for an editorial. Her distinct brand of beauty, often described as “alienesque”, was the buzz of that campaign season. It is undeniable that Miss Mittendorf, currently represented by Marilyn New York, Premier London, d’management Milan and Marilyn Paris, was the star of that campaign.
In September 2011, during show castings for New York Fashion Week Spring 2012, Kelly was one of the girls I was most excited to see. Little did I know, I was in for quite a treat. Contagiously smiley, positive, energetic, and charming, Kelly was a delight to meet. After hearing her answers to my questions, I knew right away that Kelly was the perfect positive embodiment of the girls of her modeling generation. Unlike their predecessors, these girls are not only smart but also savvy in the ways of social media and information technology. They are well aware of the good and bad aspects that come along with working in the modeling industry. Models of yesteryear often came from remote parts of Russia and were only motivated by the promise of money while being ignorant of all things fashion. Kelly is part of an empowered generation of informed, fashion loving models who do their research and are knowledgeable about fashion’s privileges, opportunities, and dark alleys.
Since meeting Kelly, I have learned more about her through our social media interactions and friendship and my respect and admiration for her have grown. Open and honest on her personal blog with sprinkles here and there of snark, humor, and wit, she leaves herself open and vulnerable to fans and persistent haters. A guy like me, despite my high tolerance for nonsense, would probably be unable to handle these interactions with Kelly’s humility and grace on a daily basis.
While sitting in a SoHo restaurant on a crisp December night, Kelly enthusiastically ordered bacon for the first time with her burger. We caught up about life, modeling, and the next chapter for the gracious American sweetheart.
Damian: So Kelly, I have to ask a very important question… What type of student were you in school? Were you a good student?
Kelly: Haha, I was a good student! Well, I got good grades. I like learning, especially history, but school came easy to me without trying very hard.
Damian: Congratulations on graduating high school! What is next for you?
Kelly: Thank you! I’m excited because I was just accepted to two universities, so I’m going to start working on my basic credits online while still working full time. Love a new challenge!
Damian: Speaking of education, what has the modeling world taught you?
Kelly: Modeling has taught me about prioritizing, time management, common sense, and how to be flexible. It’s one of the only jobs where you can get a phone call in the afternoon and need to be in a different country by the next day that you’ve never been to before (unless you’re a secret agent).
Damian: What advice would you give to yourself if you could go back to the moment you were first discovered?
Kelly: Don’t just stand there! Smile! Say something. No, not that! Be cute, be cute!
Damian: I really admire how you have opened yourself up to the world via your Twitter (@K_MITT) and Tumblr. How do you deal with negative people and critics?
Kelly: Thank you! I think the best thing is to just ignore it. If I receive a rude message, I will either delete it or respond sassily. I’m really lucky; the vast majority of messages I’m sent are positive and encouraging or inquisitive.
Damian: What is the sweetest thing a fan has done for you?
Kelly: I don’t really consider the idea that I have fans, I have followers and I have a group of 5-10 friends I’ve met through Tumblr! I actually just met with one of them, Alexandra of LaraStonesBoobs.Tumblr.com, for a quick cake date and I thought that was really sweet! I love seeing drawings of me that people do and how they interpret my look.
Damian: What is the most horrible thing that an Internet bully has said to you?
Kelly: I’ve learned to shrug it off when people don’t like the way I look. Not everybody is going to. Every so often, someone will call me “self-centered” or “shallow” and that gets under my skin.
Damian: Have any of these cowardly haters not been anonymous?
Kelly: Ha! Rarely. Of thousands of messages, maybe one or two of the negative ones have been non-anonymous.
Damian: Define beauty in your own words. Has your perception of beauty changed since you became a model?
Kelly: Beauty is interesting, captivating, something you can’t take your eyes away from. My perception of beauty has done a 180-degree turn since my career started.
Damian: Which woman in history — dead or alive — inspires you? This is the person you would like to be like. Why her?
Kelly: Right now, Grace Coddington. She’s a living legend. I’m excited to start reading her memoir, but the way she affected the industry from the inside and worked her way up is inspiring.
Damian: While growing up back in your hometown, were you ever bullied?
Kelly: The worst bullying I remember is being called “Mittendork”. I did alright at school and had friends but I didn’t really like it and didn’t feel like I fit in. So I would go about my own way and do my own thing because that made me happier! I liked to talk to my teachers, the lunch lady, anybody who wasn’t actually a student, even in elementary school.
Damian: Since you are so aware of social media, what is one thing you would advise any model to not do when she is online and why?
Kelly: Don’t go looking for trouble by obsessing over TFS or Googling yourself or even searching your name on Twitter. It’s just a huge hit to your confidence if you aren’t accustomed to people being catty. Personally, I try and keep my blog my blog, and not put my foot in my mouth by talking about other models or the people I work with. It isn’t a gossip column.
Damian: Do you see yourself as a role model? What would you like young girls to learn from you? If you could give them any advice about becoming a model or evolving as a young woman in the fashion world, what would you like to tell them?
Kelly: Haha. This makes me think about my little sister! I don’t see myself as a role model but I hope people take my advice because it is very heartfelt. If my little sister decided to get into fashion I’d tell her to be confident and stick to her morals; to do and learn as much as she can because it’s an amazing once in a lifetime experience.
Damian: What has been the most defining moment for you as a model? What has been the most defining moment for you as a person?
Kelly: I guess the most defining moment of my career was the impact the Prada campaign had when it came out. I didn’t realize it at first. I don’t think I’ve had a defining moment as a person yet, but stay tuned.
Damian: At the beginning of your career, what were your goals? How have they evolved?
Kelly: My goal when I started to model was to create beautiful images. Now, I’m a bit more business savvy and want to learn that side of the industry. I am still focused on creating beautiful images with inspiring people. It always will be.
Damian: You are only 18! Personally, I am not sure if I would allow my daughter to become a model if she were given the opportunity. How does your mom feel about you being a model? Is she ever worried?
Kelly: My mom has been supportive from the moment I was first approached. She’s done so much for my career and has supported me every step along the way. She came with me on my first trip to Paris and essentially wound up running behind me as I was racing around. After that, she said she doesn’t worry anymore.
Damian: Tell me about where you grew up. Can you share a little about your family and upbringing?
Kelly: I grew up in a fairly close-knit community. I didn’t find my place with the right people in school (that were actually my age) until my sophomore year of high school, but now have a small group of amazing, lifelong friends to go home to. My family is super close as well! I have two sisters and I secretly adore them. My older sister just turned twenty and is studying to be a special education teacher; the world needs more people as inspiring as she is. My little sister is only eleven but is one of those amazingly different kids that you know has the world at their feet. I could babble about them all day.
Damian: What is the most expensive purchase you have made so far? What would be the next big purchase for you?
Kelly: My wardrobe is the most expensive thing by far. Haha. I love shopping sales because you can buy twice the amount of stuff! College is my next big investment that I’m working towards. Eventually, I’d love to buy a home in Arizona and have a space in Gramercy Park.
Damian: So, what is next for Kelly Mittendorf? How do you see yourself in 10 years?
Kelly: Hopefully, in ten years, I’ve experienced everything fashion has to offer and I am glad for the experience. Being happy in ten years is the most important thing. It’s strange to look that far forward though. I try and only look towards tomorrow!
Damian: And finally, describe yourself in 3 words.
Kelly: Kittendorf, outgoing, old-soul.
Credits: Written by Damian Bao/bonaelamour.com. Images courtesy of Damian Bao, Kelly Mittendorf, Marilyn Agency, and Style.
