MAKING it in the notoriously cut-throat world of modelling has been the result of years of hard work for Katy Baugh.
The chance to see the world and wear beautiful clothes, while being photographed by some of the industry’s biggest names is the stuff of dreams for thousands of young girls.
But former Ellesmere Port Catholic High School pupil Katy, 29, is keen to reveal the reality behind the glamour.
She said: “Now I’m in Europe and not the US I have to travel all over Europe all the time, not just around the UK and it is totally exhausting at times.
“It’s great to see amazing places, this year alone I’ve been to Norway, Germany, France, Portugal, Canada, Switzerland, Netherlands, Ireland, Scotland, Spain… I’m sure I missed some places out, it’s impossible to keep track, but it can be really tough.”
Katy trained as a dancer, initially as a Bollywood film and backing dancer and later as a modern dancer at the Arcane Dance Company UK and then Merce Cunningham in New York, before entering modelling.
What are your memories of growing up in Ellesmere Port?
I have really mixed memories of growing up in Ellesmere Port, some really lovely and some not so nice, but I guess that’s the case with everywhere really. I find now the things I like most about it I never would have considered fun when I was growing up, like the Boat Museum! I love it there now but I probably found it incredibly dull when I was younger. I think my strongest memories are of the old John Lewis’ that used to be in the town centre and of course the Epic! Classic 70’s style block building where I spent a tonne of my childhood. I think I can remember most the ‘no heavy petting or bombing’ signs and the clumps of hair that would float past along the bottom of the pool.
What or who has been the greatest inspiration behind your career?
I never felt particularly inspired to pursue any career really besides dance. I was a professional dancer for some time before becoming a model and I fell into modelling totally by accident. But I think anything creative and arts driven is more of less the same really, just a different discipline, so I would say bizarrely that most of my inspiration for both careers came from visual arts as a whole. Painters like George Tooker and Edward Hopper, photographers like Guy Bourdin and choreographers like Merce Cunningham and Jyri Kylian all inspired me to create and be part of other artist’s creative processes.
What do you consider your greatest achievement professionally?
I think as a dancer, going to NYC and training with Merce Cunningham and learning company repertoire was probably one of my favourite things, and as a model being published in books and magazines that I have loved and admired for years is also pretty cool. I was also the new face of Janet Reger Lingerie this year for their spring and summer collection, which was really nice till they went into liquidation! I made a stop animation music video for Moby last summer, for the song Mistake from the Wait for me album which is something I would love to do more of in the future.
What’s the best advice you could give to young people starting out in their career?
Honestly I don’t know that I’m qualified to give any advice. All I can say is that if you work hard eventually things work out. And nothing happens overnight, you have to keep working hard consistently! My working hours are ridiculous and sometimes the work can be physically very demanding. Anyone who thinks being a model is glamorous is welcome to come and follow me around for a week out in all weathers, ice, rain, snow, mud or knee deep in insects.
But I know I wouldn’t get any of the work I do if I wasn’t committed and really hard working. So best advice would be grafting, loving what you do and organisation. Boring but true.
To date, what is your biggest regret professionally?
I don’t have any regrets professionally, I don’t see the point. There are jobs I wish I’d got and didn’t, things I could have done differently I suppose, but I don’t see any point in regretting courses of action, everything happens how it happens and you just have to accept it.
Do you have a personal philosophy?
Not that I’m particularly aware of except always doing everything as well I as I possibly can, respecting other people’s creative flows and work methods even if it is different from mine and trying to enjoy what I'm doing, whatever it is. I think in most things you can always find something you love about it and finding that in all the work I do is important to me.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m at the age now where I probably can’t do much more modelling after this year. I am doing more commercial and life style work now through my agency in Lisbon, but this is a really ageist industry.
I have recently started the processes of setting up my own production house and prop shop, The House of Deads, which specialises in the renting of taxidermy animals for film, TV, editorial and advertisements. The House of Deads will launch properly very soon, most likely in London and Lisbon to begin with and last week we shot the images for the catalogue and website.
Looking back can you identify a turning point in your career where you started to believe in your own success?
No, not really. I just keep doing what I’m doing and taking new opportunities when they show up and trying to make the most out of them.
When times have been tough, what has motivated you?
Usually in the really tough times I find someone or something comes along at the right time and offers a new perspective or opportunity. That is how it’s been for me anyway.
