Coaldale model lands massive Times Square campaign during NY Fashion Week
Coaldale-based model Hailey Kloot recently captured the spotlight on an international stage in a high-visibility campaign for Angel Samples Makeup during the world-renowned New York Fashion Week.
The campaign, which ran for five says on a massive screen in Times Square was a turning point for Kloot at this stage in her career.
“I started (modelling) in 2019, it was kind of like right before COVID. I started shooting with some local photographers such as Chelsea Sommerfeldt and Juhee Anderson, and then I started travelling a little bit more to pursue it,” Kloot told Southern Alberta Newspapers.
“Then just this last year, I’ve kind of seen like an uphill of my progress and everything and kind of getting somewhere.” She added, “it’s definitely harder for sure, but I have been blessed. With my traveling, I’ve been able to make really good connections (which) definitely helped me along the way.”
Kloot added, “I’ve struggled trying to land an agency just because of my height, and so once you find an agency and see that the minimum height is 5’7, I don’t even look at it then. That’s when I started kind of freelancing myself and it’s honestly been going pretty good actually.”
Kloot’s height was a barrier her from pursuing high fashion and runway, where height requirements often stipulate 5’7 as the minimum for models but said she has been successful in booking swimwear and lingerie campaigns. “I kind of got into that part of the niche because of my height,” she explained.
However, despite her petite frame, Kloot says social media has opened doors for her in her modelling career.
“For myself the social media part has definitely gotten me places all over the world such as like Dubai and the Maldives. That has all through kind of social media,” she continued, “in my opinion, with Instagram you can, reach all parts of the world and so that has been an advantage with social media and like freelancing.”
Currently, Kloot generates all of her contracts and business through social media. Although her Instagram account @HaileyRayk has amassed over 139,000 followers.
Kloot added the social media helped her land the gig with Angel Samples earlier this year. After the casting call, Kloot received the call a few days later that she had landed the job. She took part in the shoot in Greenville, South Carolina and a few days later, was off to New York City to see the billboard in Times Square.
“It was definitely surreal,” Kloot said of seeing her campaign in such a prominent space.
“I said it, before, but it was quite an ‘I did it’ moment. I was very proud moment and I’ve had definitely had moments where I’ve been like ‘I am really doing this’, but seeing it up on the screen and just as big as it was and where it was, I was like, ‘holy crap, I really did this’ just knowing that I am from such a small town,” she added.
Despite her small-town roots, Kloot said big opportunities often come by taking big chances.
“You have to step out of the small town to kind of make to sometimes and get somewhere. I’m glad it’s finally happening.
At the time of the interview, Kloot was preparing for a photo shoot in Tulum¸, Mexico and said she is looking forward to an extremely busy schedule during Miami Swim Week later this May.