http://www.agendamag.com/march2013/kaila_charice/index.html

“Do you know I adopted two owls?” she remarks, at a photo shoot in the Mid City area of Los Angeles.  “Ever since I can remember,” she continues, “they have been my absolute favorite creatures.  They’re these miraculous creatures who can see from all angles! That’s what I love about them; they never have to be scared because they have a way of being able to always see what’s coming.”

Our March Face of the Month Kaila Charice wanted to be a model from an early age.  “I was a super shy kid, and I remember looking through a magazine one day and looking at all of the beauty ads; and I started to make up back stories for the models, kind of like what a kid does when he/she plays Barbies, except I did it with the models in the magazines.”  She explains, “Making up these stories about the models in the magazines somehow made me happy, and definitely helped me not feel lonely.  One day I had this idea that the most amazing thing would be if I could be one of those models that another child could make up stories about and make him/her feel less lonely and much happier.”

After hearing from a booker about 838 Media Group, Kaila stopped by and met Ash Gupta, who immediately requested her to shoot with him for the Warriors of the Rising Sun project which will culminate in gallery showings in Asia and India.

“I love being in front of the camera!” she exclaims.  “I like the ability to pretend to be someone else for a few hours.  It’s kind of an escape from the real world where I get to take on this different persona, which varies on each shoot, depending on what it is for; and I get to step outside of myself, and my comfort zone, and just have fun telling a story through pictures.”

Growing up in Orange County, she enlisted the aid of her parents after deciding to pursue modeling.  Her father drove her to LA two summers in a row to visit agencies, and for two summers in a row she was rejected.  “I knew it was a tough industry, and to me it was kind of a fun adventure and time I got to bond with my dad; so I never took the rejection personally.”  Ever determined, Kaila made the rounds one more summer, when she turned 16 and finally received the call for which she was waiting.  “One of the agents from LA Models called me two weeks after I had gone to my open call, and he asked me, “Are you still interested in signing with us?”  I remember trying to act cool even though I was jumping up and down and my heart was racing.”

By now, the breeze is blowing leaves against the door of the studio.  The sun is streaming through a side window, highlighting Kaila’s blonde hair.   She sits calmly on a barstool while a group of seven actors assemble for a group shot in the distance.  Our discussion turns to travel and road trips and people one meets.  “It is amazing to me to know that there are so many directions a person’s life can take,” adds Kaila.  “I’ve met a ton of people modeling and traveling, and I love hearing their stories about their childhood and how they got to where they are today.  Life is full of uncertainty, and that’s the beauty of it; you never know what exactly is going to happen next.”

Her personal style she describes as “sort of rocker/emo/grunge . . . a bit androgynous with button-down blouses and oversized tank tops.”  Her favorite feature about herself is her eyes:  “Expression comes from the eyes, and I’ve been told, and recently noticed myself, how expressive my eyes are.  You can lie when you’re upset or hide emotions from people, but if you look close enough, true emotions are always seen in the eyes.”

Before heading out to a casting, Kaila takes a moment to share her philosophy about life:  “I’m a very honest person, and I don’t sugar coat things for anyone; and I’ve found that just being who I am has brought the right people into my life because I don’t change how I act based on who I’m with.  It’s helped me build a lot of strong, long-lasting friendships with people.”

Insight like that is something any wise owl would be proud of.

Kaila at a Glance

5 Adjectives that describe you – Determined, imaginative, ambitious, strong-willed, uninhibited

Something most people don’t know about you – Both my arms are double-jointed so they bend and twist super funny

Must-have item of clothing – Some sort of sweater or jacket (I’m always cold)

Celebrity Crush – A tie between Penn Badgley and James Franco

Check out Kaila Charice’s fashion editorial, photographed by Jennifer Harrison with Ash Gupta 838 Media Group.