by MIKE CHAIKEN
CTFashionMag.com
In Times Square, travelers from all over the world will be looking up during September and seeing a young girl from Connecticut looking down at them.
Kylie Watson is one of several models chosen by Supermodel Unlimited magazine for its New York billboard.
In an interview at her Connecticut home, Kylie said the photo shoot that landed in the heart of New York City was taken back in May. Originally, said Kylie, she thought the photos were destined for a magazine spread for SU. Instead, she was surprised to find out one of the images was used for the billboard in the Big Apple.
This is not the first time that Kylie’s face has taken New York by storm. She had been on a billboard for Supermodel Unlimited in June 2018.
This repeat performance, however, hasn’t made the experience any less special for the blonde fifth grader.
“I was still surprised I was up in Times Square,” she said, “because that’s a really big space.”
Although, Kylie hasn’t seen the billboard in person yet, she said it is up the entire month of September so she still has time.
Asked how it felt to have her face up in what in many ways can be considered the center of the universe, Kylie said, “It just feels weird to me that anybody can be seeing it… It’s not just people here (in Connecticut)… They could be coming from anywhere.”
Kylie said she often critiques her modeling when she sees herself in a magazine or even when the photos were just taken at a shoot.
But the billboard is different.
“It’s a huge deal,” said Kylie. “I just think I’m gorgeous.”
Kylie said she enjoys her relationship with Supermodels Unlimited and the other models who are part of the organization.
“We really just get along and we all love modeling…We all have something to talk about together,” said Kylie, who also is the 2019 Miss American Coed Northern States Preteen.”. She said she likes getting a chance to talking about photo shoots and runway shows with girls who understand that world.
Given a choice, Kylie said she prefers to model clothing that isn’t too fancy and isn’t too casual. “I like something in between like this romper (I’m wearing). It’s not really fancy like a ball gown. But it’s not really casual like a t-shirt and shorts.”
Kylie said her long-term career goal at this point is to be a fashion editor. But even then, she said, she would still like a chance to keep modeling. (Runway preferred, thank you very much.)
Kylie said she has a couple of modeling gigs in the works. She will be doing a holiday-themed shoot around Christmas. She also will be working on shoots for Justice and Abercrombie.
PHOTOS by MIKE CHAIKEN