Xena Kai Kelleth Cuthbert
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Where were you born, and how was life growing up?
Kelleth Cuthbert I was born in Toronto. Life growing up was tumultuous. My relationship with my family and with myself was turbulent. From a very young age, I had a sense of myself as an outsider in my own life. My life now and my sense of self in this world could not be further from what it was then.
What is your ethnicity?
Kelleth Cuthbert Irish, Scottish, Polish, and Romanian.
What would the average person say about you?
Kelleth Cuthbert A twinge of nostalgia recently had me rereading the comments that classmates from middle school and high school had etched into my yearbooks. Over the years, mentions of my acerbic wit, intelligence and my eccentricity reoccurred.
What kind of stuff did you get into after high school?
Kelleth Cuthbert After high school, I completed a Bachelor's degree in Social Work and worked for some time in addictions and mental health counseling. I also began to model.
How did you get into modeling?
Kelleth Cuthbert At 17, I began getting scouted by various agencies. I decided to wait until I was done university before seeking representation. At 19, a local photographer contacted me on MySpace and asked me to shoot. The rest is history!
How long have you been modeling?
Kelleth Cuthbert I have been modeling for nearly four years now...time flies!
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How did you feel being in front of the camera for the first time?
Kelleth Cuthbert I felt trepidation and excitement, in equal measure.
How did you feel walking into your photoshoot?
Kelleth Cuthbert Walking into my very first photoshoot, I felt like an imposter waiting to be found out. Was I a model? Could I pass as one?
So would you say you are comfortable in front of a camera now?
Kelleth Cuthbert There is nowhere in the world I am more comfortable than in front of the camera. I can access any emotion with complete ease, and am constantly discovering facets of my personality that I never knew existed.
Would you say you are pretty comfortable with your body?
Kelleth Cuthbert My relationship with my body is progressive. I respect its functionality.
What would you say is your best feature?
Kelleth Cuthbert My eyebrows. After years of trial and error and bad-to-the-bone brows, I think I've finally achieved the perfect arch.
What's the best thing about being a model?
Kelleth Cuthbert The best thing about being a model for me is getting to interpret the mood and feel of a garment. I also feel fortunate to get to work with a different team of people every day who are just as passionate about their area of expertise as I am about mine.
What do you do differently to set yourself apart from other models?
Kelleth Cuthbert My dance background has really ameliorated my work as a model by helping me to move with fluidity and to create geometrically dynamic shapes with my body. I have developed an ability to see myself from outside of myself and can thus ensure a congruency between what I think I am doing and what the camera actually sees. I am also a chameleon and can look drastically different from image to image
Where do you hope your modeling will take you?
Kelleth Cuthbert I hope to use modeling as a means of exploring the world. Travel is certainly one of the greatest perks of the job and I hope to really take advantage of opportunities to go abroad and work.
Any highlights in your modeling career?
Kelleth Cuthbert Landing my first cover (for Auxiliary Magazine), walking in Fashion Week for the first time (for Playdead Cult), doing the spring campaign for Urban Planet, and shooting on the sand dunes in Olancha, California were definitely moments that made me step back and think "remember this always".
Where can we find you on a typical weekend, if you aren't doing a photoshoot?
Kelleth Cuthbert I'm usually trying to immerse myself in some kind of an adventure. I love taking road trips and exploring new parts of the city.
What keeps you busy away from modeling?
Kelleth Cuthbert Singing, songwriting and playing guitar (poorly) have always been a huge part of my life. I also spend 6 days a week at the gym and busy myself with dance classes (hip hop, latin, etc).
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What do you want to do outside of modeling?
Kelleth Cuthbert I want to complete my Masters of Social Work, write a memoir and act in feature films.
Five years from now, where do you see yourself?
Kelleth Cuthbert It's hard to say as the shelf life of a fashion model is short but not necessarily predictable or formulaic.
What is the coolest thing a fan has ever done for you?
Kelleth Cuthbert I have received a lot of fan art over the years. There is something deeply personal about being drawn and I am always in awe of the artwork I receive.
Any photographers you enjoy working with or hope to work with?
Kelleth Cuthbert I have enjoyed working alongside all of the talented teams and individuals with whom I have shot. In working with so many different people, I have learned to adapt to any level of direction and to any style or speed of shooting. My ultimate dream would be to work with Steven Klein and Ruven Afanador.
Which internet websites would you say you spend most of your time at?
Kelleth Cuthbert Social media has been a huge part of my success. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and Model Mayhem have allowed me to network with other industry professionals, connect with fans and mentor new models.
Do you travel much for your modeling?
Kelleth Cuthbert I have yet to go abroad but I have worked some jobs in Los Angeles and New York.
Do you like all the traveling?
Kelleth Cuthbert I love traveling. I am always hungry for adventure.
If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
Kelleth Cuthbert For work, Paris. For personal travel, Sierra Leone.
If you could play lead role in any type of movie, What kind of movie would it be?
Kelleth Cuthbert My life is a John Waters film.
Do you have a favorite Car?
Kelleth Cuthbert Christine!
Do you have a favorite drink when at clubs or bars?
Kelleth Cuthbert Rum and diet coke.
How about a favorite food to go along with the drink?
Kelleth Cuthbert Salad…I'm pretty boring, culinarily speaking.
What kind of music are you listening to these days?
Kelleth Cuthbert Lately, a lot of Cockney Rejects, Lou Reed, The Vibrators, Sex Pistols, The Clash, and The Runaways.
Tell us something you got away with?
Kelleth Cuthbert Last Halloween I "rescued" a pumpkin in the wee hours of the night from a storefront display and carved it into a jack-o'-lantern. But instead of a spooky face, it was an image of the male…form.
Which celebrity would you like to meet and why?
Kelleth Cuthbert Janice Dickinson. I have devoured every book she has written. While she is marginally known as a loud and abrasive TV personality, I have gotten a very different sense of who she is from her autobiography. She is an incredibly hard-working and passionate woman.
Best pickup line you've ever heard?
Kelleth Cuthbert "My love for you is like diarrhea. I just can't hold it in."
Worst pickup line you've ever heard?
Kelleth Cuthbert "You're so pretty, you could model." "I do." "Oh." *Awkward silence*
If you could be a super hero, what would that superhero be like?
Kelleth Cuthbert I'm not sure that the life of a superhero would be ideal for me. There is nothing chic about spandex and, if you think about it, most superpowers like extreme speed, strength, immortality, flight, invisibility, and telepathy would come with some serious repercussions.
What the worst prank you've ever played on anyone?
Kelleth Cuthbert I work at a summer enrichment program for kids with physical disabilities. At the end of the program, the entire camp congregates to watch a slideshow of photos taken during the course of the summer session. I am notorious for slipping embarrassing personal photos of coworkers into the slideshow.
What the worst prank anyone has ever played on you?
Kelleth Cuthbert Always the prankster, never the "prankee".
Find a lamp and out pops a Genie, you get one wish, what would it be?
Kelleth Cuthbert The cover of Vogue?
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Are you single now?
Kelleth Cuthbert I'm currently in a relationship.
Tell us about the person your with today?
Kelleth Cuthbert The person I'm with today is a fool…in the best possible way (which is ideal because I willingly humiliate myself for the entertainment of others too). He is a hairstylist so has some connection to the fashion industry and, thus, understands and supports my work. He always tells me the truth, even when I don't want to hear it. He teaches me the art of spontaneity.
Give us the dirt on your dating life. Any first date rules?
Kelleth Cuthbert Rules are stifling! My dating life is mucho glamorous: fast cars, penthouse suites, trips to Dubai, and getting serenaded by rockstars. I kid...my dating life mostly consists of Bingo playing and people-watching. Fun times!
Do you kiss on the first date?
Kelleth Cuthbert If there's a connection, why not?
How many kids in high school have asked you out?
Kelleth Cuthbert During high school, two. After high school, more than two.
Should a person call right away or wait a few days?
Kelleth Cuthbert I'm a firm believer that there need not be any rules to dating. A person should call when they wish to call.
What kind of guy bugs you?
Kelleth Cuthbert I am turned off by egocentricity, poor escalator etiquette and those that feel that political and social issues are unimportant.
What does a guy need to do to make you stay?
Kelleth Cuthbert Maintain some mystery, be compassionate and genuine, and not take himself too seriously.
What's the worst place to meet a guy?
Kelleth Cuthbert A club because, chances are, I can't actually hear what you're saying and am just nodding politely (agreeing to god knows what).
On a date... What does the person have to do to make it perfect for you?
Kelleth Cuthbert Be authentic.
Leather or lace?
Kelleth Cuthbert Neither. Latex!
Do you have any dreams or goals you're shooting for?
Kelleth Cuthbert I'm aiming to work overseas and to garner more tearsheets in major publications.
Where can we expect to see you at in the future?
Kelleth Cuthbert In your dreams!
Do you have anything to say to your supporters and your future fans?
Kelleth Cuthbert Thank you, thank you, thank you! I could not be more grateful!
Interview and images provided by Kelleth Cuthbert
