About Jessica
Hi, I’m Jessica Clark and I’m a British fashion model living in NYC. That’s the easy part. The rest of it sometimes feels more complicated. In so many ways I know that I am incredibly lucky to be living the life that I have. I’m in love, with the most incredible person, we share a cute pre-war city apartment with our ’son’, a 10 lb Pomeranian, I have a job that gives me freedom from the 9-5 and pays me well for what I do.
But as a visible part of the fashion industry I often feel conflicted. Society and the media paints it in such a glamorous way and it’s misleading a lot of the time. Yes; it can involve big fancy parties, and I get ‘beauitfied’ by hair and make up artists. The clothes can be beautiful, the bodies can be beautiful. That’s all true. Sometimes.
The truth is, that fashion is a billion dollar business and it trades in fantasy. Behind the smoke, and mirrors and lipstick there is another reality too: constant travel, countless hours spent in airports and hotels alone, the ever present knowledge that your career can rest entirely on another persons whim. The pursuit of physical perfection that can be all consuming.
I almost allowed it to take me down. I was so determined to be successful, so determined to do the ‘right’ thing for my career that I was prepared to destroy my health. I made the mistake of believing that success was worth being unhappy for. I was very wrong. What did I do? I realized I had to change my thinking; my priority initially was getting healthy. Beyond that I spent and continue to spend time figuring out what is truly important to me. What is it that really makes me happy and proud to be me?
My top answer was FREEDOM. And I realized that it wasn’t possible for me to be free without being honest and open with myself and with others. My sexuality was something I had always been confused about: I now proudly embrace that I am a gay woman, very in love with an phenomenal woman: Lacey Stone. I am a fashion model still, but determined to be as honest and authentic about the experience as possible: internal conflicts, external conflicts and all!
I passionately believe that as hard as it can feel sometimes, we all have within us the strength and ability to create the life that we truly want for ourselves. It has proved so true for me that I chose to train as a Life Coach at NYU to get a deeper understanding of how to help myself and hopefully, others. If you had told the ‘me’ that existed 5 or 6 years ago, how I would feel about things today I would have laughed. Sarcastically.
So here it is: my imperfect, complicated journey as I move forward. I promise to be as honest about the good and the not so good that exists in fashion and the media, as I see, hear, and experience it first-hand. Hopefully you’ll find it interesting, entertaining, sometimes funny and occasionally I hope, helpful.
If you have any questions or comments then please drop a girl a line! And thank you for reading.
