Lookbooks

When Adriana Caye was thirteen years old, she went to watch a beauty pageant with her family. The last thing on her mind was that one day she would be the one walking down a runway. As luck would have it, Adriana was scouted by one of the judges in that beauty pageant and sent straight to Vision Models in New York, one of the most established agencies of the time. 

Adriana’s career was blessed by the lenses of Mario Testino’s camera right from the start and since then she has collected a series of blue chip bookings, including campaigns from Valentino to Tommy Hilfiger as well as editorials for Vogue, V Man, Elle and many others.

After sorting through piles of pictures, here is Adriana’s favorite image from her career and some impressions about the modeling industry.

What was your family’s reaction when you were scouted?

They gave me full support, they knew it would be a great thing for me to experience, even though I didn’t realize it at the time.

Was modeling ever a dream of yours?

Modeling wasn’t my dream, I thought it was a job meant only for pretty, rich, blonde girls. I was more like a tomboy, with my large jeans, skateboards, running around playing in the streets. That idea of being a model had to grow into me; when that guy scouted me my family was super happy, and I was like - “why?”. After a few years I knew this was what I was meant to do with my life, it took me two years to fall in love  with this world

Does this profession make you happy?

It does, for many reasons. One of them is because I have the opportunity to meet people, and my favorite hobby is to try to understand people, and with this job I get to meet new people every day! Another reason is the chance to be a part of the making of art while I am working on a photo shoot for example, it feels like a dream or like being in a movie, depending on the shoots, of course! I also got to travel and be alone a lot, it made me understand myself more profoundly. Modeling has taught me everything I know about fashion, I had no idea why fashion is so important. I grew up in this business, so almost everything I know has come from this life as a model.

So, what was the most valuable lesson you learned from all this?

To not worry about a thing, because everything is right just the way it is. God doesn’t make any mistakes, ever.

What would be your ultimate modeling job?

To be able to help people in need through my work, that would be my ultimate modeling job.

So, tell me, why do you love this picture?

Because I was really in love with this boy, he was my boyfriend for six years. I had been working with Mario (Testino) on a few other jobs before this one and he was also working with my boyfriend around that same time by coincidence, so he decided to shoot us together, as a couple, celebrating our first anniversary together in an editorial for V Man. I was really young, like seventeen or eighteen and I had never shot anything naked before. I remember feeling so comfortable, Mario was amazing with us!

Where was this taken?

In a hotel in Los Angeles, I can’t remember which one.

What were you wearing?

The wardrobe was only underwear and fragrance.

Was there anything curious about this shoot you would like to share with us?

The crew stayed out in the living room, and in the bedroom there was only me, my boyfriend and Mario, it was so much fun, I had one of the best days ever!

Adriana Caye is represented by One.1 Management.

Follow Adriana Caye on twitter at @AdriCaye