Bahamian Kenneth Kerr Emerges as Caribbean Male Model to Watch at Men’s Fashion Wee
Bahamian Kenneth Kerr Emerges as Caribbean Male Model to Watch at Men’s Fashion Week
(Chicago, Illinois)… The initials “K.K.” are quite known in Hollywood and the fashion world but now, they are becoming known in the realm of male modeling. He’s certainly not a Kardashian, but Bahamas native Kenneth Kerr is getting the last laugh having transformed himself from high school dud to sought after stud. So sought after in fact, that he ripped the runway at Chicago’s exclusive Men’s Fashion Week, after receiving a personal invitation from organizers and designers.
It’s a whirlwind experience for Kerr, who hails from his nation’s second city of Freeport, Grand Bahama. After all, what is now a career started off with him simply posting a few photos of his new physique, a symbol of pride and testament of his new healthy fitness lifestyle. Before long, the oversized t-shirts were tossed and he began posing in swimsuits, shorts and tanks, using hashtags to highlight the designers. His social media Cinderella story, is getting a happily ever after with designers seeing him in their labels and inviting him to participate in shows in Florida, California, New York and Chicago. Not bad for someone who welcomes tourists to his country as an immigration officer, a former gymnastics coach and College of The Bahamas graduate with an Education degree.
“Being selected as a model for Team Body has been one of the best feelings ever,” beams Kerr. “Not only was I one of the 29 selected from a group of over 160, but I was selected be a part of Chicago’s first ever all men’s fashion week. Being a model and being a part of the team was one of the most rigorous, demanding but most rewarding experiences. Once each month, we met for 4 hours to rehearse scenes, runway combinations and fittings. This meant that I had to travel to Chicago from The Bahamas each month.”
For Kerr, the travelling was well worth it. He had the chance to walk representing designers such as Andrew Christian, Undergear, Llewellyn, VG Brand, Ray Vicente and many others. Still, he is adjusting to being considered an official international male model.
“’Official male model’,” he repeats with a chuckle. “I like that title actually. But having a portfolio is something every model (male or female) should have. It speaks for you even when you are not present. But to be referred to as an (official) male model is still something I have to get used to. Growing up, I was always the tall, slinky kid with the big nose and broad shoulders. I guess I found a way to let that work for me.”
And it is working for him, giving the jet setter opportunities to fly to multiple destinations.
“Aside from Chicago, I visited and worked in cities such as Los Angeles, Palm Springs, California,” he recalls. I’ve done shoots in South Beach Miami as well as Atlanta and recently I traveled to New York where I had the opportunity to have a one on one with one of the most sought after African American male models Broderick Hunter.”
To him, though, Ken Kerr is a brand, separate and apart from the social butterfly and life of the party persona he reveals to his close friends and colleagues.
“As a person/model, you are a brand so everything you do should reflect your brand so that when people see or speak about you they know what you represent,” he says. “Ken Kerr represents a strong, up and coming male model with a passion for health and fitness. So almost everything I do reflects that.”
“I enjoy (runway) modeling because I get to help bring a designer’s work to life,” he added. “As a model, I’m a canvas so most times through my body I’m required to tell a story or bring a message across without saying a single word. Being photographed and being on the runway allows me to do that. I guess you can say I love telling stories.”
And coming from a culture that is known to host several major pageants annually, Kerr points out that modeling is a totally different world and that in order to succeed, especially to make it from a small country to the international scene, one must make an investment.
“You have to invest in yourself and in your career because it’s the only way you will get ahead in this industry or anywhere in life,” he advises. “You must always look for new ways to put yourself and your name out there and step out of your comfort zone. Lastly, you must find your niche; that is, you must find what works best for you and what makes you memorable.”
“Anything is possible, so I won’t say no,” Kerr stated when asked if he’s ready to pursue modeling fulltime. “I mean a year ago, if you had told me I’d get to work with Broderick Hunter or walk in a runway show with Victoria’s Secret Model Sessile Lopez, I wouldn’t have paid it any mind. But the reality and beauty of the universe has reminded me that with hard work, determination and a love for what you do; anything is possible.”
