Classroom to catwalk: Abe Eborn’s international journey to runway
From New York to Paris, thousands of models from around the world take to the runway to showcase the latest fashion and beauty trends. Third-year environmental studies student Abe Eborn is one of these models.
“I wanted to get into modeling when I was 17,” Eborn said. “At the time, my self-confidence was really low, and my therapist suggested a photo shoot as something to look forward to and boost my confidence.”
According to Eborn, a partnership between her and a childhood friend who loved photography launched her modeling career.
“Me and her would meet up, go through ideas and take really fun pictures. That’s kind of where it all started,” Eborn said. “I’ve just been kind of doing it for fun, slowly building up my repertoire — doing shoots. Then, every once in a while, I’m like, ‘Hey, I think I would like to do a runway.’”
Every year, models, designers and stylists around the world eagerly anticipate and prepare for “The Big Four” fashion weeks, hosted in New York, London, Milan and Paris. These shows display the work of both independent designers and major brands, such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu.
These fashion weeks highlight upcoming models, making them an opportunity to launch a modeling career.
“I decided to stop waiting until someone asked me to do it,” Eborn said. “I did all the research myself and found shows that were casting and I did my first New York Fashion Week in February of 2022.”
Paris Fashion Week is the culminating event, setting precedent for the next big trends.
“This year, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to go to Paris Fashion Week,” Eborn said. “I asked around and applied until I found someone who wanted me to walk for them.”
The four fashion weeks are crucial to the fashion industry, giving designers, models and brands a global audience and a chance to network.
“Paris is really good fun,” Eborn said. “Paris, in my opinion, is way better than New York. Everyone in Paris is way more professional, and their laws around modeling make it more accessible and high quality. There’s not a lot of laws in New York which make sure it’s a better experience.”
France has enacted several laws which aim to protect models and viewers — a series of laws passed in 2017 require models to submit health and medical certificates in order to work. They also require magazines, ads and websites to disclose if images have been manipulated in any way.
In comparison, New York’s laws surrounding fashion are more relaxed, but recent initiatives have been working to improve the modeling industry. In recent months, advocates successfully pushed the Fashion Workers Act to pass the state assembly, which includes several safety and labor protections for models working in New York.
According to a study published in the European Eating Disorders Review, models are more likely to be dangerously underweight, experience body image issues and engage in disordered eating, reflecting the harmful nature of strict, unattainable beauty standards.
“A lot of people say I have a unique face,” Eborn said. “They’ll call everyone around me gorgeous or pretty, but they’ll tell me I have a unique and I’ve got that alien look.”
Resilience and confidence are hallmark traits of successful, healthy models given their high visibility to broader audiences.
“You just have to not let it get to your head, focus on yourself, find a good therapist and focus on the positive aspects,” Eborn said.
Eborn encourages new models to not be dissuaded by societal expectations and realize modeling is for everybody — regardless of race, body type, ability or any physical trait.
“When people ask about modeling I try to tell them that there will be moments where you feel sad or anxious or not good enough, but you are good enough, and everyone is stunning and gorgeous,” Eborn said. “There’s always going to be people who want to work with you. Amazing people helped me find beauty in what I viewed as flaws.”
Eborn is an independent model, setting up her own work and building a portfolio.
“I usually try not to let anything overshadow anything else because I am not in an agency, and so I have to focus on taking everything as it comes,” Eborn said.
Finding local shows, credible photographers and connections are among the first steps in becoming a model.
“Lately, there’s this photographer and editor in Utah who submits a lot of work to different Vogue magazines, and she asked me to shoot since she saw me in France,” Eborn said. “It was such a big honor to have her reach out. I appreciate how talented she is and that I get to work with all these amazing people.”
To walk in some of the biggest fashion shows around the world, models create connections with photographers and designers who have contacts to big shows in Paris or London.
“I get to meet all of these designers and expand my network,” Eborn said. “It’s crazy because I can go almost anywhere in the world now and I’ll know someone. I have friends in Austria, France, Germany, London, China and Japan — modeling has made it so I can go anywhere and feel at home.”
Relying on a strong support network is another key to success in any career but especially modeling.
Kerowyn Brewbaker is Eborn’s closest supporter and confidant and a driving force behind Eborn’s modeling journey.
“Kerowyn is my best friend in the entire world, and she’s my number one,” Eborn said. “She drove with me for seven hours to go to a casting call, and even if she was so tired, she would always be there for me.”
Brewbaker has helped with photoshoots and portfolios, but it’s the emotional support which helped Eborn most in forging her own path.
“Abe doesn’t really have a lot of support from many people when it comes to their modeling,” Brewbaker said. “A lot of people see Abe modeling as a far-fetched dream, but I think Abe is capable of anything.”
The support of a friend or family member can provide a safety net, an advocate and a shoulder to lean on — especially when starting new paths and reaching for greater heights.
“I think everybody needs somebody in their corner,” Brewbaker said. “Everybody needs someone who is there for them no matter what, whether they succeed or fail. I hope to be that for Abe because I love Abe, and I want to support them through it all.”
Eborn is now looking to feature in magazines and work with an agency.
“My other New Year’s resolution was to be in a magazine,” Eborn said. “I am talking and brainstorming with a few photographers in Utah and submitting to magazines. An agency based in Brazil also reached out to me for new work.”
Behind it all is Eborn’s support network, cheering her on through the highs and lows.
“I hope Abe finds all the success and happiness they want in the world, whether that be in modeling or something else,” Brewbaker said. “I would love for them to sign a big agency, but I’m already so proud of them.”
To aspiring models, Eborn urges newcomers to try, regardless of any preconceived notions they may have about their own appearance compared to larger beauty standards.
“All the people who do modeling mostly forged their own career at the start,” Eborn said. “You just have to get over the mental block of thinking you’re not good enough to be a model because anyone can be a model.”