CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1482727
38 November 2022 Fashioning her future A 7-year-old with an eye for style is pursuing her dream as a model and designer BY JAMI MCL AUGHLIN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TONY WOOTEN A designer, child model and entrepreneur at only 7 years old, Taelynn Ballard is making her mark in the fashion industry. Her mom, Sina Bradley, is at the helm of her business helping her lead workshops for other aspiring models and putting together fashion shows to bring her designs to life on the runway. In September, the pair led members of 25 other families on a trip to New York Fashion Week. A first-grader at Cornerstone Christian Academy who loves math and recess, Taelynn is expanding her brand — Tailor Made by Tae — and will be going international with her first appearance at Paris Fashion Week to model in 2023. Taelynn started her journey at only 6 months old when her grandmother, Lutricia Bradley, entered her in a Sunburst International Pageant. She won local, state and national titles, giving her a start in modeling. "She did both glitz and natural pageants until she was 3 when she was offered her first runway modeling job in Raleigh," says Sina Bradley. "She began to get modeling offers from other places and was invited to New York Fashion Week when she turned 4. She modeled for Chino' Arte' by Wayne, GAP, Melanie Caballero and other local independent designers." She then started getting offers to do music videos. Taelynn was in an inspirational video called "Fly" and appeared in a video for local rapper Morray. "Because she started working so young, she's very disciplined," says Bradley. Her work was briefly halted during the COVID pandemic, so she turned her aspirations into a business, Tailor Made by Tae LLC. "During COVID, when we were staying in the house, she asked me what she could do that wouldn't get shut down, so she started making lip gloss," says Bradley. While putting on a shade of rose gold, Taelynn says she uses only vegan and cruelty- free products to create custom options. "For my lip gloss, I put together the colors and the scents," the 7-year-old says. Her mom soon found other things for her to make and brand, including matching masks and headbands, safety key chains and bath bombs. FEATURE Taelynn Ballard started her journey at only 6 months old when her grandmother, Lutricia Bradley, entered her in a Sunburst International Pageant. She won local, state and national titles, giving her a start in modeling.