Veronika Collins

Who:

Veronika Collins -- @itsveronikacollins -- 5’10” -- from NYC.

Where:

Born and raised in New York, still in New York.

Agencies:

New Icon NY (NYC)

- Did you always want to be a model? Tell us about how you were discovered.

Ever since I was younger, I've always had an expressive spirit. I was and still am very animated, creative, whimsical, imaginative and emotional. I was a theatre kid, played piano, danced, sang, played sports and studied environmental science. Those few qualities, in my opinion, make a great model. I was discovered at a young age, around 5 years old, on the New York subway with my mom and from then I was a fully working child model. It came naturally to me as I was just being myself in front of the camera, dancing, singing and becoming different characters. I worked for the Children's Place, Aldo Kids, Target, Halloween costumes, magazines, commercials, etc. I was that little Black girl in the ads. Since starting my career and becoming a preteen, teen, then adult, I still modeled here and there until I started my career again after college in 2019. It truly was a passion that continued to grow.

- What are your favorite forms of self care and why?

My favorite form of self-care is recharging my energy (lol). Those days where you just bed rot, watch a favorite show or movie, eat your favorite meal and just exist. NYC is fast-paced and the modeling industry is even more on the go, so those still moments where I get to just do nothing are, in my opinion, my self-care. Cooking, cleaning and big chillen.

- What other passions do you have aside from modeling?

My passions besides modeling: I went to college and got my degree in communications/journalism, so fashion, TV and movies/film have always been an interest of mine. I always knew I would be in front of a camera, so I might as well explore other outlets. I was always inspired by news anchors, movie stars and anyone with a mic, honestly, because they look so dominant, confident and powerful, whether that is on a red carpet or in a news studio. It's the way these individuals can grasp anyone's attention and communicate in a way that brings people together. I've always been a curious being, and with communications and being a fashion reporter, I can truly get to the bottom of things and get people to open up in an authentic way through interviews. I worked for Us Weekly for about a year and before that The Knockturnal. I had various internships at PR firms and production companies as well.