For brown-eyed, brunette-turned-blonde Kelli, being an advice columnist/model/fill-in-the-blank is merely perceived as a way of life. Opening up visually i.e. revealing her taut 34C-22-36 hourglass silhouette in adult male publications like Hustler and Playboy - and emotionally i.e. distributing tips about touchy topics like love and sex in her own advice columns for hammerfitness.com and allthingshockey.com - has led to her recognition in her hometown Toronto's elite media i.e. the Toronto Sun and favourite hockey team the Toronto Maple Leafs. Here, in our exclusive and revealing Q&A, Kelli defends laddy mags' definition of porn, potentially vacuous stereotypes about the industry, and her expertise in penning about relationships.
V. You've been modeling for majority of your life. When did you start modeling? Did you use this name as an alias to protect your childhood identity from your adult one?
K. I actually started modeling as a child. I was always encouraged and have always been a part of the modeling world. I use my real name.
V. What inspired you to start modeling? Was it always a dream, a passion of your's?
K. It was always a dream and a passion. I love making beautiful art, being creative, pushing the limits, collaborating, etc.
V. You've been nominated as finalists for both 2005 and 2006's Miss Swimsuit Canada. With that and modeling in versatile areas i.e. calendars, magazines, etc., how would you say all of these aspects of modelling are similar and/or different?
K. That is really hard to say, because there's a lot of strong similarities yet a lot of differences, as well. For example, if you are shooting a fashion theme, the poses are strong, the facial expressions are strong. It's best to be posed, not too curvy. Where as in swimsuit competitions you need to be bubbly, outgoing, playful, loud personality, curvy, etc. So, you are always somewhat of an actress playing different roles.
V. It says on your website that you don't do hardcore or softcore adult industry modelling, but that you would consider nudity - and you have appeared in Hustler, Skunk, etc. a few times. Of course, nudity doesn't always constitute as pornography, but isn't Hustler a form of porn? Please explain :)
K. Skunk has no nudity; it is a magazine about marijuana. Hustler is definitely an adult magazine with hardcore porn in it, but not every image in Hustler is pornographic. I have no problem with nudity at all, but I will not have sexual contact with another model. That is my personal choice. If a magazine like Hustler wants to publish my pics - even feature me or have me on the cover - then I am damn proud of that. There are pornographic pictures in the issues that I'm in, but none of me. Some even have no nudity. The nude images do not show sexual contact, therefore they are not pornographic.
V. You have also appeared in Playboy.com in 2008 and in UMM Magazine in 2005, 2006, and 2008. How did these magazines depict you, and how/why did UMM feature you 3 times/(almost) 3 years in a row? (Not that you shouldn't have been, but were you a "Girls Next Door" 3 times)?
K. I have been very fortunate! As for how they depicted me, I was impressed with them all!
V. There was a 3 page spread of you in Hustler for the MySpace feature. Were you on MySpace for something?
K. Hustler Magazine discovered me on MySpace.
V. Being a model, what is your take on certain modelling issues i.e. body image, drug use, prostitution? Is there anything you would like to share about your life or the industry that you want to warn people about/let people know?
K. I have no idea why prostitution is thought to have any relation to modeling. Models are models, not prostitutes. It's honestly like comparing a doctor to a cop; it makes no sense. I also don't understand this stereotype about drug use. I don't do drugs or have any friends who do - models and non-models. Drug use is as common and uncommon in the modeling industry as it is in any other general part of the world. Body image can be tough. It depends on what type of modeling it is. Fashion models need to be thin. Glamour models need to be curvy. So, there is some pressure, but I haven't experienced or witnessed any amount of harsh struggle with it - no more so than the regular world. There is pressure for other things i.e. tanning, nails, always having to look good, having a large wardrobe, etc. It is costly. Many people do not realize the cost it takes to be a successful model.
V. You wrote advice columns for allthingshockey.com and hammerfitness.com about love and sex. What life experiences about relationships have made you qualified enough to write these advice columns? What issues do you see the most - or are most memorable to you - from advice/questions people ask you? What lessons have you learned about love - from yourself, those people, etc. - by writing these advice columns?
K. I was approached to write these advice columns, because I'm a model and a writer. I'm also a columnist and a published author. As for being qualified on the topic, I've been in relationships - like everyone else - and have learned from my experiences. Men sometimes like a female perspective on relationship issues, so I was glad to help. I found a lot of the questions came down to communication, or better yet, miscommunication. It seems the opposite sex don't really understand each other, mainly because they won't talk openly with each other. The best relationships I came across were the ones where both people spoke openly about the good and bad, with respect.
V. What are your goals - non-modelling or modelling - for the nearby or far future?
K. I plan on retiring in less then a year, so that I can go back to my writing, as modeling has completely consumed my life. I just have a to-do list for my portfolio I'm currently working on and plan to finish by the summer of 2011.
V. What advice can you give to other aspiring models - or anyone -about life, the business, etc?
K. Decide what your goals and limitations are, before you walk in and then stick to them. Never compromise yourself and let anyone tell you that you can't make it. If you have a passion and a strength, pursue it. It's okay to listen to helpful criticism, so you need to take in the good and the bad. If you want to be a model, you need to be able to handle criticism and have thick skin. Deal with it. But, listen to all of the good and take that in too, so you enjoy every moment of it.
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