A Girl and her Dreams: Deja's Modeling Journey
Hi! My name is Deja Cain, also known as Deja Leonni. I am a singer/songwriter, model, and actress born and raised in Northwest Indiana. I began modeling in Atlanta, Georgia, during the summer of 2020, at the height of the pandemic. Surprisingly enough, my career was flourishing at this unprecedented time. While many businesses were temporarily closed, and many people were affected by the virus, I had the opportunity to begin a new chapter in my life and start something new.
I had modeling aspirations a while back. When I was 16, I took modeling classes at Barbizon. Barbizon is a modeling agency for teens. At the time, nothing too much came from it, which was a little discouraging. However, I find it funny how God and the universe work. I had taken the information I learned from the classes I took at 16 and applied it to my life years later. I retained the knowledge about poses, facial expressions, and appearance and used it in my photoshoots in the future.
I was introduced to Kemet Alston very early in my modeling career. Atlanta has tons of aspiring models. It works by joining a Facebook modeling group; as a model, you connect with a photographer and vice versa. Kemet was the second photographer I worked with when I first began modeling. We met somewhere in Downtown Atlanta and did a street photoshoot. It was lots of fun creating and making new friends.
As the Summer progressed, I worked with numerous photographers, created many concepts, and even began getting paid for my work. At the end of the Summer, I returned home. Upon returning, I continued modeling and made several connections in the Chicago area. When I visited Georgia earlier this Summer, I linked up with Kemet and created more magic.
Overall, my modeling journey has been nothing short of amazing. I have learned and grown so much because of these experiences. I absolutely love what I do and take so much pride in being a part of this industry. Just a word of advice for anyone reading this blog: Trust and follow God, and he always will lead you in the right direction.
