North St. Louis County high school student is making her mark in the modeling world, She is truly natural beauty and ST. Lois music stars on the come up. DaVyne Truth ,Shae and Davontie!

Positive stories from St. Louis best and Brightest black students, not just the bad stories I need more of this. I get really down on my city good job Channel 5. Keep coming black children need more good things to see than gang violence bad things happen but they get more attention than the good things. The pictures don’t even have makeup she is stunning in a black girl magic kind of way,

17-year-old Aaliyah Buford has modeled for Lacoste and Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS line with Fendi. She’s graduating early to pursue opportunities in LA and New York.

ST. LOUIS — From North St. Louis County to the fashion runways of Los Angeles, 17-year-old Aaliyah Buford is making waves in the modeling world.

“I try to be as fierce as I can and I just try to show the empowerment that I feel,” Buford said.

Buford commands the room with her catwalk. A bold strut from someone who describes herself as an introvert.

“It’s surprising saying I’m in the modeling industry because it’s such a glamour, extroverted industry but I think it’s helped a lot to help me open up,” she said.

Growing up in the Ferguson-Florissant School District, the McCluer South Berkeley High School student found her passion for modeling at 15-years-old.

“I was practicing in my room when I built a comfortability with myself, and then when I had my first photoshoot that was when I was like yeah this is what I want to do,” Buford said.

Buford joined Mother Management when she was 16 years old, the same modeling agency that discovered supermodel and St. Louis native Karlie Kloss at age 13.

“Practicing my test shoots, making sure I’m getting in that time, practicing my walking, critiquing my walking, so it’s just a lot of help I’m getting from them to help build what I’m growing to be,” Buford said.

She’s well on her way, landing gigs with Lacoste and modeling for Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS line with Fendi.

“It had like a spending rotation thing that we were standing on, so I was trying to use all of my muscles to not fall over so it was really cool,” Buford said.

She’s graduating high school early to pursue opportunities in Los Angeles and potentially New York City.

“I have people come up to me at school telling me like ‘Wow Aaliyah, you’re doing so great and you’ve just been inspiring me to do what I want to do!’ and stuff like that,” Buford said.

Standing at just under 5-foot-11, she said modeling helped her to love and embrace every part of herself; newfound confidence that’s now influenced others.

“You look at other people for inspiration, but I think that now that I’m becoming that person that people are feeling inspired by I think sometimes it’s still very shocking and it’s very humbling as well,” Buford said.

This is Buford’s last week of high school.

She’ll continue taking classes at St. Louis Community College at Florissant while she pursues opportunities in Los Angeles.

Once she turns 18 later this year, she plans to take her talents to New York City.

Bonus Video by St. Louis Artist

Aaliyah Buford, 17, a senior at McCluer South-Berkeley High School graduating next month, said she spent a lot of alone time last year during last year’s COVID-19 lockdown, reflecting on her career goals.

“She’s lighting that’s strucken,” Jeff said. “We have many girls from St. Louis doing it big on the international modeling stage. She’s up next,”

Coming from a theater background, Buford was used to being on stage and performing. However, she said she always had an interest in modeling, and others told her to pursue it.

About eight months ago, she said she responded to an open casting call she saw online hosted by local modeling development and management company, Mother Model Management. Its website says the company discovers aspiring talent, grooms them professionally, and manages them with hopes of presenting them to various agencies for potential gigs and ad campaigns.

Buford’s mother, Archilla Buford, said she was hesitant at first when her daughter expressed interest in modeling.

“I didn’t really have high regard for the industry. I felt like it was an industry that possibly took advantage of people’s dreams and I didn’t really wanna go down that path,” Archilla said. “I came to a place where I felt like every young person should have the opportunity to pursue their dreams and see where it takes them.

Buford, who is currently represented locally by Mother Model Management and an international model signed with Next Management said her first casting call was mixed with many emotions ranging from excitement to nervousness.

“I think going to the open call rather than submitting an online submission was the best decision I made,” she said. “Modeling is about presenting and showcasing yourself. Having that experience be my introduction into the industry and putting myself out there was really exhilarating.”

Husband and wife team, Jeff and Mary Clarke, who own and operate Mother, said their eyes were immediately drawn to Buford the moment she entered the room at their o

“She’s lighting that’s strucken,” Jeff said. “We have many girls from St. Louis doing it big on the international modeling stage. She’s up next. We’re really thankful to be in the position we’re in to open this world up for her, and we’re all ready for this journey together.”

Buford and her mother said they have seen a major change in her confidence since she’s started modeling. Buford, who’s almost 5’11”, said she noticed her height made her different from her peers at school but with modeling, she enjoys being around other people with similar heights.

She also said people often hold misconceptions about modeling assuming it’s all about looks, which made her realize it’s more about the depth and being your authentic, beautiful self.

“I think it makes me more comfortable with the fact I am a teenager, I’m still learning, and I’m still trying to find myself,” she said. “When I was by myself during the quarantine, I learned to love who I am. Being by myself, I started experimenting with photoshoots in my room and appreciating my angles. I began to love who I am when I was by myself because I am the guaranteed person I know I have.”

Mary said she and Jeff have also noticed Buford’s growth from when she first started working with them to now.

“When I was looking at the original pics of her, Jeff looked at me and said, ‘She’s not even the same girl,’ she said. “Watching her be in her element matched with her work ethic and incredible family support, you just know she will be a superstar.”

Buford has modeled for Kim Kardashian’s Skims x Fendi collaboration, Lacoste, Free People appeared in Kim Petras’ music video and guest-starred on “The Tamron Hall Show.” She represents three markets with Next Management; Los Angeles, London, and New York. She said her dream aspirations are to walk for Versace and Off-White and be on the cover of Vogue Magazine.

“I’m ready to put in my effort and take on this industry so that I can look back in however many years and say you did your thing,” she said. “I hope to look back one day and know that I’m so happy and grateful for everything that my life has given and shown me.”