Blake Kinne
GMARO Magazine October 2022 Issue #07
Cover Model: Blake Kinne @blakekinne
Photographer: Tanner Rose @tannerrosephotos
How would you describe your personal style?
I sort of express myself as all these different characters so it is hard to say that I have just one. My moods are so multifaceted and I dress to express them. Some weeks I’m inspired by 90’s - early 2000’s casual aesthetic if I’m feeling nostalgic. Some weeks I want to be classic and preppy, and sometimes I just want to be very crazy and abstract so I’ll cut up and mix match pieces that have already had their time in my wardrobe and turn them into something funky and strange. I used to stress over trying to find one style that I could belong to but I really like knowing I can be a little of everything.
How did your interest and passion for fashion begin?
Quite early actually. I remember visiting New York for the first time and coming home and asking why everyone where I live dressed so blandly. The kids would make fun of anyone who styled their hair or wore anything besides sportswear and that was the moment I realized how limited you are without that expression. I saw an Abercrombie mural in a mall and told myself that would be me one day. I actually became an In-Store Abercrombie & Fitch model before I went away to college. As I got older I took interest in streetwear and high fashion and started shooting my own content even when I didn’t have access to others to help me. Today I can have an appreciation for every style and aesthetic.
How has your perception of the modeling industry changed over time?
I always used to think that to be a model you had to be really tall or fit into very specific genres. Today I’m seeing it as a space that wants to celebrate how different and unique you can be, not a space telling you how you should be. If you want to do this you don’t have to find a place for yourself, you can go make one. Yes- you have to flow with trends when needed, but you can also be weird and surprising or even unsettling and now all of that is being recognized and seen as beautiful. That was huge for me to realize because as a kid I remember I was trying so hard to be like everyone else and just failing at it, so this perspective really gave me a better lens to see through.
Do you think that what you have learned has relevance in the fashion industry of the world today?
I think what I have learned is a direct reflection of the fashion industry today. Fashion doesn’t have to have rules, and if there are any then something new is always ready to break or change them. It’s becoming so abstract and conceptual and I can see it trickling down into all of the other segments of the creative world and as a model you can represent and be a part of that freedom.
I would say we live in a very strange time for fashion, especially because of the huge impact of social media. Did social media change your world?
It definitely did. Growing up in a small town with a lot of closed-minded people, social media became this outlet where I could connect with more open-minded creatives, where self-expression is inspiring and appreciated. It made me realize I didn’t have to change who I was to fit my physical environment and it was the first time I felt what it was like to know other people out there would encourage me to be myself.
Music, Visual Arts, Modeling… What do you enjoy the most? And how much does your music influence your visual art and vice versa?
For me, these are so interconnected. I am also a graphic designer that specializes in building brands, so I love how visual art has the ability to shape, lift, and represent ideas. When you model you are visually speaking for or with a concept alongside a graphical language you have to synchronize with. Music can carry these elements across the senses. I love how house or trance music is very fantastical and imaginative so it can unify a high-concept experience on all fronts; whereas other genres like country or folk can ground and humanize a message you are portraying. Hip Hop and pop music can feel powerful, confident, and self-celebratory, so all of these have a different but equal role in working with one another in the art that you are offering the world.
What is your go-to outfit for the daytime?
This is definitely dependent on what I have going on that day but If I’m just relaxing, working in the studio, or running errands I love to keep it classic with an oversized T-shirt tucked into some jeans and some white sneakers. I might add an unbuttoned over-shirt and a thin necklace or two. When I’m in the city lots of times I’ll be more in the contemporary streetwear aesthetic with oversized cargos, paired with a tank or an open blazer. I’ll typically accessorize that with a chunky necklace and some high-top sneakers or vintage tennis shoes.
What is your beauty routine?
If I’m starting the day I’m shaving first. Then I’m using a cleanser on my face, a little caffeine for the eyes, and some moisturizer with SPF. Then I grab some molding paste for the hair and just use my fingers to run it all through until I get a textured messy look going. At night I usually scrub with a BHA exfoliant to help keep my skin as clear as I can.
What do you do to stay in shape?
I'm very lucky I have a CrossFit Athlete for a personal trainer, Brittany Bolella. She sees me 3 times per week and we cycle through strength training for the different muscle groups. I also eat a lot of raw vegetables every day while trying to keep my protein intake as high as I can.
When was it that you realized you wanted to be an entertainer / Artist?
When I was about 5 or 6 I remember watching music videos on AOL before YouTube days, and I would recite the dance routines and lyrics and I just loved performing. That turned into creating my own art, painting, and writing my own songs, and from then on I just really enjoyed the power of putting your passions into tangible things and experiences for people to enjoy and be inspired by. I could never really put myself into one bucket, similar to my approach to style. So I knew I loved feeling like this, and that I had to do things that inspired others to find their own version of that enjoyment.
Who did you look up to when you first started modeling?
Christian Hogue. I think his work is really striking because even if his subject matter is fluid or he’s channeling the softer side of his energy it really accentuates his masculinity and I admire that he captures that balance so well. He also carries this mystique in his posing and mannerisms and that’s always been inspiring to me.
Do you have a signature fragrance?
Eau De Parfum by YSL. I spray it everywhere and on everything. I truly love it more than any other I’ve tried and It’s been my staple for some time now.
