Meet Sky Cornelius | Fashion Model & Singer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sky Cornelius and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sky, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
Mental health is incredibly important. The stress from the fashion/modeling and entertainment industry can be overwhelming at times.

The stress of always having to be or feel perfect in order to get the job. Constantly comparing yourself to what you see on Instagram and other social media platforms can mess with your mentality on how you view yourself. I believe it is very important to have a healthy relationship with social media if you are in my industry.

People don’t realize we do put ourselves up to be judged on how we look and it can take a mental toll on us. I believe so many people on the outside looking in, just see the accomplishments of me working for many wonderful brands but they never see the work behind it. Becoming a model didn’t happen overnight. Especially as a model of color. I’m very hard on myself in general, I have to remind myself to show myself kindness.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
You graduate high school and the question that everyone asks, “what do you want to do?” You even ask your own self that question. When I graduated high school in 2012, everyone said “you should be a model.” I was always the athletic kid growing up, basketball was my life. I wanted to be in the NBA. Modeling was never in my thought process growing up. Music and being singer always crossed my mind but never modeling. I was also one of the shy kids, so to some people me becoming a model was a shock.

I decided to give modeling a shot and the obsession did not take long to set in. It wasn’t until 2015 when things started to take a positive turn after all my research and persistency. I truly feel alive when I’m in front of a camera. People don’t realize that modeling is a form of art. How we pose our bodies is an art form. It’s a method of expression.

Entering the modeling world was not easy at all. No agency before 2015 wanted to sign me. I had to do my own research and faced a lot of “no’s” on my journey. I have to thank the group of talented photographers I met along the way to help push my modeling career. In 2015, I joined a college organization called Models of Style Exposed (MOSE). The organization gave me a sense of direction and what to do in the industry.

Through it all, I was able to accomplish my modeling goals while finishing my degree at the University of North Texas. Not many can say they’ve accomplished that. It’s a lot of hard work. It was important for me to have my back up plan if modeling didn’t work out. After finishing my degree, I got signed to my first agency two months later. I am so proud of what I accomplished through those years. I was featured in Vogue Italia and Paper City magazine, two of my favorite accomplishments. Not to mention working with Solange Knowles in her latest music video. My emotions were through the roof!

With so many great accomplishments, I learned that it is important to take care of myself. Not just physically but mentally. What I know about mental health now I wish I knew then. I’ve learned to let go of anything or anyone holding me back. Knowing what I know now, it just makes me excited for what the future has in store for me. What I want people to know is that I’m not done yet. I am hoping to get back into music and officially add singer/music artist to my resume. I want to see how far I am willing to go in this industry. I’m excited to see where it takes me and what new opportunities await.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We would do just about everything:

Places to Eat: Nick and Sam’s for fine dining experience. La Ventana for a nice taco moment before our night out. Restoration Hardware for another fine dining moment. Whataburger is a MUST.

Places to Go: Deep Ellum, Cedar Springs/Oaklawn, Clyde Park, Dallas Museum of Arts for an artsy moment, Dallas Zoo, Dallas Aquarium. Might even drive down to the Stock Yards in Fort Worth.

Any place that has a good scenery and can take great pictures, we’re there!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So many people to thank and recognize!

The first few people that come to mind are Willie Johnson, Catrina Henderson, Ty Mangum, Hunter Herrera, my UNT model organization, MOSE – these group of people really mean the world to me. When I first started modeling and finally seeing how serious it was getting, they uplifted me, coached me and have been nothing but family toward me.

Courtney Laddimore – a creative and consultant. He has grown to be a close friend and has always been in my corner when life seemed to get a little rocky. I can’t thank him enough for all of our meaningful conversations.

My family and close friends – showing up to my modeling events and being my biggest cheerleaders. I love you guys endlessly from the bottom of my heart for the love and support.

Instagram: instagram.com/skycornelius

Image Credits
Image 1 -5: Jaida Brinkley Image 6: Chris Fucile Image 7: Robert Fen Image 8: Courtney Laddimore