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Niki Taylor Interview - Parenthood
Balancing at a dizzying height being both a supermodel and a super mum, Niki Taylor is a ‘role-model model’ who says if she weren’t modelling, she’d probably be in college studying child psychology and raising her twins at home. Fiona Brook reports. A lot of supermodels seem to have it all, but Niki actually does. At 20 years of age, Niki has already been in the business for over six years. Her wholesome American looks and incredible business acumen have resulted in her being one of the most popular, not to mention, one of the wealthiest models in the world. Her annual income of more than $4 million dollars and the 160 [and counting] magazine covers she has under her belt [including this issue of Supermodel!] is testimony to that. but that’s not all Niki also has a gorgeous husband and now, two stunning baby boys, Jake and Hunter. And her fantastic return to the glamorous New York runways this season proved to the world Niki means business more than ever before. And what a business it is. Niki was one of the first supermodels to run her career as a business, complete with carefully calculated marketing strategies. She has an agent, a publicist and a very strong business-minded mother, all looking after her best interests. Between them, they manage her career only the most valuable jobs are taken and the most solid deals made. Take for example, Niki’s contract with Cover Girl which is reportedly worth US$2.4 million a year, and her annual swimsuit calendars are also great money earners. The calendars work as great profile boosters for Niki [not that she needs that!] Discovered at the age of 13 by her now agent, Jean Renard, Niki modelled part-time in her home town while still at school. She was an immediate hit. Although at 14 she was the youngest model ever to appear on the cover of Vogue, Niki says: ‘Modelling was like an after-school hobby for me.’ But her scarce availability only served to fuel her popularity, the fashion world just couldn’t get enough of her. It was only Niki finished school, that her mother Barbara allowed her to go ahead with it all as a career but only after extracting a promise from Renard to look after her. By that time, Niki was a highly sought after model, but her full time modelling career wasn’t launched with an immediate move to New York or Europe, instead she based herself out of her home town, Miami, and kept out of the modelling ‘scene’. Niki has never been one to work the party scene at all and never does drugs. Although she does have some close modelling friends [they’ve nicknamed her ‘The Baby’] these days, she doesn’t tend to hang out with them much at all, now her babies and family are priority number one. Her husband, Matt Martinez, is a footbal coach for the Florida Hooters, but often gets to travel with Niki to the Paris collections. Nowadays they go along with a slew of nannies. ‘Matthew’s wonderful,’ says Niki.’ He’s done nothing but help me and he’s great with the kids.’ [There are rumours however that Matthew and Niki are splitting up, yet sources reveal they are totally unfounded.] Niki is the modern working mum and began work again only a few months after the birth of the babies. After losing the extra 60 pounds she gained while pregnant, it took her little time to get down to her normal weight. ‘I have my personal trainer who monitors my progress and keeps me motivated. Out of the 60 pounds I gained during pregnancy, 14 pounds were baby! I was walking and running up until my seventh month and afterwards, the pounds just came off, but it did help being young and pretty tall. It’s amazing what the body can do!’ Magazine editors have taken advantage of Niki’s fantastic return to form by scrambling to feature her in all their high-tech sports stories. Sporting all from the raciest, most colourful, skin-sticking styles to the latest in gym equipment, Niki;s fine figure is an incentive to those who thought having babies meant waving goodbye to their bodies forever. And runway hasn’t been slow by any supermodels’ standards: at the recent New York shows, Niki starred at Todd Oldham, Richard Tyler, Isaac Mizrahi, Victor Alfaro and Donna Karan. On top of all this, she’s been getting some tender-loving-care from industry workmates. Backstage at the Isaac Mizrahi show, as makeup-artist-to-the-stars, Kevyn Aucoin, did his final touches to Niki;s makeup, he said to the smokin’ Helena Christensen: ‘She has two babies, you know!’ Helena turned up her nose but moved begrudgingly making the cigarette smoke waft off in a direction other than straight into Niki’s face. Not that Niki needs anyone speaking for her! This time round at the shows, she was able to strut her stuff with a true air of sophistication and worldliness, which until now has, of course, been an attitude she’s had to affect. ‘It’s a lot of work but I prefer runway work,’ she says. ‘It’s quicker, and more like a performance.’ Now with the confidence she has as a working mother, we will no doubt be seeing a new phase in Niki’s illustrious career. Being fortunate enough to have a very supportive family means that Niki will never have to let little things like babies keep her away from her career. Niki says: ‘I’ll be doing the shows in Europe and as far as my other career plans go, my manager is always working on something. Right now, he’s organising things so that I can be at home as much as possible with my family.’ [One imminent project is a CD-ROM interactive program.] |
