Cara Fravel, the gorgeous 5’10”, blonde and blue-eyed model recently walked for on-the-rise designer Sandy Liang and shot for renowned fashion house, Diesel. While bouncing back and forth between the nearly opposite cities of New York City and Charleston, South Carolina, she’s currently packing her bags for Milan Fashion Week – we wanted to know more!

Starting with the obvious, how was working with Sandy Liang especially during New York Fashion Week this year?

Working with Sandy and her team was amazing! When I walked into her store on Orchard street to meet with Ian, her casting director, it immediately became my number 1 “I want to walk this show” show. I died and came back to life when Ian and Sandy both decided to invite me back for a callback, and then a fitting. The entire team puts so much work into every piece of the show from the clothing to the location to the music. I must also mention the environment backstage was unmatched, one of the best of any shows or sets I have been on! Runway shows never fail to be somewhat of complete chaos backstage from start to finish, but everyone knows what they are there to do and all things work out magically.

What is one thing people don’t know about you?

I could pick something cool but I think I will go with something on the embarrassing side: I used to do pageants. Like…full blown fake hair fake tan pageants. It's pretty funny how it still haunts me now because I will go to a casting and the director will ask me if I have taken a walk workshop (lots of new face models take runway classes to master a confident walk). Now I have never been to one of these, and when I tell them that, they usually ask where I learned to walk, to which I answer (very hesitantly lol) that I was a pageant girl in my youth. Though it surprisingly taught me a lot of valuable life skills that I still use, it is definitely something I try to keep hush hush unless I am directly asked a question like this– it is not necessarily something you want to go around telling people in the fashion industry.

What made you decide to begin your career in modeling? Is there something else you’re passionate about making a career out of?

I was first scouted in 2017 by a very small agency in Atlanta, Georgia. I will not name drop or go into too much detail out of respect for models who have a nice experience with them, but it was a terrible experience for me personally. To give a bit of background– the agents basically do not know how to develop a model, blame the lack of development on the model, then drop them from their contract before it is even set to end. So for a couple years or so I had completely given that dream up, because in my head, if this small agency sees no potential in me, how could anyone else? I had decided I wanted to go to a university to study nursing, probably join a sorority, and all that southern girl stuff. Then Covid hit, it was time to pay my freshman year tuition and something in my mind and emotions just kind of switched I guess. My mom and I had a talk and some prayers over it for probably 4 straight hours and came to the conclusion I wanted to return to modeling. It felt very right, so in November of 2020, I moved to NYC, got picked up by State Management July 2021, and The Lab Models of Milan in February 2022….and here we are now!

I am also in college now, studying marketing and advertising with a minor in history. I have already changed my major like twice, so I feel it's too late to change to a history major, but that is certainly something I am passionate about. Ideally, one day when I can no longer model, I will be an archivist or a researcher– my goal is to love my job after modeling as much as modeling, and that will certainly be something in the realm of history.

What’s the biggest lesson you have learned in your late teens/early twenties?

So many things but I think the biggest one for me is do what you really want to do. Your family may be skeptical, your long time friends may distance themselves from you, but your late teens/early twenties are not the time to put other people's emotions and opinions of you first. Don't be a selfish person of course, but do not feel like you need to go a certain route in your life because that's what people told you was the key to success. If that's not what you really want, you will not succeed anyways. Do your thang!

The modeling industry can be daunting at times; what are some ways you can keep your optimism and passion for modeling?

Daunting is putting it lightly at times– BUT, rejections are literally so common. For every. single. model. Agencies will tell you straight up that modeling is about 75% rejection and 25% success when it comes to what jobs you book, and what jobs drop you. That success you reach as a model is more than enough to keep you going strong and confident, and once you learn to get past not booking a job you really wanted or being handed harsh feedback at a shoot, you have no issues keeping that fire and optimism.

You recently did a shoot with Diesel which is super exciting, how was that experience for you?

It was amazing! Diesel trains you to Vicenza where headquarters is– literally the craziest place I have ever been. I was told that 700 people work there daily, when I tell you this place was massive…it had an olympic pool on the roof, a helicopter pad, a daycare for employees children, a fully equipped gym, and two giant koi ponds in the entrance yard. I must also mention it is kind of in the middle of nowhere, but that's part of what made it such a cool experience– tons of history in that tiny little town. The team I worked with there was amazing as well, shoots like these are 8 to 10 hours long so it is really important to have positive vibes around you at all times. They all took a lot of time to make sure I felt welcome and comfortable, which us models really appreciate– not every client is going to care for you this much. Honorable mention to the canteen where all of the diesel workers and models go for lunch hour, literally some of the best and freshest food I had in Italy.

If there was one piece of advice you could tell your past self, what would it be?

I think every young adult would consider telling this to their past self– but for the love of God Cara, please do not worry so much. I believe that everything in your future is already laid out and tailored perfectly to you. Do not waste your time and sanity stressing over what that future may look like. It is not always in my hands, and once I learn to grasp that idea a little (still not fully where I want to be on the topic of overthinking lol), living life and making choices becomes so much easier.

Thank you Cara for sharing with us – we wish you all the best on your future endeavors!

Written by Kadence Cheang, Design by Madelyn Okruhlik, Social Media by Krisha Atreya

Cara Fravel on New York Fashion Week 2022