A 13-year old from Peel has just been signed with one of London’s biggest modelling agencies.

Gracie Kitchin, who is in year 8 at Queen Elizabeth II High School, was signed by Select Model Management - which launched the careers of Sienna Miller and David Gandy - as one of their ’future faces’.

Gracie’s mother Jessica talked about how she unexpectedly got into modelling, saying: ’Gracie’s always been incredibly tall for her age [at 5ft 7ins now] and everyone said give it a go’

She explained how over lockdown, they decided to apply for some London modelling agencies: ’We only sent really natural pictures I took myself with no make up or filters.

’That is what agencies want - they don’t want highly made up or filtered images.’

Jessica said that they ’Couldn’t believe the response’ when agencies like Select, Storm and Milk Management expressed their interest in Gracie.

They decided to go with Elite because they offered a programme for under 16s, which provides mentoring, support and training whilst putting ’education first’, and ’fitting around school’.

Whilst they don’t yet want to travel considering the current lockdown restrictions in London, they are ’Looking forward to getting over there when they can’, as Select ’want to meet her as soon as possible’.

Education

She added that she found Select to be a ’very ethical and professional agency, who appreciate that Gracie is still very young and understand that education comes first.

’So instead they plan to prepare her to see if modelling something she would be interested in,’ she said.

’I was also provided with tons of safeguarding literature.’

Jessica says that it is a ’long process’ for under-16 models, and that Gracie would not be working until she was around 17 or 18.

Until then, when restrictions are eased she said it would hopefully mean Gracie travelling to London ’two to three times a year, to work on her portfolio, do test shoots and meet other models.’

Talking about the response of the agencies during lockdown, Jessica said Gracie ’couldn’t believe it, she was overwhelmed.

’She was excited, but quite surprised.’

As for her plans for a modelling career going forward, Jessica added: ’I’m aware of her age, school work comes first. Gracie is very studious, she has aspirations of going into medicine.

’I don’t know where this journey will take her but it’s a great opportunity to travel and meet new people, and Select have been really supportive.’