Jalen Gunter

Who:

Jalen Gunter -- @jalentgunter_ -- 6’2.5” -- from NYC.

Where:

From Memphis, TN. Did undergrad in D.C., worked in PHL. Moved to NYC. (All the places I’ve lived are truly a part of me.)

Agencies:

STATE MGMT (NYC)

- Did you always want to be a model? Tell us about how you were discovered.

Truthfully, I never saw it as an option for myself. I had that short, chubby nerd archetype, and then puberty hit me like a helicopter to the face. I got taller and matured, but the inside always stayed the same.

This was the case until my undergrad experience, when I noticed that people started interacting with me in a different way. Come to find out, I was attractive now, ig? Apparently, someone forgot to let me know. Fast-forward during that college experience (at The Howard University), I began to do runway modeling and really explore that creative avenue of self. From there, I was hooked.

I found a mother agent that led to another mother agent that led to getting signed abroad that led to a social media agent. Finally, one day after I had had a reel go viral, STATE reached out to me, and that was officially one year ago. All that to say, it wasn’t necessarily a dream, but it’s become a dream that I’ve been fortunate enough to create.

- What are your favorite forms of self care and why?

Self-care is still something I’m learning how to build and create, but I’d say working out and exploration.

Working out gives me some type of physical release, while exploring and finding areas of peace brings the emotional release.

- What other passions do you have aside from modeling?

Hmmm...it’s so funny. When I’m not actively working, I lead a fairly simple life. I love the little things. Finding beauty in small moments with friends, having random conversations, getting a random smile on the subway (truly a rare and fulfilling moment).

The best way to describe it is...I get fired up for those moments in life that feel like I’m living.