On camera and off, model Emily Grace Hime radiates California sunshine, with a personality as vibrant as a field of wildflowers in full bloom. As she danced through our campaign shoot, it became clear why she’s one of the most sought-after fresh faces in modeling today: her affable ease, comfort in her body, and free-spirited nature not only make her a dream to work with, but also an artist in her own right. In between takes, Hime opened up on the power of dance, being your truest self, and the meaning of beauty.
LS: How did you get into modeling?
EGH: I got into modeling by accident! I walked into a store in Malibu when I was in high school, and they asked me to model for them in exchange for free clothes and bathing suits. At the time, I was stoked about that! I started shooting little things like that when I was younger for fun, and then my first agency found me on Instagram and signed me from those photos.
LS: How did you get into dance? What does dance mean to you?
EGH: I got into dance when I was really young. Probably at three years old, I started going to ballet and tap, and then I continued with lyrical and jazz in elementary and middle school. Then in high school I danced competitively as a song leader. I started because my parents said I needed to pick a physical activity and commit to it at a very young age, and I chose dance. I’m really grateful to them for that—I think it’s cool to have a skill that lives with you and you can always go back to.
Dance is a way for me to control my body by moving it in a beautiful and precise way. Any physical activity that allows you to be in control of your body, and connect the body to the mind, putting you in a meditative state… I think is really amazing for your whole being.
LS: What does jewelry mean to you?
EGH: Jewelry is fun! It’s fun to adorn yourself, and I think adding a little extra sparkle to a look can bring out inner beauty. Sparkly is also a feeling! If my friends and I are choosing a piece of clothing or jewelry to buy, or choosing what to eat or something simple like that, we always will ask each other, “What makes you feel the most sparkly?” Jewelry adds that fun, sparkly feeling to a look.
LS: What makes you feel your lightest, truest, most radiant, self?
EGH: Hanging out with people I love, doing yoga and dance, meditating, reading, and learning new things. I always feel best when I take at least an hour every day to align with myself in these ways.
LS: How do you define beauty?
EGH: To me, beauty is a lightness, a brightness, an essence—when someone smiles, and you can tell that it comes from their heart. How perfectly nature was created, or the power and grace of the ocean to me are all examples of true beauty. Just any true essence or aspect of nature that exists. I believe that we’re all fundamentally light beings at the end of the day, and we’re all perfectly created by nature. Just allowing that light and natural perfection to come to the surface is when you can see beauty.
