Laura Hanson Sims

Laura Hanson Sims

Height 178 . Bust 80 . Waist 59 . Hips 88 . Shoe 39 . Hair Red . Eyes Blue

Where did you grow up? How did you get started modeling?

Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. My mother agency in Nashville found me when I was just 12 years old and had me doing funny little things like going to auditions for kids commercials (which I was never hired for lol) and country music videos until I was old enough to do actual modeling. And I pray nobody ever sees any of it.

Were you always interested in fashion growing up? You’ve been at this for a few years now—how has modeling changed your personal style over time?

My best friend Gracie and I always thought we were going to be fashion designers together when we grew up and we wanted to go to Central Saint Martins in London for college….. but that clearly didn’t happen. I never truly stopped playing dress up and make believe and now I get to do it as a job which is dreamy. I sort of feel like my style is ever-morphing and it’s kind of just what I feel like on any given day. Last year, I definitely went through a weird dark goth phase which was really fun because it was kind of like an armor I felt like I needed at the time, but now I just wanna be a fairy princess or a forest nymph all the time.

If you weren’t modeling, what do you think you’d be doing instead? How do you see yourself evolving in the industry?

I honestly have no idea…. I would probably be in college studying abroad somewhere, probably studying literature, maybe I’d still be doing ballet, who knows. This will be my first show season which I’m pretty stoked about, and doing shows kind of changes things and is pretty tiring and stressful from what I’ve seen from my friends, so I’m just preparing for that at the moment.

Fashion has its fair share of surreal moments and crazy stories. What’s your favorite, most memorable moment you’ve had?

I went to the Guns n’ Roses concert and afterwards I got to hang out with Axl Rose till the sun came up…..he’s so iconic. I grew up listening to a lot of Guns n’ Roses with my dad so the whole time I was kind of like, “No, this isn’t really happening right now…you’re just having a really weird dream.” I hardly ever get starstruck because growing up in Nashville, I was around people like that all the time and it’s super chill and we are all just normal people, but that was so different for me….

Who would be your dream photographer to work with? Or your dream designer to work for?

Tim Walker and Alexander McQueen. I live for the moments in my job when I get to be someone other than myself.

If you could have a dinner party with five people, alive or dead, famous or not, who would you invite?

Dolly Parton, my grandmother, Joanna Newsom, Cher, and Bill Murray.

Where’s your favorite place to travel—for work, and for fun?

Hands down Tokyo has been my favorite place I’ve ever been to for either. Everything there sort of feels familiar but completely alien at the same time. It’s the little things their ketchup packets and ringtones. The clients also treat you like a princess there. I would always get facials and massages before shooting, and the rest of the world should definitely adopt that... ;)

Who’s your favourite female model and who is your favourite male model?

Karen Elson is my inspo for life. Her whole career is what I aspire to. She lives in Nashville (my hometown) and she put her number in my phone at a party one night. It’s a little scary having your idol’s number in your phone because I have the urge to text her like a stalker ALL the time. Fave male model… Liam Little… he’s sitting next to me as I answer these questions so I’m obligated to give him a shoutout. He’s playing some bluesy tune on the guitar for me right now. He’s really good at painting and even better at making dad jokes. His eyebrows and self-given tattoos give me life. We have good times.

What’s your favourite thing that you’ve worn on a shoot or in a show that you wish was yours?

I got to wear this red lace Valentino couture gown once in an editorial and it was a moment where I genuinely considered trying to take it home without anybody noticing.

What’s been the most valuable career advice someone has given you? If you had to give an aspiring model advice, what would it be?

Kwok from my agency here in NYC always always always says, “Don’t let this industry use you, you use it.” He has known me since I was really young and has seared into my mind that I can’t really be emotionally involved in this line of work because it is so unpredictable and every single day is a different set of ups and downs. Aspiring models, you don’t have to be freshly 15 to start doing this as you might believe. Grow up a little bit, get some experience in the world, grow a bit of a thicker skin, develop hobbies and other interests, and you’ll come with a whole lot more to bring to the table.