Taylor Hill on Victoria’s Secret, Karl Lagerfeld, and Her New Movie Role

For decades, models were typically divided into one of two categories: high fashion or commercial. One group of girls went on to walk edgy designer shows and appear in independent magazines, while the other chose the less prestigious but more lucrative path of catalog work and a slew of mainstream clients. In recent years, the lines between these two markets have been blurred, and 19-year-old Taylor Hill is at the forefront of this movement. She trades shoots with Karl Lagerfeld with appearances as a Victoria’s Secret Angel, while sharing the experiences with her 736K fans on Instagram. Catching up with Style.com, the rising star talks getting scouted at 14, the perks of being an Angel, and why she’s headed to the big screen. 

Unlike most models, you were scouted with your entire family, how did that happen? 

I was 14, and my current mother agent, who was also a photographer, scouted me and my entire family at a dude ranch. We never owned horses, but my sisters rode Western-style. We were riding horses there, and it’s a popular place for photo shoots, so my mother agent was shooting there. I was scouted, as was my little sister. My older sister is 5'4", so she’s too short, but he wanted her to do acting. She wants to be a photographer, so she was like, “No.” 

Beginning at 14 has to be daunting. How did you handle the business side at that age?

It was kind of crazy. My mom traveled with me everywhere I went, because I don’t know how people do it alone. I was in a different city every other week, and I was balancing going to high school, and it eventually got to the point where I couldn’t do both. So I had to decide modeling or going to school, and I thought that school would always be there, so I graduated high school at 16 and started full-time modeling.

The whole [experience] was shocking: I stayed in crappy apartments, saw some of the ways people got scammed with false listings. That whole thing was surreal. Coming to New York with all the people—and I’m from the middle of nowhere, where we have 10 acres of land and the mountains—it felt claustrophobic. I kept thinking, “Where’s the sky?”

Do you regret starting so young? 

No, because I think it comes down to the opportunities you’re presented with. As a model, especially at a young age, the opportunities you get are amazing. By the time I’m 30, I could have the opportunity to start my own company and segue into being a businesswoman. I think that’s cool because a lot of people go through college, and they don’t get to start something until they’re 40. The little jump-start I was able to get is cool. 

How did your Victoria’s Secret career begin?

I started with Pink. I went in for a casting, and I met Christina Thornton when I was 16, and she was like, “How come I’ve never met you before? How old are you?” I was too young at the time, obviously, but they knew who I was from the age of 16, and then four months after my 17th birthday, I was booked on my first job for Pink. I did their sleepwear, and I did their lounge for probably six months, until the show, and then after my 18th birthday I booked the fashion show. 

Ed [Razek] was just shocked that I could handle it, with how young I was. He’s told me personally with all of the Angels, he wishes he could’ve started with them younger so he could’ve had more time with them, and he loves all the Angels, they’re like his daughters. He’s said, “I saw something special in each and every one of you, and I wanted to snag you before anybody else did.” And to me, “I didn’t see any purpose in sitting around and waiting for three years for you to go do other stuff with other people and then book you.”

Has being an Angel impacted the type of high-fashion work you do? 

I think being a Victoria’s Secret Angel gives you a higher [profile] than most girls. They respect you more when you do go-sees, and you’re able to have more of a relationship with the designers, because they see you in a different way. It’s interesting to be doing both now; in a way, I’m meeting them all over again. I walk into rooms and people are like, “How come I’ve never met you?” I’m like, “You have. This is my sixth season I’ve auditioned for this show.” It’s just funny because now they recognize me. Donatella Versace asked me, “How was the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show?” Inside I’m thinking, “She knows my name!”

You’ve been working with Fendi and Chanel a lot recently. What was it like working on Fendi’s resort lookbook? 

It was really fun; I love Fendi. They’re amazing people. I love Charlotte Stockdale, who’s the main stylist. When we were shooting resort, it was a lot of looks over two days and we shot a video, but it didn’t feel like work. Charlotte said to me, “I feel so bad you have to stand for this long.” I’m like, “Girl, I’ve been through it all—this is nothing.” I kind of give credit to starting out young and doing so many jobs and so many outfits for no money: I was not getting paid at all or getting paid with gift cards. Now to work with a client like Fendi or Chanel, it feels like all of that was worth it and I appreciate being there. I get on set, and I’m ready to work. 

I love their clothes, too; at the Fendi show, I loved my outfit. I thought it was one of the best outfits in the whole show. I was obsessed with it, I even jokingly asked Charlotte if I could keep it and she’s like, “That’s $30,000—I can’t just give it to you.” Damn it! I’ll be saving for it; I’m coming for you!

How was the experience of working on Nicolas Winding Refn’s new film The Neon Demon? 

Honestly, I didn’t ever really think about acting. I never really thought it was my thing, but when I was offered the chance, I wanted to see what it would be like. When you see how much work goes into just a few minutes worth of script, it is eye-opening. We shot one scene the entire day, and I only had four lines, but they have to get every angle and make sure the light is perfect, the sound, each detail. It was a cool experience because you don’t realize how much time and effort goes into making a movie. I think in the future, it’d be fun to dabble more. I don’t know if I’d want to do leading roles or anything, but like what Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is doing. She was great in Mad Max!