Vestavia sisters realize dreams of professional modeling

The Champion sisters — Baskin and Abby — have left the familiar confines of the South for Los Angeles, where they both now live and work as models.

Aside from the trademarked Southern hospitality her hometown of Vestavia Hills offers, Baskin misses something one might not expect a model to long for.

“I love fried food and cheese dip, which LA does not have,” she said.

The Champions are proud Southerners and VHHS graduates.

“Whenever people ask me where I’m from and I respond ‘Alabama,’ they always give me a weird look or call me a hick,” Abby said. “But to me, growing up in Alabama is amazing. It teaches you to have good manners, enjoy good food and reminds me of the importance of faith and family.”

It is a sentiment her sister echoes.

Baskin, the older of the two, said she always knew she wanted to be a model. In high school, her dreams were affirmed when someone told her she should pursue it. Her career began modeling for small boutiques around Birmingham, but Baskin wanted more. During her freshman year at Auburn, she was crowned Miss Alabama Teen USA 2014, which helped her get out of her comfort zone. While she was the reigning titleholder, the company Show Me Your MuMu noticed not just Baskin but her sister, Abby, and flew the sisters to Los Angeles to shoot for them.

“Those shoots were and still are my favorite shoots ever,” Baskin said. “I love the people and the environment, and of course being in LA did not hurt.”

During her sophomore year at Auburn, Baskin decided to take the next year off from school and move to Miami, where she was signed with Wilhelmina Miami. Since January, she’s been back in Los Angeles permanently, but travels often for her career.

“I have had the opportunity to travel to Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia and so on for modeling,” she said. “It has been really amazing.”

Abby watched her older sister’s success and eventually began modeling too.

“Baskin ultimately got into modeling first and she brought me into modeling with Soca and some other brands,” Abby said. “I was able to watch and learn from her as she began. We signed with agencies around the same time a little while later.”

It was while the Champion family was watching Baskin compete in Miss Teen USA 2014 that Abby herself got noticed. 

“A man named Ramiro came up and asked me if I was a model,” Abby said. “I told him no, and he asked to meet with me and my parents. I was a little hesitant but I thought why not, and the next morning ate breakfast with him and his assistant. After talking for a short time he asked if he could set up a meeting for me with Next Models. What else could I say but ‘absolutely!’’

A couple of weeks later was a Show Me Your MuMu shoot in Los Angeles, and after the shoot was finished, Abby contacted Next Models’ Los Angeles office and met with them.

“That day I became a Next Model and started my career in the industry,” she said.

That was a little over a year ago, she said.

“There are many highlights to my career, including being able to travel to different parts of the world and to meet so many cool and interesting people,” Abby said. “I am very thankful for the opportunities I have been given and for all the support my friends and family have given to me.”

It wasn’t easy to leave those friends and family behind in Vestavia Hills, Abby said.

“After graduation, leaving behind my best friends and my family was difficult,” she said. “In addition, I was leaving behind all the things I was comfortable with and the things I was familiar with. Even though I am away from home, a part of me will always miss the food, the people and the comfort of home.”

However, Abby knew that to reach her goals of becoming a professional model, she’d have to leave behind the old and embrace the new.

“These past nine months have been incredible,” she said. “I can’t wait for the new opportunities this year will offer. I am planning on it being the best year ever.”

So far, Abby’s career includes shoots with JD Sports, Guess and American Eagle — and one shoot where she saw a familiar face.

“It was funny because we both booked Aeropostale through our different agents in Miami,” Abby said. “We did not know that we had booked the same job until we were talking on the phone one night. The job ended up being super fun and I was very happy to work with [Baskin].”

The sisters don’t normally get booked together because they have different looks, Abby said.

“Anytime I get to shoot with her, I very much enjoy it and always have a good time,” she said.

Up next for the sisters? Growing and working as a model, Baskin said.

“Every model has her dream jobs, but you have to have your eye on the prize to stand out and actually book them,” Abby said. “I am very excited for this year and hope that all the work I’m putting in will pay off.”

Her future is shaped by her past and her upbringing in Vestavia Hills.

“Living in Vestavia Hills has shaped my life in so many positive ways because it has given me a good foundation and an idea of what I want to do with my life,” Abby said. “It’s not impossible to follow your dreams. If you work hard and know what you want, you can do anything you imagine.”