Teen Vogue - April 2013 edition

PAGE 21 - NOTEWORTHY MODELS FOR 2013

Name: Blaine Devon Anderson

Age: 22

Style: Subtly sexy

Notable features: Olive complexion, dark gelled hair, hazel eyes, charming smile

Interesting fact: Brother of TV & Film actor, Cooper Anderson

Greatest achievement: Nominated for People Magazines Sexiest Man Alive 2012/Fashion Night Out 2012 - Featured Model

Motto: "Dont follow the fashion; be the fashion."

Name: Kurt Elizabeth Hummel

Age: 23

Style: Smart, graceful & pristine

Notable features: Pale complexion, brunette coiffed hair, glasz eyes, rosy cheeks

Interesting fact: Originally applied for NYADA but pursued modelling after he wasnt accepted into the school.

Greatest achievement: Winner of National Show Choir competition in senior year of high school

Motto: "Fashion has no gender."

(See page 8 for Kurt Hummels main feature interview)

Name: Santana Diabla Lopez

Age: 24

Style: Fabulously fierce

Notable features: Light tan complexion, black flowing hair, brown eyes, fearless attitude

Interesting fact: Head cheerleader during senior year of high school

Greatest achievement: Winner of National Show Choir competition in senior year of high school

Motto: "Life is a fashion show, so always look your best."

Blaine lay in bed on the day of the magazine release. He couldnt believe that it had happened again. He was permanently applying for magazine shoots and fashion shows, only to be competing against another Ohio-born model who was apparently a hit with the New York fashion circuit. Granted, this same model was also losing out on jobs because of Blaine; their feud was notoriously known throughout the fashion scene in New York, expanding out into other fashion capitals of the world. There were forums and blogs dedicated to the Anderson-Hummel fashion feud, websites that Blaine avoided in case any arguments werent in his favour.

Another thing which really annoyed Blaine was that he had never met his main rival, largely because either one or the other got the job, with no chance of scoping out the competition due to private application processes. He had only seen Kurt Hummel as a glossy magazine page or as pixels on a website. There was one time when he saw his rival modelling for Calvin Klein on a billboard in Times Square; that was the worst month of his life because Blaine knew that should have been him.

He didnt understand everyones appeal towards Kurt Hummel. Blaine assumed that the airbrushing and make-up and lighting automatically made him appear attractive, but Blaine would bet anything that Kurt Hummel was nowhere near as attractive in person. He knew that the magazines all edited his appearance to make him look the best he possibly could and Kurt Hummels situation was probably no different, or maybe even more of a situation than Blaine had to deal with.

Blaine heard the door of his apartment open and close again, the animated chattering of his roommates seeping through the cracks between the door and its frame. Blaine shifted in his bed slightly, pulling the comforter over his head to try and tune out the mumbles. He wanted to be alone. Teenaged girls (and a few guys too) from all over the USA were going to be flicking through page after page of their monthly issue of Teen Vogue to read about Kurt Hummels Journey Into Modelling. whilst Blaine had been demoted to just the Noteworthy Models of 2013 section; a brief summary of him with a shot from his Q&A article 6 months ago. It wasnt that he wasnt grateful for that, but he would have rather that he was the one with the main article. After all, this business is highly competitive and he wanted more than anything to be the top dog.

Blaine ignored the tap on the door followed by the accompanying squeak. More light began to creep through his sheets and he could tell that his brunette roommate, Nick, was the intruder. Jeff, his other roommate, would never draw the curtains. Jeff knew that he would face penalty of death if he even dared despite the protection of his boyfriend in the next room. Blaine groaned as he pushed the covers off his face, "Nick, go away! Todays a terrible day and you know it!"

Nick ignored him, holding a copy of Teen Vogue in his hand, open on page 8. Blaine gave him a dirty look, but Nick ignored it as he sat at the end of Blaines bed, reading aloud, "Vogue: What do you have to say about your main rival, Blaine Anderson? Kurt: Ive never had the pleasure of meeting Blaine because hes constantly applying for the same jobs as me, but I cant deny that hes good-looking. I believe were both attending the Gucci Summer Collection Show at the end of the month, so maybe Ill find out who the man behind the competition really is."

Blaine laughed at Nicks faux impersonation of Kurt Hummel before scowling at the response his rival had given, "Let me translate." He snatched the magazine out of Nicks hands, before he decided to check that he was definitely wearing any briefs seeing as he was shirtless, just in case. He cleared his throat and made an extra effort to make fun of Kurt Hummels voice, "I am so glad that I have never met Blaine Anderson because he takes half my jobs, and when I do meet him, I doubt my impression of him will change. His redeeming quality is that he is the sexiest man out there and I would love to get my hands on him."

"You know he doesnt mean the last part, right?" Nick replied, trying not to burst in a fit of laughter that Blaine could so easily get him into.

Blaine snorted, "He totally meant that and you know it. What does Jeff have to say about all this? He did Hummels make-up for this shoot after all."

Both men jumped on the spot when they heard Jeffs voice from the doorway as he casually leant against the frame, "Kurts so nice and I honestly think you two would get on better than you do with Nick and me. If you two joined forces and stopped holding a grudge against each other, youd be the ultimate duo of the modelling world."

Blaine retorted, "Great, you just made us sound like a couple. Why would you even, Jeffery?"

He shrugged and advanced over to the end of the bed, sitting down and putting his arm around his boyfriend, "That was implied. If you thought that then thats your own problem."

Nick chuckled lightly as he leant in to kiss his boyfriend but Blaine warned, "Not in my bedroom. You promised me anywhere but my bedroom."

Nick turned back to Blaine and gave him a sympathetic smile, "Just think. The end of the month is the ultimate duel between the two of you. Face-to-face, outfit-to-outfit, style-to-style. And youll win hands down." Jeff hummed in agreement as Blaine pulled the sheets back over his head, now tired of them.

There was a moments silence before Blaine groaned, "I hate him."

"We know." Nick sighed in response, "But Im sure that soon enough, the fashion world will decide that you are the king of fashion and that Hummel is miles behind you."

Blaine chuckled slightly, "Well see." A pause filled the air before he continued, "Can I be alone now? I want to daydream about being the king of fashion."

"As you wish." Jeff responded as the two men stood up, shifting the weight on the bed and causing Blaine to bounce slightly due to the springiness. Blaine groaned as he was shifted from his comfortable position.

He waited until he heard the door click closed before he began to think about his situation fully. Gucci had always been loyal to Blaine when he was competing for modelling jobs with them against Kurt Hummel. They werent looking for a feminine male to model the majority of their collections. In fact, come to think of it, this was the first time Kurt Hummel had been called in by Gucci to model for them. Blaine wasnt in the least bit surprised that this was the first, and probably would be the only, time this had happened. He also figured out that he would be walking down that catwalk with the best outfit in the collection; last time he had worked for them, the supervising fashion designer, Raul, had admitted that in every collection, there was a unanimous agreement amongst all the designers that one outfit was better than the rest and that that outfit was featured on a full page and the front cover of their latest catalogue. Blaine had appeared on the front of their catalogue for three separate collections. He knew that they were loyal to him. At least his outfit would help him to prove he was the top dog of modelling in New York.

But what would really help is the fact that he was Blaine Devon Anderson: nominee for People Magazines Sexiest Man Alive 2012; Dalton Academy Warblers superstar; Fashion Night Out 2012s featured model; the male model with the ultimate style and attitude. Thats something that Kurt Hummel lacked: attitude. It wasnt so much that he didnt use the standard strut and head nods and turns; it was that he didnt make it seem like he owned the shoot, almost as if he was a puppet and not a model. There was no way that Kurt Hummel would last much longer unless he began to gain a hell of a lot more attitude, and Blaine smiled at his own thoughts when he realised that Kurt Hummel would not last much longer in the business. Blaines jobs were safe, and soon hed have even more to himself, because the other male models in the business were no match for him on the scale of the labels he auditioned for. Even Kurt Hummel barely made the cut 75% of the time.

Soon, New Yorks fashion scene would be his and his alone, or so Blaine believed.

Kurt turned the key in his apartments door and walked through with a bounce in his step. Sliding the door closed, he thought about how life couldnt be better. His new Teen Vogue cover came out today, complete with photo-shoot and interview; another cover that Rachel will have bought for herself as well to frame it and put it on the wall of achievement she had created for her and her roommates upon their great successes here in New York. Kurt didnt have the heart to tell her that it was conceited and rather creepy because she was so excited when Kurts first cover came out just days after Santanas, with her first Broadway poster following a couple of weeks afterwards.

Kurt was aware of just how lucky they had all be. He had been denied entry to NYADA 5 years ago but hadnt looked back since, seeking a new approach. His internship at Vogue.com helped him a lot in making his decision, especially when many of the designers, photographers and journalists had kept trying to direct him to shoots thinking that he was a model.

He didnt believe that he was attractive in any way. Granted, he did have some assets that people might find attractive but he didnt see it at all on a personal level. He had figured that thats what helped him in his journey since deciding to make it as a model. He didnt get complacent over the fact that people thought he was attractive. There was no time for that. Instead, he just did as he was directed to do, as well as turning up for auditions and interviews.

An audition isnt what youd expect to be, like with a show or a movie. An audition was where designers, photographers, make-up artists, journalists and managers alike would study you: your face, your body, your posture, your attitude, your everything. As time got on, these auditions became much shorter as they had seen him time and time again. He even once just walked into the room at Ralph Lauren and was told he had the job.

He shrugged his jacket off and turned around to see Santana sitting on the sofa in their living room, which was really just the same area of their loft apartment that they had sectioned off 5 years ago. She looked annoyed as she scrolled on her iPad, only looking up when Kurt sat on the recliner next to the sofa. She huffed, "Oh good, youre home. Look at what Anderson has been tweeting."

Kurt rolled his eyes but took the iPad from her hands. Blaine Anderson was his main rival, although he had never met the man. Kurt had decided that he couldnt judge Blaine based on the fact that they auditioned for the same shoot and sometimes Blaine got the job instead. Kurt didnt hate him at all; Blaine was just trying to make his way in New York like he, Rachel, Finn and Santana were. He was in the same boat, right up to the fact that Blaine also had moved from Ohio.

Kurt read the three tweets that had gotten Santana all fired up:

Just seen @KEHummels Teen Vogue issue. I could wear that white blazer too. Id wear it better. Nice one, Teen Vogue!

Gucci Summer Collection 2013: bring it on. Can finally show some of these amateurs a thing or two!

How do 2 models live together? Surprised there hasnt been a murder scene down in Bushwick after a fight over trends #disappointing

Kurt shrugged and passed the iPad back, "Hes just being his usual cocky self. I dont see the problem."

Santana sniped back, "The problem is is that he is targeting us and ruining our image. Weve been building a wholesome, down-to-earth reputation, and hes just being obnoxious and a bully."

Kurt sat back in the recliner, his face remaining neutral, "So? Hes being a jerk, yes. But you cant judge a book by its cover, Santana. Thats what everyone does with us; they judge us by our looks and our attitude, but we cant afford to think like that. Weve got to know a person well enough before we can decide whether or not to like them. So thats why as of next month, Ill either be bitching with you or telling you that youve gotten it all wrong."

"And what makes you think I may have gotten it all wrong?" Santana huffed as she threw her tablet carelessly on the sofa next to her, causing Kurt to wince slightly at her negligence.

"Because..." Kurt paused to muse over Santanas question, "Because I think that once he gets to know me, well be able to relate on some level. Were both openly gay male models who are trying to make our way in New York having been raised in Ohio, struggling against homophobia and bullying. There will be things we can talk about and who knows? People can surprise you, Santana."

Santana shook her head, "Remember my Mexican third eye? Remember Brody? Remember Kyle? I havent been wrong once about anyone since I got here 4 and a half years ago, Hummel." She stood up and walked towards the curtained-off area of her and Finchels bedroom, having bought a bed for herself after the sofa had decidedly been too uncomfortable after sleeping on it for a year. She turned around to glare at Kurt, "Please, for the love of all the good things in this world, will you please show Anderson what youre made of at the Gucci Summer Collection Show?"

Kurt chuckled at her question, "Oh, dont worry about that. Once were out on that catwalk, alls fair in fashion and business."

Santana drew back the curtain, quickly mumbling in response, "Good." She walked through to her room and violently pulled the curtain across. Kurt could hear her sit down angrily as the bed springs squeaked over an extended period of time.

Once the squeaking stopped, Kurt had time to think. He thought about how Blaine Anderson seemed to have a grudge against him for all the wrong reasons. Blaine and him were different in many ways, but with that came similarities. They both grew up in Ohio under homophobic communities and were both on the same career path in the same big city. What made them different was that Blaine got away from the bullying in sophomore year, had a chance to make a name for himself and to be who he was without having to suffer through insults and taunts through all of high school. Blaine had a better chance at becoming less damaged and less fragile by any negative comments and reviews, therefore creating an attitude that was to die for when it came to modelling.

Kurt didnt have the attitude he should have when on shoots or strutting down the runway. He was surprised that he made it as a model at all. His Vogue mentor, Isabelle, had told him about how the fashion world was looking for more graceful models, and apparently he fit the part. Isabelle was the one to give him the final push between designing and modelling. Without her, he would have been designing clothes for Blaine to wear instead of competing against him in one of New Yorks most competitive career paths. But he didnt regret the decision for one second, and was glad he had a fairy godmother like Isabelle.

His train of thought was interrupted by the door sliding open. In came Rachel and Finn, hand-in-hand, discussing wedding details. Rachel was determined that after the whole break-up situation a few years back that she would rekindle her love with the one person that had truly ever mattered to her by way of being in love. Of course, Kurt and Santana mattered too, but on a friendship level instead of a relationship level.

Finn fell back onto the sofa before Rachel had even closed the door. He closed his eyes and rested his head back over the top of the sofa cushions. He looked exhausted, but it didnt surprise Kurt in the least. Finn went from working 3-hour shifts at the local 7/11 to anything up to 8 hours a day in lesson time, having become a dramatic arts teacher in an Alphabet City high school, as well as marking essays, running workshops and planning lessons for the weeks ahead. On top of all that, he was also planning a wedding; not the simple wedding Rachel and him almost had twice during senior year, but a full-on, extravagant wedding that was costing thousands of dollars. Thank grilled cheesus that Rachel was the breadwinner in the relationship. Kurt knew that on Finns salary, hed have to work for almost 6 more years before being able to afford it all.

Rachel sat down next to him, finally taking a breath from talking for what looked like a long time judging by Finns relieved expression. Kurt smiled a little at his stepbrother, knowing how difficult Rachel could be. Kurt was reminded of this as she spoke directly to him, "We saw Kyle in Starbucks just now."

Kurt held back a snort, "Did he make it out alive or did Finn throw a chair at him like the last time Brody came over to get the last of his things?"

Rachel rubbed her fiancés leg comfortingly as he shifted guiltily in memory of that day, "We were civil to him. He broke up with me because he was intimidated by my talent and Broadway status, remember? It wasnt like he had ever fallen out of love with me." Finn looked up at her and scowled as she continued, "But I was never really in love with him. It was always you, sweetie. No matter how many guys I meet, Ill always be with you because in August, well be married."

Kurt stood up, his body language negative and annoyed, "You know what? Thats great, Rachel. Thats truly fantastic."

He began to walk into his partition of the loft when Rachel walked up behind him, "Whats that tone for?"

He turned around, fists clenched by his side, "Lets see. My magazine cover came out today, which you havent even so much as congratulated me on. You wont stop talking about the wedding and Broadway. Seriously, Rachel, it makes me not want to go to a Broadway show or a wedding ever again. I have Blaine Anderson bad-mouthing me on Twitter, and I have to meet him at the end of the month. Plus, I have to deal with Santana dragging her bed into my room every other night, both of us wearing ear plugs or bonding over how were having to live with a sexually active couple. In fact, shes currently higher than you in the friends rankings because of how self-absorbed youre being. Im sorry, but we agreed that I would get my own space because I have the smaller room. Right now, I just cant take any more crazy about how you have guys after you like it means nothing, when it actually means something to other people, and I havent had a relationship since Adam four years ago, when I should have gone against my better judgement when you introduced us at that Christmas party. What are you trying to achieve? Are you trying to make me feel bad about my life more than I already do? Well, guess what? Its working."

He didnt stop to listen to Rachels crazy response, but instead pulled the curtain across angrily behind him before falling onto the bed and shoving a pillow over his head. Under normal circumstances, he would love Rachel but it was times like now when she wasnt even tolerable.

Here he was, in the Big Apple, with a great job and mostly supportive friends, but he was stuck in a loft in Bushwick after five years, wishing that he could upgrade to an apartment in Manhattan. The only thing holding him back was that both Santana and Finn begged him to stay after voicing his opinion whilst Rachel was at work one evening. He had offered to take them both with him, but Finn had remarked that he would being leaving his fiancée when they had just worked things out, and Santana made some snide comment about the effort of moving.

Kurt felt his phone vibrate in his jeans pocket. He reached down and slid it out, pushing the pillow away from his face. He opened his phone, angrily pressing on the screen as he opened his texting app and read the latest text received:

From: Jeff Sterling

Hey, sorry about Blaines tweets this morning. I hope youre not mad at him for any of them. I honestly think that if you two got to know each other then youd be good friends but hes being stubborn - Jeff

To: Jeff Sterling

Hi Jeff. Its fine. Im fine. He can be a jerk if he wants to, but Im not mad at him. I cant judge someone until I know them. I think it would be unlikely that we would ever be friends though - Kurt

Kurt looked up when he heard the curtain of his room draw back, and then closed again. Santana stood next to his bed, arms crossed, a rare sympathetic look on her face, "Thank you."

"For what?" Kurt questioned quietly so that way Rachel didnt hear him. He didnt want her coming in and starting an entirely new issue by accusing him of hating her. He didnt hate her. He just hated how she was being right now.

Santana perched on the edge of his bed as he sat up to rest his back against the bricks of their lofts outer walls, "For having a rant at Rachel. She needs to be put in her place." She paused before adding, "Plus, I know youre stressed out right now and Im glad that that explosion wasnt aimed at me." Kurt smiled slightly before staring off into the distance, glad that he had boarded up the back of the bookshelf for privacy. Santana placed her hand on his shoulder, "Want to talk about any of it?"

Kurt closed his eyes and shook his head, "No, but thank you for the concern, Santana." He fluttered his eyes open, looking into her dark brown ones as she held her sympathetic gaze, giving in as he started to vent, "Do you ever feel like youre stuck because theres nowhere else to move forward to? Do you ever feel like youve reached your limit? Like youre never going to top what you have now?"

"Sometimes I do, Hummel. But do you know what happens?" Kurt shook his head and watched Santanas steady gaze as she continued to speak, "Something always comes along and tops it. Theres always something that can make life better. For example, Brit and I are making the long distance thing work and soon shell be finished at MIT and we might move into a Manhattan apartment together. A 2-bedroom apartment. One bedroom would be available to anyone who wants it."

Kurt questioned, "Are you hinting that I should come live with you and Brittany when she moves to New York?"

Santana replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Yes, Hummel. Would you rather be here with no walls for privacy and noise-cancelling or in an apartment with walls where you can control your doses of Berry and Hudson?"

Kurt sat forward and hugged her, "I want the walls. I want the control. I want the privacy."

"I know you do. I may be a hardcore bitch, but Im also a kick-ass friend." She patted him on the back before leaving his hug and standing up, "Im making coffee. Do you want one?"

Kurt smiled as he sat back against the wall once more, "Are you able to make a non-fat mocha with what we have?"

Santana smiled back, "We always have your non-fat mocha available in the comfort of your own apartment."

"Thank you." Kurt mumbled as Santana drew the curtain back and walked over to the kitchen, only half closing the curtain as she left.

Kurt closed his eyes and thought about everything that had happened just during that morning alone. His mind was filled with so many thoughts and emotions that he was surprised that he wasnt in less control than he had just been. His mind began to drift to his happy place, a small park that he had once visited in Columbus with his dad a decade ago that may have been a distant memory, but it was where his mind wandered to when he needed to relax.

Santana returned a couple of minutes later, mug in hand. It was only when she sat on the bed by Kurts feet that he opened his eyes and gladly accepted the mug she was holding out for him. After a couple more minutes of a comfortable silence as they nursed their drinks, Santana having made herself a latte, Kurt spoke up, "Should I be worried about this fashion show? I mean, its Gucci. Ive never modelled for them. It should excite me and yet, Anderson is making me feel insecure about it all."

"Okay, Hummel, let me stop you right there." Santana stretched her arm out to place her mug on the bedside table before continuing, "Anderson is trying to psych you out so that way you fail. Hes playing these mind games in hope that you will do something wrong and that your reputation will be damaged as a result. But Auntie Tana wont let that happen because you are going to dump your agent for that night and take me with you so I can speak my mind to Anderson if he even puts his pinky out of line."

Kurt smiled sheepishly, "So what should I do until then?"

Kurt knew the smirk Santana was wearing. He knew that she reserved it for when she was about to put one of her devious plans into action. She kept her smirk as she responded, "Right now, we start playing mind games too."

She took her phone out of her pocket and typed in her passcode before opening the Twitter app. Kurts voice shook as he asked, "What are you doing?"

"Tweeting Anderson a piece of my mind."

Kurt attempted to snatch the phone off of Santana, but with no success, "Santana, you cant. Were better than this. Youve come so far from the bitch you were in high school and stooping to his level is making you return to that."

Santana feigned offence as she gasped, "You did not just call me a bitch."

"No," Kurt said steadily as he attempted to take Santanas phone once more, "I implied that you used to be a bitch. Anyway, you admitted yourself not 10 minutes ago that you are. At least Ive put that side of you in the past."

Santana chuckled slightly, "Come on, Hummel. Just one tweet. Then well spend the rest of the month ignoring any of his tweets and not even communicate with him in the slightest."

Kurt sighed in defeat and looked over Santanas shoulder as she typed:

@BlaineAndersonNY Let me know when youve removed your head from your ass 

Before Kurt could stop her, she tweeted it. He said with concern, "That was a bit over the top, Santana."

"Relax, Hummel. Its not like its worse than his constant insults at us." Santana pointed out.

Kurt was unable to think of a response so instead he just sat back and continued to sip his mocha whilst he thought about what the feud even meant in the first place. It was mainly between him and Blaine as they were both vying for the top spot in the fashion scene. Neither of them could stand to share the spotlight and that was the main issue. It didnt help that they both had different aspects of themselves that were sought for by designers and photographers citywide. Blaine had this bad boy attitude, which made him appear sexy and hence all the women love his photo shoots, and therefore the designers have a regular increase in clientele. But Kurt brings something that Blaine will never have: grace. Everything about Kurt may not have given him a bad boy persona, but instead he has fallen into the graceful category, where every photo was as if he was an angel from above, or so he had been told. The more he thought about the contrast, the more he realised that Blaine and him were like heaven and hell. The question that buzzed through Kurts mind was what would happen if heaven and hell were to collide?

And he knew he was going to find out soon. It was set in stone. And even if it wasnt for Gucci, they would have to meet at some point, wouldnt they? Thats what Kurt believed anyway. There would have been something else, where he would finally be able to judge Blaine through what he had seen face-to-face and not what he had witnessed through interviews and obnoxious tweets.

And for all Kurt knew, he could be able to convince Blaine that it wasnt the end of the world that they were both a huge success, because they were both doing well in this business and thats all that should matter. Kurt believed that the art itself was more important that who was the better model, even if at times his mind was caught in the competition.

Soon, the New York fashion scene would be at peace, or so Kurt believed.

Teen Vogue - April 2013 edition

PAGE 8 - KURT HUMMELS JOURNEY INTO MODELLING

Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, 23, was born and raised in Ohio throughout his entire childhood. Throughout his four-year career, we have heard about many small facts about Kurt: hes openly gay, he didnt have an easy time growing up and he originally wanted to be on Broadway. We caught up with Kurt in our Manhattan office where he answered some of our need-to-know questions as well as striking a few poses for us.

VOGUE: How would you describe your childhood?

Kurt: I dont really know where to start. It was different from the typical small-town kid. In Ohio, if youre seen as special or different in any way, the world seems to make it their mission to make you feel small and unimportant. I spent a lot of my childhood reassuring myself that being different from the other boys was okay, and I had supportive parents to guide me through that. They embraced me as I was and were always there for me when I needed support.

VOGUE: Youve been snapped by the paparazzi all the time with your dad whenever he visits, but never with your mom. Why is that?

Kurt: Its still not that easy for me to talk about it but my mom died in a car accident when I was just 7 years old, and in a way I blame myself for it. It was having a bad day, having lost my first ever designer jacket when I had put it down in the playground at school that morning. So my mom went to the store to get me my favourite ice cream and on her way back, a drunk driver crashed into her car head-on. Needless to say, it was the worst day of my life and I miss my mom every day. 

VOGUE: Do you think she would have been proud of you if she were still alive?

Kurt: Id like to think that. From what I remember of her, she was the most caring person ever, and no matter what I did, whether it was practising chords on the piano or if I had drawn an awful representation of her, shed always smile and praise me. I guess thats one of the things I love about her. No matter what, she never made me feel bad, and thats why I believe she would be proud.

VOGUE: How was it when you came out of the closet?

Kurt: Terrible. Absolutely terrible. I came out during sophomore year because my good friend, Mercedes Jones (who I should mention has her third fabulous album release later this year), had developed a crush on me. Needless to say, I felt uncomfortable about the entire thing. At the same time though, I felt it was the right moment in my life to do it, otherwise for all I know, I could have still been in the closet.

VOGUE: What were your friends like during high school?

Kurt: Well, they were all performers, seeing as my social circle was entirely made up of Glee Club members. They were the only people who accepted me throughout high school. They were all very talented, although I wouldnt have admitted it to them back then, and they were dramatic, threatening to quit every other week, but in a sense they felt like family to me. A lot of them still do. I love all the memories I have with them, and Im still in touch with all of them, especially Rachel (Broadway star), Finn (drama teacher) and Santana (model) seeing as I live with them.

VOGUE: How did you decide to go into modelling?

Kurt: Well after I auditioned for NYADA in hope to pursue Broadway acting and didnt get in, my dad pushed me into going to New York anyway to figure everything out once I got here. I moved in with Rachel who then told me about how [our parent company] vogue.com was looking for interns. So I went for the interview and ended up working with Isabelle Wright, who I love to bits. She helped me realise my eye for fashion. However, everyone else in the company kept on thinking I was a model and so were guiding me to photo shoots, and after a long talk with Isabelle and then my dad, I decided it was my new dream, and now here I am.

VOGUE: Within this business comes plenty of competition. What do you have to say about your main rival, Blaine Anderson?

Kurt: Ive never had the pleasure of meeting Blaine because hes constantly applying for the same jobs as me, but I cant deny that hes good-looking. I believe were both attending the Gucci Summer Collection Show at the end of the month, so maybe Ill find out who the man behind the competition really is.

VOGUE: Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

Kurt: Well, I think I would be too old for modelling by that point, so maybe I would go into designing the clothes like I initially intended to with my internship at vogue.com; I think it would be good for me to not change my career path too much as that way I dont have to make any dramatic lifestyle changes, such as changing my sleeping pattern or finding an apartment closer to work. I know where the majority of the designers are based and they are all easy for me to get to, so I can continue to inspire the fashion world in another way with plenty of ease.

VOGUE: Do you think youll be back at Teen Vogue soon for another catch-up?

Kurt: Of course, its always a pleasure to visit any Vogue department. Your entire company is so friendly and I enjoy just visiting the offices, never mind the interviews and photoshoots. Vogue always has such a great energy and I used to love working here full-time. Thank you for being so welcoming as usual. This is one of the best parts to a modelling career: the positive energy you get in these offices. Its a great experience, some of the best years of my life.