Twins
Kevin and Jaqi Clements had their twins earlier than they expected, nonetheless, the children were born perfectly healthy and rather adorable. The family was happy to have their two newest additions Ave Marie and Leah Rose Clements back in 2010.
The twins were astonishingly beautiful and with their mother’s help they’ve taken up modeling. We’ve got some photos of the twins that the internet has been going crazy over.
Earlier Than Expected
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It was July 7, 2010, when Jaqi felt that it was time for the twins to be born. They decided to come out four and a half weeks early and it perplexed Jaqi as to why. But as time passed Jaqi felt that she knew why.
She said: “They came four and a half weeks early but knowing their personalities now it makes total sense that they would show up early, unannounced, and ready to take on anything,”
Great From The Start
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Soon after the twins came into the world, the family noticed how gorgeous they were. There’s a very good reason for all the compliments that they’ve gotten.
Ever since they were born no one could deny their good looks. They had smooth hair and silky hair. Their asymmetrical faces look like something from the cover of a magazine.
Everyone Said They Should Become Models
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Having kids this adorable means you’ll get lots of compliments. Ever since she had Ava Maire and Leah Rose she heard friends and strangers alike say the same things.
She says they’d particularly say: “Wow they are so beautiful, you should really think about getting them into modeling,” So Jaqi decided it was time to see if they could actually make it.
Modeling Was Too Much With Three Kids
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After Jaqi finally tried to get her children into modeling, she found they had what it takes. After the children were six months old, they were hired by a modeling agency in L.A.
Jaqi was already looking after her two-year-old son so everything was piling up on her. She said: “It was hard enough to get out of the door most days so my attempt back then was short-lived and I decided it just wasn’t the time,” Her first time getting the twins involved in modeling only lasted three months.
A Normal Life
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Jaqi was tempted to guide her twins towards modeling. But she knew it wasn’t right to push them at the time. She thought that the best decision was to raise them like all their friends were being raised.
Jaqi didn’t regret taking them out of modeling. But as the months passed, things started changing. Then something extraordinary happened next.
What Did The Girls Want?
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Jaqi soon forgot about the modeling altogether while she raised her three kids. But the twins hadn’t forgotten. Jaqi had to consider what they wanted.
She wanted to keep them happy but didn’t want to put any pressure on them either. She had to make sure that the twins had equal say in the matter.
The Right Moment
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The problem with seeing what the girls wanted was the fact that they were still only toddlers, they couldn’t properly project what they wanted or what their opinions were.
Since the twins found it hard to communicate effectively, the couple didn’t know what to do. They reflected on it for a while and considered when it would be the right time for the twins to decide for themselves.
Lucky Seven
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One thing that Jaqi always looked for were signs. It’s no coincidence her children were born 7/7. Jaqi said it’s her lucky number.
The girls were soon going to turn seven. Jaqi took it as a sign that this year they’d be seven on July 7, 2017. She believed it had to be.
Telling The Girls The Idea
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When Ava and Leah were seven Jaqi could see they’d matured enough to have their own distinct personalities. They even liked their own extracurricular activities such as swim and dance.
Jaqi told them on their birthday: “I presented my idea to the girls that, if they were up for it, in addition to their dance classes and swim team practices they had every week, they could give modeling a try.”
Ready
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The twins really loved performing for people. They perform for friends, neighbors and even strangers alike. Jaqi admitted she didn’t know where this personality trait came from.
She said: “I was not surprised at all when they started jumping up and down and couldn’t wait to begin!” They were ready for modeling
And The Modeling Kicks Off Again
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Now that the kids were older and excited about modeling, the process would most likely go much smoother. Luckily, Jaqi’s neighbor had recently opened a children’s boutique. She needed some models to help market the new business.
The twins got the job. “Plus, I needed some new photos if I was going to get them an agent so I figured this would be a great opportunity for all of us,” Jaqi said.
Starting Off Slow
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The girls were still young. Having them put on loads of makeup and wear a collection of pretty clothes could be detrimental to their development, so Jaqi took things slow.
Jaqi took matters into her own hands at the beginning. “I dug out my 10-year-old Nikon camera from a bin in the garage, put a few waves in the girl’s hair, dabbed on a little blush, and out we went to take some pictures,” said Jaqi.
Some Wrinkles To Iron Out
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Naturally, Ava and Leah have stunning looks, but that doesn’t mean they intuitively know how to model. Some things take time. Jaqi learned that first hand during her first shoot with the twins.
“Ava would look at the camera while Leah would stare off into space… Leah would accidentally bump into Ava who of course thought it was on purpose and would shove her back,” Jaqi recalled. They’re young, and she had to cut them a lot of slack.
Getting Back With An Agency
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Now that the family was all aboard the modeling train, Jaqi had to get the girls back with an agent. She worried that it would be hard to find one since six years went by after the first attempt.
“I still had a handful of contacts, so I decided to start there,” she said. “To my surprise, I heard back from almost every single one asking to set up a time to meet the girls.” They ended up signing with two agencies but trouble brewed behind the scenes.
The Double Agency Dilemma
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Jaqi assumed having two agencies representing her daughters meant more opportunity and exposure for them. Everything was going fine until one of the agencies gave her a call.
“Hi, we wanted to let you know we were able to get the girls straight through to a callback for a Barbie Audition tomorrow,” the agent told Jaqi. She panicked because the girls had just gone to the same audition with their other agent. She revealed the truth and matters got fixed in a few hours.
Social Media Explosion
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Jaqi started an Instagram for the girls called @clementstwins in July of 2017. She had no clue what she was doing or if 300,000 followers is a lot. Low and behold, the page started to blow up.
The goal of the Instagram account was to serve as a portfolio for agencies and to gain a fanbase. It ended up becoming all that and then some.
Jaqi’s Instagram Learning Curve
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The beauty of the twins was only partly the reason for the success their Instagram account. There were some tactics that Jaqi had to use to help gain all the followers she did. She spilled the beans on a few secrets.
“Now, a little over five months later, the girls have over 380,000 followers,” she started. “One thing I know for sure if it’s ALL about the pictures… so don’t settle for an average photographer because you want to save a few dollars.” You hear that folks? Take quality pictures.
Why 2017 Was Their Year
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2017 was an excellent year for the twins and their whole family. Outside of Ava and Leah opting into modeling, Jaqi had a hunch 2017 would be lucky, regardless.
“Aside from the fact that I’m a huge believer in signs and have been told by almost everyone that 7 is a lucky number, I just had a feeling that this year was going to be a fun and exciting year for them,” Jaqi explained. A mother’s intuition is often correct.
All In The Family
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Ava and Leah were becoming successful, but their older brother Chase proved to be a talented kid as well. Chase signed with the same agencies as his younger sisters and has a little extra on his resume.
Not only does Chase model, but he also knows how to act. He has been in a few commercials as well.
Job Offers Everywhere
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It wasn’t long before everyone learned that the girls had the nature for modeling. Soon after they decided to give modeling a try, they already had six jobs in the span of a week.
While this might have tired most little girls out they couldn’t get enough of it and wanted to do more.
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
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Jaqi is relatively new to the industry. She had no prior knowledge before diving in. As time goes on, she is learning more about the business and says there are highs and lows.
On her blog, she lists the good, the bad and ugly aspects of this modeling world. She says the most important thing she’s learned, “is before trusting someone to guide you, make sure you know who you are getting involved with.”
One of The Hardest Challenges
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For the girls and their mother, one of the hardest aspects of their new lives in the modeling world is just LA traffic.
They go into downtown Los Angeles several times a week which can sometimes turn into 5 to 6 hour-long roundtrip drives. Although this may sound brutal, it’s the name of the game, and they’ve learned to deal with it.
Finding The Right Guidance
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Since Jaqi needs guidance but wants to make sure she’s getting the right advice from the right people, she has a series of questions that she asks herself before working with someone.
She believes that if anything ever seems off, to go with your gut feeling and to always do thorough research, because it will pay off in the long run. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Trying To Ignore The Negativity
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Jaqi also discusses the struggles of dealing with negative comments or backlash that is directed at her daughters or her family. Although she knows to ignore the negativity and focus on the positive feedback, it isn’t always easy.
She feels a lot of pressure to protect her family and fight back but reminds herself that “If you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all.”
“They Look Sad”
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A comment that the girl’s frequent receive is that they look sad all the time. Some even take this to mean that they’re being forced to model and that they aren’t having fun.
They respond by saying that some photoshoots are supposed to be more solemn then others and that if you ever met them, you’d know that they are far from sad.
Stance On Makeup
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One of the biggest questions that the family gets is if the girls are wearing makeup. Not everybody thinks that it’s a big deal, except some of them think that the girls are a little young to be exposed to it at such a young age.
However, Jaqi comments by saying “ln most every job the girl’s book through their agency, or any professional photo shoot they attend, there is a hired hair and makeup artist on set. Why!? Because that’s how the industry works.”
Jaqi’s Biggest Pet Peeve
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Although there’s endless backlash from the public about the girl’s modeling careers, the comment that she hates the most is when people say “Let them be kids”.
This annoys her as well as the girls because they haven’t been forced into modeling, it’s genuinely what they like to do and how they want to spend their time.
They Do Other Things Than Just Model
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Although modeling now takes up a fair amount of their time, the two twins are still average little girls. They still like to goof around during photo shoots, make music playlists in the car, and even get on each other’s nerves.
However, the two have always liked to dance and used to do it in front of the camera before they started modeling. Maybe that’s why they have a knack for it!
The Benefits of Living The Modeling Life
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Although the life of modeling can be exhausting with all of the traveling and scheduling, it has also helped to bring the family together.
They describe each trip as being a new experience that they get to share and they spend more time together than most families because of it. They meet new people and make new friends all the time which is part of the experience.