Though Jaqi and Kevin Clements delivered their twins ahead of schedule, they came out beautiful and healthy from the start. When the Clements family welcomed Ava Marie and Leah Rose into the world in 2010, they knew their life would change but had no idea what an incredible surprise they were in for.
Between the girl’s unheard-of beauty and the help of their mother, they are both professional models even at such a young age. See for yourself these images of the Clements twin that have taken the internet by storm
Their Early Arrival
It came as a surprise at the time, July 7, 2010, when Jaqi Clements gave birth to her beautiful twin girls, Ava Marie and Leah Rose. They were four and a half weeks earlier than expected, yet, as the girls have grown and learned to express their personalities, Jaqi has come to understand why.
Jaqi commented on how in-line this behaviour is with who they are, saying “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.
Stars from the Start
Even from their infant days, family and strangers were always struck by the appearance of the twins. They were constantly showered with compliments because their beauty is absolutely incredible.
From the day they were born, these girls have had smooth skin, soft, silken hair, and completely symmetrical faces like you’d see on the front cover of a magazine. Strangers kept talking to Jaqi and Kevin about them.
But what exactly were the strangers saying?
Everyone Said the Same Thing: They Ought to Models!
While it’s truly an impossible task not to complement children, Jaqi received a certain level of enthusiasm with her daughters, that was quite out of the norm. Everywhere she went, Jaqi was continually told the same thing.
People would always come up to here and say, “Wow, they are so beautiful! You should consider getting them into modelling!” Eventually, she figured that they were onto something and took a shot to start the girls’ modelling careers.
With Three Kids, Modeling is a Lot to Keep Up With
After being continually pressured to turn the twin into models, Jaqi finally threw caution the wild and went for it. At six months old, she took them to an agency in Los Angeles to get them started.
However, Jaqi already had a two-year-old son to take care of, so this added a lot of pressure to her already busy life. Jaqi summarized the experience: “It was hard enough to get out of the door on most days, so my attempt back them was short-lived, and I decided it just wasn’t the time.” This first attempt was over after three months.
Leading a Normal Life
Though she was enticed by the glamour of guiding her kids through a life of modelling, she knew that it just wasn’t right at the time. Jaqi thought that she should raise the twins with their peers, at least for a while.
She is said to say that she had no regrets of pulled her children out of modelling since they were so young. However, over time, things gradually changed. Do you have a guess about what happened next?
What Do the Girls Want?
Though the busy life of a mom made her leave behind the girl’s modelling career, the twins weren’t ready to see it off. Though their three months were over, Jaqi realized that she also needed to take the twins’ dreams into account.
Like any modern and thoughtful mother, Jaqi main focus was to keep the kids happy, she didn’t want to pressure them one way or another. The only solution was to ask Ava and Leah what they wanted to do.
Waiting for the Perfect Moment
However, there was one problem: the girls were still toddlers! At that age, they couldn’t really make their own decisions or form opinions and it was obvious that the choice was Jaqi and her husbands to make.
But without being able to get any information from them, the parents were confounded. They spent a long time considering how to ask and when was the right time to let the twins decide on their own.
Lucky Number Seven
The one thing that set Jaqi apart from the rest was a) she had created gorgeous twins and b)she believed in signs. She saw significance in the fact that the girls were born on July 7th, 7/7 and after all, seven was Jaqi’s lucky number.
So, the decision was made. All modelling contracts were put on hold until the girls’ seventh birthday, which was approaching, July 7th, 2017. The years sped by as Jaqi’s kids grew into their beauty and started developing their own opinions.
Presenting the Idea to the Girls
By their seventh birthday, Ava and Leah had both developed into lively children with personalities of their own. They enjoyed fun activities like dancing, swimming and like many kids their age, loved to perform.
On the day of their birthday, Jaqi didn’t tiptoe around the question and straight-up asked them if they wanted to try modelling in addition to their dance classes and swim team practices.
What do you think the girls said?
Ready for Action
Jaqi says that, even though she doesn’t know where they got it from, the girls absolutely love performing at every opportunity. Whether it’s a friend, neighbours, or strangers, the twins appreciate any audience.
Of course, they were extremely excited by the idea of becoming models. Jaqi expressed, “I was not surprised at all when they started jumping up and down and couldn’t wait to begin!”
The Model Starts Again
Now that Leah and Ava were older and pumped up to start modelling, the process went much smoother. Even better for Jaqi, one of her neighbours had recently opened a children’s boutique and needed some models to market the business.
So the young twins started their first official job as models. “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,” said Jaqi.
Slowly Starting Off
Since the girls were young and she didn’t want to stunt their development, Jaqi decided to take things slow. This meant not having them put on loads of makeup or wear too much pretty clothes.
At this stage, Jaqi took things into her own hands, explaining, “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.”
Ironing Out the Wrinkles
Even though Ava and Leah are naturally gorgeous, that doesn’t necessarily translate to an intuitive grasp of modelling. Certain things take time, and Jaqi learned this lesson first hand during that first short with the girls.
“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 reminisced. Since they were still young, she had to go easy on them.
Back with an Agency
Now that they were ready to get back into the spotlight, Jaqi has to find an agent for the girls. Since it had been six years since their last attempt, she worried that it would be hard to find one.
Jaqi was amazed by the enthusiasm by which she was greeted: “I still had a handful of contacts, so I decided to start there,” she explained. “To my surprise, I heard back from almost every single one asking to set up a time to meet the girls.” They eventually signed with two agencies… but there was trouble brewing behind the scenes!
Can you guess what happened next?
The Double Agency Dilemma
Jaqi initially thought that having two agencies was a good idea because it would give more exposure and opportunities to her daughters. Everything was going well, until one day when 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 said. Jaqi panicked because the twins had, in fact, just finished the same audition with the other agent! Jaqi decided to tell the truth, and everything was fixed within a matter of hours.
Social Media Explosion
In July of 2017, Jaqi began the girl’s new Instagram account @clementstwins. At first, she was unsure of how to go about it, new to social media she just wanted the account to act as a portfolio for agencies.
What she never expected was that her little side project for the girls would lead to 300,000 followers and before she knew it, the page was instantly a success and had built the girls a solid fanbase.
Jaqi Learns the Instagram Ropes
Their incredible beauty was only partly responsible for their Instagram success. Jaqi also used some wise moves to gain so many follows, and she let us in on some of her secrets. “Now, a little over five months later, the girls have over 380,000 followers,” she said.
“One thing I know for sure is it’s ALL about the pictures… so don’t settle for an average photographer because you want to save a few dollars.” She posed the girls in various poses, around the city and thoughtfully chose each image to help promote their brand.
2017, The Year of Success
The entire family, especially the twins, enjoyed a tremendous 2017. Even without Ava and Leah rocketing into modelling fame, Jaqi just knew that 2017 would be a lucky year either way.
“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,” explained Jaqi. We should trust a mother’s gut feeling.
The Whole Family
It looks like this whole family is full of talented individuals. WhileAva and Leah were becoming online celebrities, their older brother, Chase, proved himself to be a talented one as well.
He also got himself signed onto the same agencies as his younger sisters, bringing with him not only an ability to model but also an acting talent. He can also be seen in some commercials.
Jobs Pouring In
As word about their incredible beauty and talent spread around town, the job offers soon starting pouring in for Ava and Leah. Within no time at all, they had six jobs over the course of a single week.
This might seem a little startling at first, small children working six different jobs a week but a thing to note in that each shoot, lasted no more than a couple of hours and the girls themselves just couldn’t get enough and always wanted to do more.
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Since Jaqi was new yo the industry, she had no prior connections or peers she could ask for advice and all she could do was just dive straight in. However, as she gained more experience, she saw both the highs and lows of modelling.
On her personal blog, she goes over the good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of this industry. One of her best tips is “before trusting someone to guide you, make sure you know who you are getting involved with.”
Another Great Challenge
More than anything else, she says that one of the greatest challenges for these girls and her is just managing LA traffic. It’s quite funny that the tough world of modelling doesn’t seem daunting to these young girls but getting stuck in traffic does!
They take the trip downtown several times each week, and this can sometimes lead to five or six hours in the car. Jokes aside, It’s certainly difficult, but they’ve managed to deal with it because of their love of modelling.
Finding the Right Guide
Jaqi can’t figure everything out herself, but she also needs to make sure that she’s being led by a reliable source. She’s developed a series of questions to ask before working with anyone.
One of her biggest advice to anyone just starting out is putting trust on your own instincts especially if something seems a little off and also to always conducts research beforehand because it always pays off.
Trying to Ignore the Negativity
The internet is a cruel place, and Jaqi has had to learn to deal with negative comments and backlash directed at herself, her daughters, and her family. It’s not always easy to ignore, but she tries to focus on the positive.
She also always feels pressure to protect her family and fight back, though she sticks to the saying “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” but since child modelling is such a polarizing topic, it does get hard for Jaqi to always defend herself and her parental choices.
“They Look Sad”
People often comment that the girl’s look sad, and sometimes this is taken to mean that the twins are forced to model and not having fun. The girls, however, say that some photoshoots are supposed to be more solemn than others.
They make a point that their “sad” faces are considered high-end or even neutral in the world of modelling and, of course, if given the chance to meet them, then you’d know for sure that they are anything but sad.
About Make-up
Another thing that people often asks about is if the girls wear any makeup. When they hear the girls do, most people don’t think it’s a big deal, but some consider the twins too young to be exposed to wearing makeup.
Jaqi, however, retorts by saying, “In almost every job the girls’ book, through their agency or any professional photoshoot that they attend, there is a hired hair and makeup artist on set. Why!? Because that’s how the industry works.
Jaqi’s #1 Pet Peeve
Regardless of all of the negativity that she receives about the girls’ modelling career, the comment that she just can’t stand is when people say, “let them just be kids”. She particularly dislikes this one since no one really understands and knows the inside details.
For starters, the girls aren’t being forced into modelling; it’s what they love to do and how they want to spend their time. She wants everyone to know that it’s their decision and she just fully supports their choices.
They Don’t Just Only Model
Even though a lot of their time is taken up by modelling, the twins are still normal little girls. They enjoy goofing around during photo shoots making playlists of their favourite music during the long drives, and they even get on each other’s nerves sometimes.
They have always loved to dance as well, and they even used to do it in front of the camera before they started professional modelling. We have to say that these girls have some very talented genes!
Modelling has its benefits
Even after enduring the hardships of long travels and tiresome scheduling, the modelling life has also helped to bring the family together. The Clements describes each trip as a new experience to share.
They not only get to spend more time together than most families, who more or less spend their days in separate rooms but they say beyond that, they are always meeting new people and making new friends.
Extra Benefits
Apart from this extra family time and making new friends with kids their age, there are even more benefits for the girls. They often receive new products and clothing from companies.
They also love trying them out at photoshoots. This respectable cycle helps the twins feel fulfilled while the companies get promoted through them tagging them on their photos or giving them shout outs on their social media.
How to Create an Instagram Following
Their Instagram which once celebrated 300,000 Instragam followers now has 1.5 million of them and the girls, in their own right have become celebrities. Their hard work is not only securing their future but giving them a life that is full of adventure.
Thankfully, Jaqi has a few tips that brought her little girls from beginner to Rockstar status on Instagram. Even Jaqi herself started out as a novice, yet have become an expert in the subject.
You won’t believe some of Jaqi’s personal secrets!
Post Frequency
If you post too often, then people may get sick of seeing your photos, but if you don’t post often enough, then people may forget about you. For this reason, Jaqi recommends moderation when it comes to posting frequency.
It is especially important not to overpost, as people may start unfollowing you for taking up too much of their timeline. The most important thing is collecting and keeping followers which is a tricky balance, Jaqi has managed to achieve.
33.The Importance of Hashtags
Hashtags are another strategy that has worked well for the girls’ Instagram account. Jaqi has her own formula for gaining the most exposure possible without hashtagging too aggressively.She also looks at similarly aged model’s accounts to see what hashtags they are using, that way they all be connected. It also makes it easier to be found by marketing agencies looking for younger models.
Tags Lead to More Likes
Another important factor for the twins’ Instagram success is tags. It shows appreciation for photographers, makeup artists, hairstylist, and all the backstage people which help the girls do what they love.
She uses the tags sparingly and when somebody searches for those professionals Jaqi will always tag the comments and the picture so that the tag is sure to stand out. We love that Jaqi puts so much thoughtfulness even in such little gestures.
Following the Right People
In the beginning, Jaqi followed all sorts of people that she wanted to follow her back, such as photographers, other kid models, kids’ stores, and more. Now, she thinks that was a rookie move.
After acquiring her large following, she then decided to keep following only the pages that she actually wanted to follow since having a small followers number makes her timeline look clean and efficient.
Comment!
Jaqi also loves to take advantage of the comments section on other people’s photos. She will regularly comment on the photos of other models, photographers, etc, to strike up a conversation.
This little top not only helps create initiate contact between two models or agencies but it also benefits to create relationships and familiarize yourself with other people’s fan bases. Jaqi has actually made quite a few new friends through the comment section.
The Right Trends
Of course, the public tends to like certain pictures more than others. Jaqi noticed that they get more likes on pictures where both girls were in the picture and were wearing some sort of colour-coordinated outfit.
She thinks the reason these pictures gets the most attention is because of their striking features, which are enhanced when they dress like “dolls” and thus captivates the audience.
Where They Got Their Outfits
From the start, the girls didn’t only get attention for their cute looks, but also for their adorable clothes! People loved to see their matching outfits which always followed the latest trends. To ensure that they were always wearing the best clothes, Jaqi borrowed clothes from her neighbour, the owner of a children’s boutique, in exchange for promoting her store on Instagram. Talk about a win-win situation!
Honesty is the Best Policy
As the family has learned and grown with the professional modelling world, their number one lesson is as old as time itself: honesty is always the best policy. A motto we think is simple to say and harder to abide by.
No matter what they’re working on, whether it’s with a photographer, agency, or other models, they always say what’s on their mind to keep everything straight and to build a positive reputation.
They’ll Go as Long As They Want
The whole family, including the girls and the older brother, has come to a mutual understanding that they will only continue on in the modelling business for as long as everyone finds agreeable. The parents will gladly continue supporting their modelling dreams for as long as they are happy, but, whenever they want to stop, they are free to at any moment. The most important thing is that the children are happy.