Denver, Colo.- Kelly Holmes was 20 years old and unable to get regular jobs as a fashion model, she felt, because of her Native American heritage. She was told on occasion that her looks were too exotic or that her skin was too brown.
It wasn't the only time she felt out of place. Originally from Eagle Butte, South Dakota, on the Cheyenne River Reservation, when Kelly's family moved to Denver, she was suddenly a rarity in school instead of one of many Lakota students. To overcome the awkwardness, she poured her focus into any aspects of fashion. That's when she started modeling and learned the road was going to be tougher than she expected.
Kelly decided to make her own new opportunities and opportunities for other Native Americans. She created a fashion magazine that features "positive talents and stories of indigenous peoples of Indian Country."
"I remember I told my mom there should be a magazine out there that should give everybody a shot," Holmes told CBS4 news station in Denver.
Now Native Max Magazine has been in print for six years. And others have joined her team. Kelly says a whole group of people work on the magazine, who are from different tribes and different parts of the country.
And Kelly's commitment to her passion continues to open doors for her. Besides leading the magazine, she is also the director of Native Fashion in the City, an annual fashion show in Denver.
To see issues of Native Max Magazine, go to https://issuu.com/thenativemaxmagazine
