Jodean (Jo-deen) Amen is a female fashion model from Fort Collins. Amen is known for her striking, elegant appearance that can easily be molded to fit any desire’s vision. Her graceful walk mixed with her powerful presence make her a magnet to all eyes in a room.
Although the model has only worked in the modeling industry for a year, these factors granted her nomination as Denver Fashion Week’s (DFW) female model of the year.
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Amen has always loved fashion, or at least for as long as she can remember. Even when she was in elementary school, the now-model took great pride in her appearance and had a love for picking out outfits.
“When I was little, my favorite outfit was knee-high zebra-striped Converse and leggings under my shorts,” she said. Amen attributed her love of fashion to the experimental side of it.
Fashion grants her a simple way to try new things, even if it’s just the clothing she puts on that morning. It allows her to feel free, beautiful, and unique.
Amen has always known what she wanted to be a model. She remembers sitting at home with her mother as a child, watching the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Shows. Amen was obsessed with the power the women had.
Although she never said it aloud, she would always repeat one thing to herself: “I’m going to do that one day.”
When Amen inevitably became a model, she took her first gig walking for a fashion show in the fall 2023. She remembers feeling nervous but also excited. Being on the runway is something Amen said that she will never take for granted.
To grow as a model, Amen found asking photographers and designers what she could do to improve works best.
When posing for the camera, she finds that photographers are super helpful. Some advice given to her includes not putting her hand in front of her face, watching her posture and remembering not to be overconfident.
“I try to implement their suggestions and try all of their ideas,” she said.
Amen also practices posing in the mirror. It helps her be more present with herself and makes her feel more confident.
Amen has also taught herself how to keep her energy going pre runway. During hair and makeup, she gets super excited to walk but finds it difficult to uphold because of the lengthy process. To maintain her positive spirit, she mingles with her fellow models.
“When the room has good vibes — the show is going to be great,” she said.
Although the model has not been in the industry long, it’s her elegance and confidence on the runway that caught the attention of DFW. Amen has stated that she loves DFW because of just how fun it is.
The first time Amen attended, she participated in the model workshop run by DFW producer Nikki Strickler. This gave her enough confidence to attend casting where she then got selected to make her runway debut.
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“Every night and every show is so different,” she said. “I appreciate and thank the DFW staff, they are amazing and put in a lot of time and effort into making this happen.”
To anyone hoping to become a model, Amen leaves you with some pieces of advice: “Just believe that you can do whatever you put your mind to. Surround yourself with positive minded individuals. Find other models that have been in the industry longer and ask questions! Challenge yourself, get outside of your comfort zone and be a boss. Embrace rejection as a form of self-empowerment. If you have a ‘where your mind goes energy flows’ attitude, you can make a lot happen for yourself.”