Katarina Tagliamburis stood there in their local mall like she was frozen in time, mesmerized by her surroundings. The once, quiet, shy 3 year-old was now transformed into a confident young girl, captivated by the local fashion show in her hometown of Bakersfield, California. Once the show ended and the runway was empty, Katarina embraced her rightful place on the ramp with conviction showing them her swag. Marching down the center of the runway, Katarina pirouetted her frilly dress then, glanced at her parents, and exclaimed, “I want to do this!”
Never forgetting that moment, she showed signs of interest in fashion. By age 9, Katarina was styling her own wardrobe while also taking runway lessons. At age 12, she joined a local model and talent show, winning her first ever contract. By age 13, she participated in more competitions winning Model of the Year four times in a row.
At age 15, she met Fashion Photographer Vincent Gotti in San Francisco who saw potential in her. With his help and encouragement, Katarina embarked in an international modeling career with her first stint in Hong Kong. Inspired by Vincent and his passion and confidence in her ability, Katarina accepted a contract to model in Milan Italy. From there, she traveled numerous times to New York, gracing the runways during fashion week. Serious in her quest to be the best and while living in New York, Katarina was hand-picked by super model Coco Rocha to join her and other models at her modeling camp in upstate New York. This is where Katarina learned new skills that helped her hone her craft and use her full potential.
Moving forward, Katarina was forced to return from New York to California due to Covid-19, but that hasn’t stopped this powerhouse model from pushing forward toward her dream of becoming an even greater model. Since returning to her home state, she was able to reunite with Vincent Gotti where the chemistry between model and photographer has always been amazing. Being able to reconnect with Vincent is like lounging in a couch at home next to a warm fire. His work and encouragement as a friend and photographer is beyond measure.
Katarina is not the typical model. She has gone to great lengths to study and learn the many ways in which to perfect her craft. She has learned about top designer walks on the runway. Her knowledge and desire to learn more about fashion, styling, make-up, hair and color from top designers for each changing season enables her to succeed above the rest. Her ability to know her mark, angles, lighting and attitude toward wardrobe concept during shoots is impeccable! She is a delight to work with and delivers every single time! Her journey has only just begun as she looks toward the future with high hopes of achieving her goal of gracing many top designer runways.