Kim Larking
Founder
Kim Larking successfully established himself as one the most influential model management agents in New Zealand, scouting and managing many of the country’s most recognised international models during his 20 year career. Find out what has motivated him over the last ten years to develop Vision for Humanity and Vision for Humanity Products Charitable Trusts.
My story
I believe it’s important to share with you the story of what inspired me to become the founder of Vision for Humanity and Vision for Humanity Products Charitable Trusts.
All my life from the age of sixteen I have travelled the world, first as a back packer and later as a part of the fashion industry. As a result I have experienced a diverse range of cultures, attitudes, ideologies, values and beliefs within many socio economic situations. From personally experiencing two weeks of starvation and seeing packs of begging, limbless children with tin cans wired around their necks scouring the outer streets of Bombay on their stumps, to being back stage marvelling at the icons of glamour of Parisian Haute Couture. Life is extreme and like most everyone, I have experienced difficult challenges along with great reward.
What saddens me is that there are people on this earth who have to cope with poverty and disease everyday and have no opportunity to explore and to grow, let alone make a mistake. A lot of us will never understand what it really feels like to have no options. Equally there are people that should, by social premise, emanate happiness throughout their lives, yet don’t seem to be satisfied at all. Why is this the world we live in?
Ten years ago I was on the brink of realising my dream of opening Clyne Models New York. After years of planning, I was about to set off from my New York apartment to officially see my first four clients. Unfortunately, that morning turned out to be September 11th 2001.
I remember standing there, half way to the door, watching CNN while holding bags full of model’s portfolios. I was spell-bound by the unfolding events and what this would mean. I quickly realised that my dream would go no further that day as I witnessed the whole city contract upon itself and close down….more significantly all around the world people were catapulted into confronting their greatest fears and the fragility of life. But most of all it was the sense of all us being in this together that left its mark on me.
Needless to say I didn’t open my New York agency. Little did I know that this event would cement a change of direction in my life that had been seeded in a personal epiphany just one month earlier.
