Human Interest

How This Model Landed A Spot In Big Sean's Puma Campaign

Sometimes you've gotta dress for the part you want, even if you don't know where you're going.

Imagine creating a faux ad campaign for Fenty Beauty in hopes of getting the attention of Rihanna and boom — you catch the attention of Big Sean in the process.

Whoa there!

Recently, model Widny Bazile revealed that she was handpicked by rapper Big Sean for his latest ad campaign with PUMA. She posted to her Instagram the news of the campaign and that it was not only a dream come true, but was one she'd spoken into existence to family, friends, and just about anybody who would listen:

What makes the opportunity even more special is that back in December, the Haitian-American model conceptualized and posed in a series of photos inspired by Rihanna's 'Fenty Beauty' line, in hopes of catching the attention of Rih. Between the 21-year-old's stunning features and the dope creative concept of the shoot, the mock campaign soon went viral.

And while Widny didn't land the role with Rihanna, she did get the attention of rapper Big Sean, who recruited the stunner for his 2018 Puma ad. And well, the rest is sort of history.

Not bad for the #Navy fan who, despite starring in over a dozen music videos, confessed that she'd also been turned down for a feature in Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar's "Loyalty," video last year. Widny might have missed her opportunity to work with Bad Gal Rih a couple times, but there is no denying she is getting closer. After all, Rih is part of the PUMA family, and this could easily all be a part of Windy's bigger journey (remember Tiffany Haddish's chance run-ins with Oprah?)

It's clear that the "stars" are already aligning in Widny's favor — literally.

Widny's testimony sheds light on the old adage that you miss 100% of the shots that you don't take. She had a dream, and instead of waiting for the opportunity to see her dream fulfilled, she created it - set on the truth of her being the visionary and the writer of her own life. You have to chase after the things that you want and do so with fervor.

Just before her 21st birthday, Widny opened up about moving to America at the age of 12, and how she eventually moved from Boston to Atlanta, and eventually LA with only $50 to her name to pursue her modeling dreams:

Back home in Haiti, people used to call me 'The Mannequin.' [Once] I moved to the U.S., I started creating when I was 16. I was actually going through a lot at the time [and] I just had to find my purpose. So from there, I started doing what I wanted, and I didn't care what other people thought of me. And since then, I just never stopped. It's like an everyday thing. I just love [modeling] so much. I get to express myself how I want, do what I love, and meet the most amazing people ever.
It's been a struggle because if you really have a dream, if you really have something you want to do and love, you have to be able to move, you have to give up friendships and give up lifestyles. Because if you don't, you're going to get pulled back. So, you just have to keep on moving forward and be the best at what you do… if I can do it, literally anybody can.

Congrats to Widny on all her success. We can't wait to see this star continue to shine!

Featured image via Widney/Instagram