Bright lights and flashing cameras. Eloquent clothing and funky hairstyles. Innocent smiles and killer catwalks. Modeling is a profession that countless people dream of pursuing, but only a few actually have what it takes to live a life in front of the public eye and camera lens. And for NHS senior sisters, Ellie and Katie Vogt, that dream has just come true. 

Ellie and Katie have been best friends since birth and possess a much deeper bond than most sisters their age. Along with sharing clothes and other accessories –as most sisters do– the Vogt’s also share identical DNA, making them identical twins. 

Identical twins can be very desirable clients in the world of modeling, as their sisterhood can help bring uniqueness to photographs. Despite this, the Vogt twins never possessed a desire for modeling as they were growing up. 

“When we were younger, people always told us we should model because we are twins, but at the time we were never interested,” Katie said. “As we’ve gotten older we’ve seen modeling in a different light and once we started, we’ve realized that modeling is such a great creative outlet.”

After taking a chance on the modeling industry towards the end of 2020, the twins’ career took off in just a few months.

“In Chicago, we shot with an amazing photographer and she had so many great ideas. The whole purpose of the shoot was to finish our portfolio so we were ready to go to New York in the summer to get signed to a booking agency,” Katie said.

In the past year, the twins have already been to Miami, Chicago, and even the modeling capital of the nation, New York City. However, being a high school student has made it hard for the twins to take full advantage of the lifestyle of a model. 

“The only time it was really hard for us to keep up in school was when we went to New York. We were gone for nine days and we missed about two weeks of school. We had such a tight schedule, we really didn’t have time to do schoolwork,” Katie said. “Any free time that we did have we wanted to use to experience the city. It was definitely hard to get caught up after that.”

In addition to homework struggles, being introduced to the physical expectations placed upon models has been very eye-opening for the pair.

“It’s always hard when you don’t get picked for certain jobs. Specifically in New York, Ellie and I were faced with a few challenges. Ellie and I are only five foot seven and a half, which is tall in general, but not really in the modeling industry. Because of our height we didn’t book as many shows as the other girls. That was hard because it was obviously something we couldn’t control,” Katie said. 

Despite the experience, the twins have high hopes for their future in modeling.

“Ellie and I always kept a positive attitude because the industry is always evolving and there will always be a place for us,” Katie said. 

However, as the twins continue to meet new and inspiring figures throughout their careers, their biggest supporters —family and friends— are the true driving force for the twins to meet their goals.

“Ellie and I have a great support system at home. My parents have always supported us with modeling and they know that it can definitely be hard so they have been behind us in everything,” Katie said. “Our friends have also been really supportive and even a lot of kids at school have shown their support in different ways and it means a lot to us.”

Katie Popovich, an NHS senior and good friend of the twins, finds an immense amount of happiness in the fact that her friends are able to pursue their dreams.

“I met the twins summer going into freshman year. I was at a cheer practice, and our coach Marlo Morgan announced that we had two new girls coming in to cheer with us and we have been best friends—some may say sisters—ever since,” Popovich said.

Popovich and the Vogt twins’ friendship has been steady for the past four years and continues to grow stronger. The three bond over their passion for cheerleading, the twins modeling, and Popovich’s photography.

 “I’ve always thought they had the Vogue look. And once I started picking up photography I really saw that they had a lot of potential in the modeling industry,” Popovich said. “They had voiced that they were interested in modeling and I fully supported the dream they had at the time. I knew it was something they wanted to do and I knew they would be great at it.”

Through Popovich’s inspiration and encouragement, she’s seen Katie and Ellie take on the world of fashion and modeling. As the twins’ careers have grown, they’ve gained access to more exciting modeling opportunities.

“To watch them walk in New York Fashion Week was just such an exciting moment for me because I’ve known that this has been a dream of theirs for so long,” Popovich said. “To see it come true was just so exciting for me because that’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. And I hope that they just continue to grow and be able to get signed with even bigger agencies as well as shoot and walk worldwide.”

With their family and friends to back them up, the Vogt twins have been very successful in the modeling industry so far and hope their dream carry on.

“In five years, Ellie and I hope to have become very successful in the modeling industry. We hope to be signed to a large booking agency and to have done many campaigns and walked for many high fashion brands. We hope to have traveled the world for modeling and to always have the same amount of love for it that we do now,” Katie said. “We would also love to be living in New York to pursue our dreams. Ellie and I have decided to take a gap year next year in order to really focus on modeling so we can make it our career.”

The twins’ decision to take a year off of school has allowed them to look forward to what else modeling has in store for them.

“We’ve also met amazing casting directors that have large influences on the agency. Most importantly, we’ve formed some great friendships with some girls signed to our agency,” Katie said.

Growing up and experiencing the world together as sisters not only has strengthened them individually, but has also made them stronger as a pair.

“Having Ellie by my side has been amazing. Modeling can be tricky, but it makes it so much easier when you get to do it with your best friend,” Katie said. “I definitely think we are stronger together.”