Kyleigh Kuhn Wants To Change How We Think Of Afghanistan

Publish date: 2024-02-23

You may have seen knockout Kyleigh Kuhn in an editorial shot by Bruce Weber, or in this year’s Pirelli calendar, but Kuhn is much more than just a pretty face. Following in the philanthropic footsteps of her mother, Heidi Kuhn, who founded Roots of Peace, an organization dedicated to rebuilding war-torn countries, Kuhn, at just 26, has already raised money to construct a schoolhouse in Mir Bacha Kot, a small village near Kabul in Afghanistan. Her latest project is Yearbook Afghanistan, shot by photographer Ruvan Wijesooriya, documenting the school’s 250-plus students. Up next for this social activist is an evil-eye-motif-centric jewelry line, crafted entirely by local Afghan artisans. And don’t think Kuhn has given up on modeling either. She recently shot a Gap campaign with David Sims.
We chatted with Kuhn about modeling, what Afghanistan is really like, and the shift she is seeing with fashion consumers. One thing we know for certain: Kuhn is one to watch.
The Vivant: Let’s start at the beginning. How did you become a model?
Kyleigh Kuhn: I was actually scouted. I was going to school at the University of California, Berkeley, and I was shopping at H&M. I was really focusing on my education at that point, and [initially] declined]. I was working with the Dean of my department, Peace and Conflict Studies, as a teaching assistant grading papers and I was assisting a non-profit part time. Then I just thought, why not give this modeling thing a shot? For my first shoot I flew out to Montauk to work with Bruce Weber. I was really spoiled.
What have been some of your favorite moments modeling?
All of my shoots with Bruce Weber have been great. I shot with him early in my career maybe five or six times. Getting cast on a shoot with him is like being cast as a character—in a really beautiful fantasy world.
Tell us where you got your social activist streak from.
My mother started Roots of Peace in 1997 [an organization dedicated to de-mining, replanting, and rebuilding war-torn countries], so I was really young and going to places like the Balkans and Afghanistan. In 2003, I started asking people to donate their spare change, and only expected to raise a few thousand dollars, but we were able to help to build and repair six schools.
What are some of the biggest misconceptions the West has about Afghanistan?
There is so much! First of all it snows in Afghanistan. Most of the people are incredibly warm. Men hold hands and greet each other with their hand on their heart.
Is that what led to Yearbook Afghanistan?
There are just so many sweet goofy kids in Afghanistan—just like anywhere else, and I knew they had the capacity to help people engage with Afghanistan. The project took roughly three years to finish. I brought a photographer with me. For the students there, it was their first proper portrait, not just a photo of themselves on a camera phone. I wanted to show Afghanistan in a way that was bright and cheerful—the way I have gotten to experience it.
And what about your upcoming jewelry project?
The jewelry project is tentatively scheduled to launch next month. It was inspired by the jingle trucks that you see everywhere in Afghanistan, that are covered with evil eyes. I was inspired by the evil eye, but in a more romantic way. The jewelry is all produced in rural Afghanistan and then assembled in New York.
Any jewelry mentors who have helped to guide you?
I started interning with Pamela Love, and she’s been a huge mentor, guiding me through best practices. She’s really amazing, obviously light years ahead of me, but she’s been hugely supportive.
Do you think there is a consumer shift towards fashion items that are also socially responsible?
I definitely think there has been a push towards humanitarian oriented goods—the Toms shoes model, creating fashion items with a meaning. And for me I think disposable fashion is on its way out—I want to create beautiful things that can be passed down.
Any advice on how other people can follow your lead and make philanthropy a bigger part of their life?
I was raised in a family where philanthropy was a core value of my family, but I would advise finding something you are passionate about, not just strictly donating your time or money, and ultimately following that passion every step of the way. A photographer can take portraits of people whose stories need to be shared [for instance]. There are so many ways to help.
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Kyleigh Kuhn Wants To Change How We Think Of Afghanistan