How these 2 besties balance modeling and college
Plenty of besties dream of modeling together. Kate Bowman and Paulena Lynch are two NYC babes who get to live that dream. Whether it’s ordering each other’s egg sandwiches, or talking on the phone from sunup to sun down, they never run short of things to bond over.
Kate Bowman
Occupation?
I am currently studying and modeling in NYC.
Where are you from?
I am from New York City.
What are you studying?
I study writing and art history.
What does friendship mean to you?
It means everything. I would be so bored and uninspired without my friends. I always have someone to go places with and that helps a lot with my shyness.
What’s the first thing you noticed about Paulena?
Her style is incredible. Sometimes I wonder if we are just friends so we have constant access to one another’s closets.
What’s your favorite quality in Paulena?
She is always there for me. We can talk on the phone forever and meet up the same day to go shopping or get food or whatever. We never run out of things to talk about which is rare. We’re so free with one another and tell each other everything.I never feel that I have to put on an act or keep anything a secret.
Do you have a nickname for Paulena?
I call her P, but she’s in my phone as Paul with a mouse emoji.
Your favorite female friendship duo?
Not a duo, but I idolized the Totally Spies growing up.
What’s your favorite girl power song?
I love everything Selena Gomez does, lol.
Who is a woman that inspires you?
My mom! She was on the board of our local Planned Parenthood branch when I was little. I will never forget how much that taught me about my body and sex at a young age. It normalized everything that seemed so alien and abnormal throughout puberty.
What are you reading right now?
I’m finishing up “Naked by the Window” by Robert Katz. It’s about Ana Mendieta’s life, artworks, and alleged murder by her spouse at the time, Carl Andre. It’s a beautiful, but upsetting book. She is another one of my biggest inspirations.
What’s the perfect day look like to you?
I love it when the heat is on my neck and a breeze flows through my skirt.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
S’mores ice cream in bed while watching Silicon Valley.
Read more: Girlpool Talks Music, Friendship, & Growing up
Paulena Lynch
Occupation?
I am a full time student living in NYC.
Where are you from?
I am from Austin, Texas.
What are you studying?
I’m studying media with a focus in images and screen studies.
What does friendship mean to you?
Friendship is always being there.
What’s your favorite quality about Kate?
Kate is thoughtful, warm, and loving. She is always smiling, so being around her instantly improves my mood. It’s incredible how we are always on the same page, whether it’s what to order for breakfast (egg sandwiches) or what basket bag to buy on Etsy.
Do you have a nickname for Kate?
I call her Katie.
Your favorite female friendship duo?
This isn’t a duo, but the five sisters in the film Mustang are my absolute favorite representation of female friendship. There is no greater bond than between sisters. I have three sisters who all live back in Texas. The hardest part about living in NYC is being away from them, but luckily I have Kate, who feels like a sister to me.
What’s your favorite girl power song?
“No Scrubs” by TLC and anything by Mariah Carey.
What are you reading right now?
Woes of the True Policeman by Robert Bolaño, one of my all time favorite authors.
What’s the perfect day look like to you?
Sleeping in and then laying in grass with the sun multiplying the freckles on my face.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Spoonfuls of raw chocolate chip cookie dough while online shopping.
Who is a woman that inspires you?
My beautiful, strong, talented mother and three sisters (Annie, Eva, and Margaux) inspire me endlessly.
Photography by Carlotta Kohl
