Facing Challenges in the Modeling Industry
Kai Lassen dealt with bullying and criticism throughout her modeling career before facing cancer in 2014, and again in 2023 when she was told her biggest dream in life, having children, was no longer a possibility. Today, Lassen is cancer free and living her dream of designing hats for her own small business. This is her journey.
“On the outside, [my life] looked like this fabulous life,” Kai Lassen said, “But behind closed doors, it was very tortuous.”
Kai Lassen, 42, began modeling at six years old while she was growing up in Jupiter, Florida. Little did she know, her modeling career would lead to her traveling the world, being on multiple magazine covers and modeling on the TODAY show.
As grateful as Lassen was for her success, she often dealt with bullying, unwelcome comments about her body, and constant criticism through the years.
Lassen emphasized the scrutiny that many models face, and the false perception that they receive. “People [would say to me], ‘you’re a model, your life must be so great and so easy,’” Lassen said, “But that’s not true.”
In reality, most models experience insecurities with 63% experiencing body image disorder-like symptoms due to the pressures they face, according to studies.
Overcoming Bullying and Finding Strength
In her school years, Lassen felt especially tormented as her modeling gigs for Abercrombie & Fitch and GUESS appeared in her hometown mall at the same time. Her classmates would poke fun at the attention she was receiving, “People were mean,” Lassen said. “[I’d get] shoved into walls, girls would pretend to be my friend and then go behind my back doing every mean girl thing you could think of.”
Lassen eventually turned to homeschooling for her final years of high school. When asked what advice she would give young girls dealing with bullies, Lassen said:
“It’s so hard. When you’re young, it doesn’t matter what anyone says to you, it is just what you’re going through and how you feel. [The bullies] are jealous, and their way of dealing with [jealousy] is by making someone else feel bad. As a child, you don’t understand that. You just want to be loved and have friends. But [you have to trust that] it’s going to get better.”
Life did begin to get better for Lassen. In her twenties, Lassen modeled off and on while tapping into her creative side and working in production and alongside various celebrity photographers.
A few years later, things took a turn for the worse. Lassen’s first cancer diagnosis came in 2014 when doctors found a grapefruit-sized tumor on one of her ovaries. It was always a dream of Lassen’s to be a mom, and the tumor terrified her.
Fortunately, they were able to remove the tumor swiftly and in one surgery, preserving her ability to have children.
With her health and life back to normal aside from the bi-annual cancer checkups, Lassen began modeling again full time until the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020.
Becoming a Custom Hat Maker
During the pandemic was when Lassen’s creativity flourished, and she dreamt up her own designer hat line. Lassen wanted something that was fully her own, something that she could take pride in.
She began watching hat making tutorials online and putting the pieces together to create beautiful, custom hats. Lassen’s friends fell in love with her hats as much as she did. Once she started selling the hats on Etsy – her business took off. At the time, she was the only custom hat designer for the style she was making, and she began reaping the success of her designs.
It was 2023: Lassen’s focus was on her hat business when she began experiencing pain once again in her uterus and was rushed to the hospital. The doctors found another solid mass and suggested a full hysterectomy.
Before the hysterectomy, Lassen consulted a fertility doctor, asking if it would be possible to save and freeze her eggs. Lassen found herself crying when the fertility doctor explained that they were beyond that stage.
On December 27th, 2023, Lassen had a total hysterectomy. She’s unable to bear children, but she is cancer free.
Lassen shared her experiences and advice to overcome challenges, “Trust your body. Stay positive. Surround yourself with people that love you. You’ll get through it, and you’ll find your purpose from there.”
Less than a year after the hysterectomy, Lassen launched her first brick and mortar store on small business Saturday, Nov. 30th, 2024, in the Paramount Building in Palm Beach, FL.
As challenging as the last decade has been for Lassen, she still finds a way to thrive as a woman small business owner, custom hat designer and cancer survivor.
Reflecting, Lassen said, “This is the path I am meant to be on. I’m not going to be a mom, but I’m going to help other kids. I’m going to make hats and help other people be happy. My hats are my children now.”
About the Author
Name: Kai Lassen
Bio: Kai Lassen is a former international runway model who’s appeared on many magazine covers and modeled campaigns for various brands. Lassen was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2014 and became cancer free in 2024. She now owns her own designer hat line.
Website: https://kailassen.com/
