Kaiya Inoue, Class of 2026 at UT High School in Austin
Meet Kaiya
Kaiya’s best friend calls her creative, which is the most accurate single word anyone could pick for someone whose session showed up looking like early 2000s glam come to life. She came with a flip phone, a stuffed animal, and a full gyaru look (a Japanese fashion subculture known for its bold, glamorous aesthetic) and she knew exactly what she wanted. People think she’s lazy. She’s not. She just moves on her own timeline and creates on her own terms.
She’s heading to cosmetology school after graduation, which is the most Kaiya answer possible for someone whose dream superpower is never having a bad hair day and whose favorite photo of herself is a selfie she took after spending time on a makeup look that was completely out of the box.
Kaiya’s Senior Photo Locations
We shot all along Guadalupe, hitting colorful walls, city spots, Leopard Lounge, Pavement, and a few other stops along the way. The locations matched the energy perfectly which was bold, layered, and a little unexpected around every corner. Kaiya wanted her photos to feel like early 2000s glam and that’s exactly what Guadalupe delivered.
A Little More Kaiya
She’d raid Paris Hilton’s closet for the early 2000s fashion. She’d teleport to Kyoto to visit her family. She watches Hannibal, Arcane, and My Little Pony depending on the mood. She’s most herself when she’s cosplaying. Her color palette is a mix of every shade. Her chapter title is “Suffering from Success,” which sounds exactly right for someone this self-possessed at seventeen. She would absolutely sweat glitter.
Kaiya’s Perfect Day
Sleep in, make a coffee, stay in bed with her cat, then walk to the bakery down the street. Simple, slow, and completely intentional.
Suffering from Success
Kaiya named this chapter “Suffering from Success,” and if you’ve seen her work, you already know why. These photos are for the girl who creates constantly, shows up fully, and does it all in a look she built herself.
