Skip to main content

Fashion Shows--A Little Reality Check


I'm not writing this entry to dampen anyone's mood or try to change your view but I just figured it would helpful to shed a little light of reality for the young girls/ladies who see fashion modeling/runway modeling as being glamorous.

This type of modeling is really only glamorous for the people watching it! What you see on television is only a fraction of what really goes on. When you model for a fashion show, be warned that the environment is insanely hectic and VERY FAST PACED.

This isn't one of those situations where you're preparing for a photo shoot and get to take your time to make sure every detail is perfect--there is no time to do this in a fashion show.

You have to share a space with a bunch of other girls so you need to try to have some organization with your clothes, shoes and other accessories in the flurry of activity. You will have the fashion show's director or assistant screaming at you to hurry up and put on your clothes, and trust me, they will SCREAM at you to get your fashion butt out on the catwalk in time.

Every second counts and lagging even just a bit can throw off the timing and rotation of the other models. And Heaven help you if there ends up being a few seconds of time where a model doesn't appear. If you were supposed to be where that gap in the line is, chances are you will never work in runway again...or at least with that particular designer.

Be comfortable with your body and being in front of others, because as soon as you step off of the catwalk, you've got to bare all and get naked quick--breasts, butts, you name it--to get in and out of your clothes and into the next outfit as soon as possible.

While dealing with this whole scenario, you also have to remember that when you step onto the catwalk in front of the audience, you've got to be sexy, cool, calm and collected and confident--basically, you need to act as if the director screaming in your face about how you're screwing up his show, never happened. So if you've got a few sensitive or emotional nerves, you may want to step down.

Don't worry, I'm giving you all of the negative stuff up front, but that's not to say that it's all bad, because it isn't. In light of the horrifying picture I just mentally painted for you, there is the great and exhilirating feeling of being in the spotlight and having all eyes on you and the outfit you're sporting.

It's completely fun to be the center of attention in a fashion show while you're strutting your stuff, walking your walk and playing up to the crowd. That part of fashion/runway modeling is indeed a reality--it's just the behind-the-scenes stuff that you need to remember as well.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Want to Be a Victoria's Secret Model?

(*Due to the number of comments and questions I get from aspiring models about working for VS, please be sure to read my post on this very carefully. If you don't meet all of these requirements then you cannot become a model for VS. If you are not tall enough, if you are not signed to a top agency, your chances are not good.  If you don't meet the requirements, please don't be too upset about it. Find another field of modeling you may be good for. There are plenty of other modeling opportunities for models outside of being a VS angel. They may not be as good or as well-known as VS but it's better than nothing.) I know I’d jump at the chance to be offered a gig modeling for Victoria’s Secret (although I think they’d be irritated by Photoshopping my stretch marks HAHA, yeah, I said it, I’ve got stretch marks!). All silliness aside, the gals of Victoria’s Secret are probably the inspiration for a majority of aspiring models out there. Not only do they get to wear the s...

Modeling & Pay Rates: How Much Should You Charge?

(This post is more targeted towards freelance models and not those with agency representation, although it may apply to those that have an agent but continue to find their own work.) A part of being a successful model is making money from the jobs that you book. However, being a freelance model comes with many challenges--figuring out what you should charge is one of them. I will say upfront that there are no established black and white rules when it comes to pay rates. Each modeling job is different, each client is different and budgets vary. Ultimately the factors that should influence what you charge should be the amount of experience you have, the strength of the images in your portfolio and the client's budget/needs. Not every client is going to pay what you want to charge. There may be times when you will be skipped over for charging too much or taken advantage of for charging too little. It's going to happen so be prepared for it and do not take it personally. It...

How Old is Too Old to Model?

It’s no secret that the media has made a big deal out of youth. Think about it: how many people have you heard say, “Gosh, I can’t wait to get wrinkles!” Worldwide, selling the idea of youth has made many companies billions of dollars. Without the models, however, they wouldn’t get very far. So that’s the obvious stuff but what about the question of age and being older in the modeling industry? Well, for starters, if you plan on being in the fashion and runway field, the younger you are the better. The longevity for this type of modeling is extremely short for the majority of models involved. Agencies sign girls as young as 13 years old and tend to hesitate if a model is over 18. This topic, like the height issue, is a reality of the industry that you don’t have to agree with but you will have to accept or at least get used to. It’s just a plain fact that agencies and their clients can get more work out of youthful models than those who already show the signs of aging. Sadly, this...