This year I participated in my first RVA Fashion Week model call…
well, kinda. I had previously modeled in an RVA Fashion Week show in 2012, but I only had the opportunity bc a friend of mine was in charge of it and had a model bail after the first rehearsal, so he asked if I would step in. Uh, will I help a friend by having my hair and make-up done for free and wearing pretty clothes I probably can’t afford? Yeah, for you, friend, I will J Then technically in 2013 I auditioned, but to say it was half assed would be…accurate
lol. I had no make-up on, no poses
planned, and had never practiced my walk (I feel so silly every time I say
that, but it’s legit – the walk is important and harder to nail than one might
think).
So this year was the first year I really wanted it and went
for it. Hey, I’m 28. Who knows how many more opportunities I’ll
get to be styled and dolled up for free (and the pictures don’t hurt for
Facebook profile pics).
Prelude: anything fashion related in Richmond is always interesting
to me. It’s obviously not “real” in the
sense of bigger deal cities like NYC or LA (or Paris or Milan or blah blah
blaaaah), but the people in charge take it seriously. They expect a lot from you, they’ll judge the
crap out of you, and they always look like they’re ready to be in a music video
or fashion mag article. So even though it's not the big time by any means, it's still intimidating. But that being
said, it always seems to be kind of an unorganized mess. If I were trying to
really make it as a model, it wouldn't be a big deal. But I’m just here for fun and new
experiences. However, my reasoning is some friends of mine are involved in the
planning this year, I know a lot of the models auditioning now thanks to those
two shows and some shoots, and (like I already said) how many more opportunities will I
have to do this?
This was the third and final model call held on January 11th
(the previous two having happened in October and November, I believe) from noon
until 4:00 at the First National Apartments down at 9th and Main St.
in the middle of the city. I showed up
right around 12:30. I walked in with
another hopeful model to a room of about 10 other hopefuls (with refreshingly
different ages, skin types, body types, styles, etc.) who had all shown up
around noon…and they had not even started yet.
Oh the modeling world. Even in
Richmond they have to start everything fashionably late (except our first
meeting, which I’ll write about later…that was an experience for me).
So at about 12:50 a Model Week representative came out to say
they’d be getting started at 1:00 and give us instructions on how the audition
was going to go down, from filling out an electronic form to taking a head shot
to doing our walk. Two important bits of
information that were left out IMO – should we line up to go in one-by-one to
fill out the form, and how should the walk be done (sometimes they want you to
walk down towards them, strike one to three poses, then walk back and your
done; other times they want several walks and any number of poses).
It was up to all of us in the room to choose what order we
went in since there was no sign-in process and we knew who showed up when. Believe it or not, these people wanted to all
keep sitting and have one person at a time walk up to this giant sign/barrier
(that we couldn’t see past from where we were sitting), stand next to it, wait
to be called back, and then wait to have someone come out and ask the next
person to come back. One at a time. It
was going to take so long! I tried more
than once to say we should just line up in the order we arrived so we would be
able to see when it was time to go back, but noooooo, it took like two other
people saying the same thing for anyone to listen *rolls eyes*.
Anyway, standing in line was kinda nice bc I got to know
some of the girls better and we could see everyone as they came out and get
feedback/ask questions. When I got
called back it was embarrassing from the start bc the electronic form was
filled out on a Macbook and I’d never used one lol (don’t judge me). I didn't know how to scroll down! I was like “Where are the arrows?!” So someone had to tell me (luckily it was my
friend Leah who’d done my make-up several times). Then I went to take my headshot, which I’d
practiced relaxing my face for like 10 times in the mirror since deciding I was
going to try out. But wouldn't you know
it, as soon as a camera’s pointed at me I get all giddy and goofy bc I think it’s
just so silly, so I strike this terrible smile-without-showing-teeth,
deer-in-headlights face that was plastered on my face during my first Fashion
Week show and has haunted me ever since. Damn it. And when the guy taking the picture said “Perfect”,
signaling me to move on, it took everything for me not to say “No no no can we
take another one?” lol, but oh well.
Then it’s time to walk.
I stand at the opposite end of a huge, long room in front of a table of
6 judges (none of which I know BTW).
Since I’m not sure of what to do, and bc I’m impatient, I ask them what
they’d like me to do. They explain that
they want me to do three walks with one pose each, but that they still need to
write my name down and they’re not ready for me so hold on. Great start to that, Meagan- nailed it. So when they give me the cue I take off, and
after my first walk they tell me to relax my shoulders (damn it I say to
myself, I’d practiced that more than anything when working on my walk). Then the 2nd time they tell me to
swing my arms (really? Darn it I didn't think I was keeping them still :/).
Then the 3rd walk they asked me to
put my hands on my hips, which I was fine with bc I’d never tried that and therefore it
was impossible for me to over think it and do anything weird.
Then they asked me a few questions (actually…all the ones
that were on the e-form, but I guess there was no way for them to have seen it
yet): my height, my dress size, had I
done any shows before, and how old I was.
I had fun with that last one. I
like answering cutely and almost apologetically that I’m 28 and “so old”- it
always gets a chuckle. And even better,
someone else on the panel was around my age and was like “Don’t worry, I’m old,
too. And you don’t look it.” Yay! lol
Then on the way out I answered a few questions from the
people still waiting in line, got some “Good luck!”s, and even ran into a
friend I hadn't seen since the 2012 fashion show. Then I walked out convinced I’d blown it and
wasn't going to get in. I called my mom
so she’d make me feel better (it worked), went to brunch with my friend and
talked about it a little, then pushed it out of my mind. But guess what, I MADE THE CUT (obviously since
I've already referenced the first meeting in this post).
And after the first two little organization hiccups, I was
actually really impressed with how organized the process had become since previous
Fashion Weeks and looking forward to the rest of the experience!! WOOHOO :D Keep up with all the RVA Fashion Week news by checking out their site here!
