Ever since I kind of fizzled out of pursuing modelling (although it was mostly part-time for me) and shifted my focus to a career in advertising, I found myself still itching to get back in front of a camera, working with a crew, and channeling that je ne sais quoi spark. So when a designer I worked with in the past or a casting director who I’ve become friends with asks me to get back into it for a one off… I’m basically always up for it. This season of WMCFW I was thrilled to do so! For Day 5 of WMCFW, I had the pleasure of modelling for the opening collection, Tatsuaki, Dan Liu, and his fantastic team.
It was so nice to get back on the horse and feel like I did when I was 16 and just starting out again. Sometimes leaving something you loved and coming back to it can feel really rewarding. Naturally, having fully entered the blogging world since, I chronicled the 4 hour backstage fun leading up to the show…. my “Diary from the Runway” sort of thang!
Dat Hurr
As a model, you’re likely spending about 70% waiting, and only 30% modelling. But this waiting is made so much better when you’re doing it with an amazing team.The Redken team at WMCFW was so vibrant and fun, they made the 1.5 hour process in hair (because I have such a mop on my head) so much more enjoyable. This was my POW for the first couple hours in a freezing cold tent.
And tada! After some tugging, pushing, twisting, and pinning, dat hurr is ready to go. Despite the amount of hairspray up in there, it was surprisingly not as helmet-y as I expected (I have my share of horror stories of having to get product out of my hair after a shoot). Wahoo!
Naturally, I couldn’t leave the hardworking team (I needed 3-4 people to handle my horse-tail of hair) without a selfie. They were so sweet, dedicated, and gorgeous themselves to boot! You’d be surprised how much you learn about an artist in the time you’re sitting in their chair. For the girls walking countless shows in one season, these artists are their confidents, best friends, and often times, therapists. Sending much love to all the hair and make up artists who pour blood, sweat, and tears into WMCFW! 
Showing Face
Hair and make up easily makes up 20 times the amount of time that you actually spend on the runway – but what would a collection be without it? It is such an art to apply make up to someone else’s face. I think I would end up making someone look like a clown. I love that at WMCFW, the Maybelline artists are actually using ALL Maybelline products. So you can actually recreate the look that’s flouncing down the runway without spending your monthly shopping budget on it.
For the Tatsuaki show, we were supposed to look like aliens, so it was a very dark, smokey eye look with nude lips and strong brows. Rawr. Et voilà, the face is runway ready (excuse the horrible backstage lighting in the fitting area 
).
Not having modelled on a consistent basis for such a long time made me forget the amount of friendships you actually make with other models in the short amounts of time you spend together. A lot of people think it’s catty between models. Don’t get me wrong, it can be – especially at castings or fittings when everyone feels like they’re fighting for the job. But aside from that, you realize that these other girls are great people, who understand the way you think more than others (admittedly, modelling can have a very skewing effect to how you look at life that one would only understand if they experienced it too).
On The Runway
Being back on the runway is like riding a bike – you wait, you go, you walk, you come back, you change quickly, you go. You get into this zone of doing this like you’ve never left. Admittedly, I almost didn’t make it for the second out of three looks because my first and second were so close together, shhhhh. But having an awesome dresser and a little bit of sprinting saved the day.
And so concludes getting back on the modelling horse for Day 5 of WMCFW. So much love goes out to Dan and the Tatsuaki team, the Redken and Maybelline artists, and the entire WMCFW production staff. They truly make this week what it is. Sitting in the bleachers, covering the shows, you forget how much work goes into this quick 10-20 minute production. Till the next modelling cameo!
