One Model's Story

[BelleModèle]

I'm 18 and although i know i could never model, it's really a great insight into the effort and difficulty about the industry for a young person at the beginning.

I know a lot of people who don't have a clue and seem to think it's all about the glamour, being signed to an agency and automatically being booked.

I'm really glad you're posting this and it's a great read. Let Ali know I [we?] said thank you. :]

[model_mom]

*Sidenote by me.. At about this time I talked to Ali's Dad and he told me that Ali's horse Cheyenne had West Nile Virus and there was a good chance she was going to die. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done but I decided not to tell Ali. She was already not in the best shape and I knew this would be the final straw. I know how wrong it was now.... because that horse meant the world to her....but all I did about it at the time was pray that Cheyenne would recover.

[Rochas]

^Just wondering, did Cheyenne recover??

[model_mom]

Today was a bad day. I have had it up to here with going to castings,getting lost,missing my boyfriend and I want to go home to see my horse and my friends. SCREW PARIS! It's raining and cold and miserable. I went to three castings today. Can anyone tell me why the clients are so positive to me? They act like I have the job and then I hear nothing from the agency. Am I just imagining it all? My Mom thinks that I have been offered jobs by some clients but the agency doesn't seem to think they are the right type of work for my image. All my pictures should be back soon maybe when I have them all in my book I can go home! My mom took off this afternoon to see the Eiffel Tower. It's getting late and she's not back yet. She is always worried about me, I can't even begin to think what I would do if something happened to her.

[model_mom]

Originally Posted by Rochas

^Just wondering, did Cheyenne recover??

It's all in the journal on a later page....You can't imagine what it was like for me, knowing Cheyene was sick and hiding it from Ali...bad doesn't even begin to cover it.

[model_mom]

My mom showed up late last night...you guessed it,she lost her way,but she did get to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I'm glad, that was the one thing she wanted to do while we were here.

I had a job today!!! It was a photoshoot in a hotel on the Champs Elyse. I wore hot pink tennis shoes,balloon pants and a pink and purple top. Hey a jobs a job!

I had several castings today one was with a Japanese client,they took pictures and I tried on clothes. Karlie told me that was a good sign. The other was for Christian LaCroix. I'm not too positive about that one. I saw a lot of famous models getting out of their chauffer driven cars. They just breezed past the line and went right in. I can't believe I'm even being considered after seeing them.

[model_mom]

We saw something really weird today,a thousand people on rollerblades/skates and they were doing some kind of promotion for a car company,I think. They were rollerblading around the streets to make the shape of a car. I saw the ad in the Metro but it was so strange to see it in person. You never know what you will see over here.

My agent called to today to tell us that I have a job for a lookbook for Thierry Mugler. It pays really well. I am so excited,maybe it will help pay for all the expenses we have racked up while we were here.

The agency called again,I booked a show called Agnes B and the fitting is tomorrow!!!
Maybe things are looking up??

[model_mom]

I did the job for Thierry Mugler today. I wore 20 different outfits and they brought in a big lunch for all the models. Each of us recieved a gift set of Angel Innocent perfume and lotion. I think this is one of the best days I've had in Paris. I'm finally doing what I came here to do. The photographer wants to talk to my agent and he said he would see me later this week??

I went to the fitting for Agnes B this evening. We waited forever, i should have known something was wrong. I'm not sure how they found out, the dresser came over and told me the designer had decided not to use me because of my age. I guess I spoke to soon when I thought things were looking up.

[Patches]

I love this.
Thank You model_mom and Ali!

Too often are the lives and routines of the people who are in fashion -especially models- are contemplated, imagined, and talked about. You hear the good, the bad, and sometimes things in between but I think you sharing something like this with us sort of puts a real concrete and valid spin on what it IS like, rather then what it is THOUGHT its like.

[model_mom]

We went into the agency this morning to tell them we would like to go home. All the agents came into the conference room and tried to talk me into staying till I'm 16. I think losing the only show I booked was the final straw. I woke my mom up last night and we had a long talk. She knows how sad I have been and I know she is worried about me. She said to decide and whatever my decision was she would stand behind it. My booker said that she would talk to Emanuelle about us going home and get back in touch with us.

When we got back to the apartment, a model that had just arrived for the show castings was staying there. She had been in a campaign for Ralph Lauren and she told us her name was Vanessa D'assisi (?sp). She spent the night and my mom cooked pizzas for us. She told us about how she was discovered by Ford in Brasil and that she was worried because she hadn't booked very many shows.She hated the place where we were staying and by the next morning she woke us up to tell us she was moving to a hotel near the Ford agency. Must be nice....

[model_mom]

*sidenote by me.. Ali's Dad called right after this entry to let me know Cheyenne was going to make it....now all I had to do was get up the nerve to let Ali know all about it. If that horse had died, I'm not sure she would have ever forgiven me for not telling her Cheyenne was sick.

[model_mom]

Not a great day in Paris. I went into the agency to talk to my booker,Florence. She handed me a list of 12 castings. I just looked at her and my mom told her that we were done with castings and wanted to know when we could get Ali's ticket to go home. Another agent ,Sybil came in to tell us that I had an option with Vogue France and to please stay till the photographer could meet with us. My mom thinks it's just a way to get us to stay longer so she's not to happy when we start out the door. As we are going out another lady is coming in and she stops us to ask how our day is going. My mom's in no mood for chitchat and she says,"About as bad as you can get". The lady replies she's really sorry to hear that and then extends her hand and says,"Hi, I'm Katie Ford." She wanted us to come back and talk to her about coming to New York in January. We went back in and my agent tells her that I have an option for Vogue France. Mrs. Ford told us what an important thing it was for a model to be considered for that magazine. The photographer shows up takes some polaroids and says he will call back and let my agent know if I'm booked for the job.

[softgrey]

dude...
i am waiting for the next installment with bated breath...

will she book french vogue...will she stay in paris....?!?!?..
it's all too exciting...
'
...

[model_mom]

My mom took me back to the Buffalo Grill again tonight. She had been acting really weird all day so I knew something was up. She told me that Cheyenne had been sick with West Nile virus and that she was going to recover. I started crying even though I knew she was going to be alright. I kept asking my mom why she didn't tell me?? She doesn't have to answer because I know that if she had told me I wouldn't be sitting here tonight,and I know she knows it too. I walk out without eating and she pays the bill and we go back to the apartment.

[model_mom]

My agent called to say the option for Vogue fell through but that a lady from an agency in London wants us to come to London on Monday to meet with her. My mom took the phone out of my hand to tell her that the only way we were going to London was if someone else was footing the bill for transportation and hotel. She knows there is not much chance of that happening. We are barely talking to each other at this point. We went back into the agency to get my ticket and it seems that they have misplaced it. No problem,my mom went all the way out to the airport on the train exchanged our tickets throught the agent and we are going home on Sunday. I called the agency to tell them we were leaving and this sweet lady named Patricia ask me how we were getting to the airport. I told her probably by cab and she told me to please let her send a car. After all this time in Paris,we finally get to ride in one of "the cars".