Models Real Experiences about Fashion Week

[santosmimi94]

MARGA ESQUIVEL

Teary Eyed while reading her post
LATE-NIGHT REFLECTIONS
As fashion week draws to a close, I just have to say whole-heartedly how I felt about my first “real” season. It was a roller coaster. There were a lot of disappointments… and tears… and some blood (from my feet of course). But overall, I don’t think I could’ve asked for anything more. I walked 16 shows, at least one in each major fashion market. I’ve learned a lot about myself this past month. I’ve learned that I’m capable of doing anything, no matter how tired I am, as long as I was willing to push myself hard enough. People often think that fashion month is glamorous as a model, but the reality is far from the fantasy. I woke up every morning to begin my day at 6:30AM and didn’t get home until midnight. Fittings lasted until 2 o'clock in the morning sometimes. Sleep deprivation, hunger, and exhaustion were a big part of my month.
At the end of it, all I can say is that I’m proud of myself. I may not have booked all the major shows, but the shows I did book were still a major accomplishment to me. I’m happy to have represented the Filipinos and Southeast Asians… to make people see that our beauty is also appealing. I pushed my physical limits and overcame the obstacles in front of me despite all my doubts. I made friends with girls who I previously have only admired in magazines; they’re considered my colleagues now. I proved to my agents that it wasn’t a mistake to put their faith in me. Lastly, I learned that I don’t need to fit into the traditional mold of what models are expected to be, I can be myself and people will either love it or hate it… But guess what? No ****s are given. I’m beyond grateful for all the opportunities presented to me and all the support from my agents, boyfriend, family and casting directors who believe in me.
I have a lot of work to do until next season comes around, but I’m willing to give it my all again and hopefully the results will show my dedication and hard work. Often times in the midst of all the stress, I thought I wanted to give up because of the rejections and cancellation of options that I faced… But now I’m inclined to have people rethink their choice when they say no to me. Hopefully next season it will turn into a “yes”. For now, I’m heading back to my home sweet home in LA to detox and reset my system… Get ready for shoot season!

margaesquivel.tumblr.com

 

[Creative]

Tell this guy how hard a model life is.


elpais.com


These things make me roll my eyes... Being a fashion model is not that hard. You just have to be there. And if you can't cope with it, don't do it.

 

[marsnoop2]

^ I totally get what you're saying, but just because it's not the most physically or intellectually demanding job in the world doesn't mean that it's not stressful especially for a lot of girls that start before finishing high school. Having your looks torn apart and being rejected constantly would certainly take a toll on most individuals, so modeling definitely comes with its own pain points. But you are right, it is not manual labor.

 

[Aizanara]

TBH, I don't care when it's unknown models who are saying that fashion week is hard but when it comes to the nepotism girls I cringe Especially when they walk already booked shows or for family friends...
Marga isn't complaining at all and that's what I like about her.

 

[Deleted member 130879]

People need to seriously stop the hating when a model talks about her experience. Nepotists aside, the girls who actually need to fight their way up go through a lot. And yes, also physically. Tell me, does a lawyer arrive home with half their hair destroyed, make-up that just doesn't come off, feet bleeding and lots of cuts and bruises? Because models do. I've worked a lot of jobs, from the office to the coffee shop, and modeling was of one of them. And damn, if it wasn't for the money and artistic satisfaction I would never do it. And I really don't want my kids to do it. People will slap you if need be. And it is psychologically frustrating. Just imagine having someone tell you every single day that you need to work out and shut your mouth, that your mouth/nose/whatever is strange, that you are too ugly, "no, no, no, no, no, no".

It is all about the money. Is about having the strength to close your ears to criticism and humiliation, taking real care of yourself, having someone to support you and moving on because you need that money. So please, leave the kids alone if they want to express their fears, frustrations and such.

If I could, I would hug every single one of them and tell them they are beautiful, no matter what "they" say.

 

[#umero]

Tell me, does a lawyer arrive home with half their hair destroyed, make-up that just doesn't come off, feet bleeding and lots of cuts and bruises?

Uh, what? Setting aside the bleeding feet bit, which I admit sucks, this is ridiculous. Are you seriously suggesting that having bad hair and some makeup on your face is some great hardship? Only in this industry would that be considered so tough. Anyone else would laugh at this statement.

 

[Mea Culpa]

Uh, what? Setting aside the bleeding feet bit, which I admit sucks, this is ridiculous. Are you seriously suggesting that having bad hair and some makeup on your face is some great hardship? Only in this industry would that be considered so tough. Anyone else would laugh at this statement.

It's far beyond "bad hair" ... it is over processed severely damaged hair, hair that has been glued, and braided, and curled, and dried, and straightened, and slathered with god knows what products/chemicals repeatedly for weeks... it is raw/scabby scalp from things being glued/sewn in then ripped out, being jabbed with bobby pins... washing your hair in a cold sink with cheap shampoo or dishsoap (i've seen it) then having it yanked through by people who are more concerned about moving onto the next girl than being gentle ... may you never know the horror of running your fingers through your hair and feeling it break off in your hands.

And the makeup goes beyond just makeup - imagine what repeat applications of different brands of moisturizer, make-up, paint (yes paint!), applied to your face everyday for a month (or even just a week) do to your skin, false eyelashes, etc... and god forbid you have any allergies or product sensitivity.

It certainly isn't the worst job in the world but dismissing the difficulties as laughable is hardly fair to the girls busting their ***es to make it. So they're not toiling away on a coal heap, so what - neither are you and I'm sure there are things about your job that you complain about from time to time...

 

[Deleted member 130879]

It certainly isn't the worst job in the world but dismissing the difficulties as laughable is hardly fair to the girls busting their ***es to make it. So they're not toiling away on a coal heap, so what - neither are you and I'm sure there are things about your job that you complain about from time to time...

This.

Making it laughable is exactly the excuse the "abusers" use. I've seen a make-up artist break a glass concealer container and then using it in the model. Because "she had no time to buy a new concealer and had no idea she would need that one". And everyone thinks that it is fine because that girl is earning money to be there so damn it she has to do it and shut up.

It is not like working as a miner but it ain't any secretary job either. I remember reading an article about some of the things Kristen McMenamy did in shoots like being thrown in a pool with ropes tightening her up or playing with a constrictor snake that was smashing her arm. It is hard and sometimes even life threatening. Again, not as a miner but also not like sitting all day inside the office. And what makes it all more difficult is that models have no legal rights, health care, insurance, nothing. And when you have a 15 year old girl working 16 hours straight in a fashion shoot where she has to be with wild animals and high heels up in a hill... Well, at least a bit of understanding is needed even if they can't have any kind of insurance.

And then imagine: if you see someone insulting a waiter, will you be ok with it? If you are not ok with it, then you can't be ok with the abuse this girls go through every day.

 

[#umero]

It's far beyond "bad hair" ... it is over processed severely damaged hair, hair that has been glued, and braided, and curled, and dried, and straightened, and slathered with god knows what products/chemicals repeatedly for weeks... it is raw/scabby scalp from things being glued/sewn in then ripped out, being jabbed with bobby pins... washing your hair in a cold sink with cheap shampoo or dishsoap (i've seen it) then having it yanked through by people who are more concerned about moving onto the next girl than being gentle ... may you never know the horror of running your fingers through your hair and feeling it break off in your hands.

And the makeup goes beyond just makeup - imagine what repeat applications of different brands of moisturizer, make-up, paint (yes paint!), applied to your face everyday for a month (or even just a week) do to your skin, false eyelashes, etc... and god forbid you have any allergies or product sensitivity.

It certainly isn't the worst job in the world but dismissing the difficulties as laughable is hardly fair to the girls busting their ***es to make it. So they're not toiling away on a coal heap, so what - neither are you and I'm sure there are things about your job that you complain about from time to time...

Listen, I agree that there are difficult aspects of being a model. Facing constant rejection for things over which you have no control is incredibly tough. But having busted hair and busted skin just aren't real hardships, no matter how busted the hair or skin. Oh no, false eyelashes and cheap shampoo -- the terror!

 

[santosmimi94]

These things make me roll my eyes... Being a fashion model is not that hard. You just have to be there. And if you can't cope with it, don't do it.

She's not complaining at all! She's just stating the real side of modelling people like think that its just that easy, she just want to make all the rejections be part of her motivation to make the No's into big fat YEZ!

 

[nataliaapple]

Isn't it all relative though? Modeling isn't the hardest job in the world but it's certainly something I could never do and I give props to those who can do it and do it well.

I think Marga was just sharing her experience, not so much 'complaining.'

 

[AtticusFinch]

Tell me, does a lawyer arrive home with half their hair destroyed, make-up that just doesn't come off, feet bleeding and lots of cuts and bruises? Because models do.

No. Because it's not their job....
Do models spend sometimes 18 hours a day staring at computers reading countless books, evidence, questions, affidavits? Because lawyers do.

See? You can't compare them.

 

[AtticusFinch]

Isn't it all relative though? Modeling isn't the hardest job in the world but it's certainly something I could never do and I give props to those who can do it and do it well.

I think Marga was just sharing her experience, not so much 'complaining.'

Precisely.
I think this a great idea for a thread. I hope it continues.

Moral of the story - the job is harder than people think but it's not 'hard'.

 

[AtticusFinch]

Modeling isn't all drinking Champagne on yachts and being told you're fabulous. Runway modeling especially can be brutal. Ahead, one anonymous model shares the story of why she left the runways.


"I did Fashion Week from the ages of 18 to 21, with big dreams of landing a campaign. But because it's all about booking the right shows, when you don't, all you do is walk away with fried hair, clogged pores, blisters and around $200 per show. Eventually, I realized that catalog and print advertising work was the way to go because the money is so good and the job isn't stressful. Until I had that epiphany, show after show, I'd have barely enough money to pay my rent, which was $1500 a month, and a book's worth of backstage horror stories to tell my mother.

Everyone thinks fashion week is crazy, but it's really the two weeks beforehand for models that is really insane. You're expected to go all over the city to fittings and castings. There's no time to eat lunch. And you're so stressed out that you're not even hungry anyway. Yet, a designer will see an outfit on you once, wait until you leave the casting, and then call your agent and ask why you've gained weight. And all you can think is, Seriously?! Once, while staring at my breasts, a designer said: "Have your boobs gotten bigger?" I said, "Yes, I just started taking a new birth control pill." This designer then told my agent that I had to switch pills or else I wouldn't be hired. Luckily I never had any other weight issues, but some of my friends did and they lost out on a lot of work.

The hardest part of fashion week for me though was when I sat in the hair and makeup chair. My skin is sensitive and I'd breakout almost immediately after they'd apply foundation. It actually got so bad that I started carrying around my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation to each show, asking the makeup artists to use that instead, or else my face would start to burn and I'd get an inflamed rash all over. And — ready for this? — makeup artists set the makeup with hairspray (yes, they spray hairspray in your face), which didn't help matters! So basically, my skin never had a chance to calm down because the next day, the layers-of-foundation plus hairspray would go on. And on. And on.

Oh, and you think cotton pads are soft, right? They're not. During the day it's a lot of putting on — and wiping off — makeup with cotton pads. And there's nothing gentle about that process, especially when you get your makeup changed about five plus times a day. A Q-tip ends up feeling like a tiny knife after it's used to straighten eye liner and get rid of smudges for the one hundredth time (a lot of the shows call for a smoky eye). Needless to say, my skin—and my eyes—looked tired, irritated, and always felt super dry after each day of shows, so I'd have to sleep wearing a mask of Cetaphil Lotion every night.

Hair was another problem. I have super fine, thin hair that is also bleached. When I was going to the shows, I wouldn't know the hairstylist and he or she didn't care how my hair looked after eight days of torture. They'd put gel in it and then brush it out, mess it up and have to redo the whole thing all over again, hairspray the **** out of it, pull on it every which way, until it was approved by the top hairstylist on the show. I'd look down and see all of my hair on the floor—in clumps.

While, in all fairness, some tried to be gentle, the truth is, most were more concerned with getting the job done. I felt like they didn't think about how a human was attached to the hair and that I was a mannequin head. And with all of the styles, tangles, and tight braids that I endured, I'd have to go home and throw a ton of conditioner in my hair every night. Then after each season, I'd get a few inches cut off, since it was so matted and damaged.

I also have a bad habit of biting my nails, so the manicurists often put on acrylic tips, which would make my nails thin and weak. And if I didn't have blisters from running around to the castings, I'd get them from wearing shoes that didn't fit. Designers only order a certain number of each size shoe and whoever gets to the casting first, gets the right shoe size. The others just have to make the pairs that are left fit.

Even though I have a lot of nightmare stories about Fashion Week, it's still a cool thing to be able to tell people that you've done. And the fact that you walked in a Prada or Oscar de la Renta show gives you good bragging rights when you're pitching yourself to a potential employer. But there comes a point when you realize that some clients don't care if you've walked in Fashion Week, and those clients are easier to work with. So once I realized that, I decided to take a walk from the runway and focus more on making money doing modeling jobs that don't have any downsides.

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-b.../why-one-model-quit-modeling-at-fashion-week/

 

[maimon]

i think this series by french vogue gives quite a good insight on that not so glamorous side of modeling (even for top girls like Sasha or Natasha)

 

[gossiping]

If I could, I would hug every single one of them and tell them they are beautiful, no matter what "they" say.

exactly. because they truly are. i love this post from marga, she's amazing

 

[Elite13]

It's a tough job indeed but it's all about focus, being incredibly self aware and being able to follow direction. Models also need to be smart about what they put into their bodies and keep fit both physically and mentally. I know fashion week can be draining with late night fittings, early call times (plus parties because you need to socialise and make contacts) and then there's the layers of make up and hair pulling but really it's not like anyone is forcing these models to do it because there are millions of others waiting to take their place and to fit into those shoes that are a size too small.

I don't think Marga was complaining at all, rather commenting on the truth of the fashion industry and how it's not all glamour. And I like this thread!

Gemma wrote a fashion week diary for Aussie Vogue Dec '05 but I'm having trouble finding it..