![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ceebeegeeSo Saturday I had a lingerie modeling runway gig in Bay Shore, Long Island for Honey Lingerie (a new company). They were paying us in clothes (fairly common in the industry for smaller gigs, even for actual designer shows during Fashion Week), "model credit" (unless it shows up on the website, that doesn't mean much--I'm sure I won't get a booking out of it), a 40% discount, and travel reimbursement. I took it for the experience--it's been awhile since I've done a runway show.
I showed up around 10:30 and eventually they gathered us (there were about 11-13 models) into a small stock room and started giving us lingerie outfits to try on. We were each to wear three outfits; if you had a problem wearing thongs, you were to speak up (they assured us the thongs would be covered with a babydoll). The models were a lot of fun--most of them were black (maybe a couple of Latinas?) and much younger than I (they were discussing their ages). The average age was early 20s. And I gotta say, Mama Duck stood up well--I looked damn good next to any one of them. Oh, and LOTS of piercings and tattoos. Everyone had a tattoo except me and one other girl. That girl (Marie) was coincidentally one of the two other white girls--she seemed to be in her mid-20s and was really nervous about doing this. She didn't have much experience modeling (I was by far the most experienced of all of them, and believe me, I am not that experienced as a model) and was worried about the pictures being used against her. She also didn't want to wear a thong. I ended up being something of a Mama Duck to her--I said "If you don't want to wear something, don't. Seriously, what are they gonna do to you? Especially since they're not paying--they need you [since many of the booked models didn't show up--they were expecting at least 10 more] more than you need them. You always have the right to draw boundaries." The other white girl and I also showed Marie how to walk--the third girl had a good walk but was a little stiff and her expression was a little too blank. I think the more dance training you have, the more it helps your walk, as you have to be aware of your body to settle into your hips. And I think it helps you as a model to work the crowd a little bit (i.e., don't be too blank-faced).
We had some drama in the dressing room--it was also the entry way for a stock room for the Yankee Candle Company, and two girls who worked for them wanted us out of there. The two girls from Honey Lingerie got annoyed and eventually something was worked out. There were also a number of skanky men/security guards/lonely old men trying to talk to us, etc. They didn't get far. I gotta say, I was impressed with how concerned the Honey Lingerie girls were with trying to make us feel at ease, and treating us respectfully. I did one runway show years ago and this one guy (who had commissioned the show) kept trying to stand in the doorway and making heavy-handed jokes about how he could see anything he wanted since it was his show. FUCKER. It's not your private show; it's a professional modeling gig. I cannot stand men like that. Get the fuck away from me--even in your wet dreams, I'd still shoot you down. Thank God there are mostly gay men in modeling.
Anyway, we started around 2:30. Before we started, most of the girls gathered into a prayer group. I (and the third white girl) politely declined--as religious as I am, that just wasn't for me. That's more of a Protestant thing than an Episcopalian/Catholic thing. I wasn't offended or anything, and they were very nice about it but I just don't feel comfortable with that. But their prayer was hilarious--they were saying things like "Please Jesus, don't let any skanky men say gross things to us and want to follow us home." I had to say Amen to that. I was in my first outfit, a blue gingham bra-and-panty set. It was darling. I looked like a sexy farmgirl; I should've worn my hair in braids. My second and third outfits were a pinkish bra-and-panty set and a dark blue babydoll set. I was wearing my purple CFMs for all three outfits.
So we started the show--we were to go out in order of heights, so naturally I was second. I stomped out there--there was quite a crowd, at least 200. I saw some families with kids in the front row, and a lot of younger men. They were way back though, and were nowhere near the runway, so it was easy to shut them out. I was all in the zone!! Did my turns, worked the crowd, stomped back to the dressing room and got into my next outfit. Then I gradually became aware of a contretemps between a female security guard and the Honey Lingerie organizers--I heard the security guard saying "We were told babydolls and bathrobes only, no bras and panties!" It was all very dramatic. On the fly the organizers had to cover us up, so I had to drape a bathrobe over my second and third outfits, and then when we were up on the runway, lower the bathrobe to reveal more of the outfit. Okay--I understand there was probably a miscommunication between HL and the mall, and perhaps that isn't the most appropriate thing for a mall environment (although why they couldn't just avoid the show with the impressionable kiddies is beyond me). But lowering a bathrobe? That looks much worse, IMO--that looks like something a stripper would do. I don't know, I just didn't like it.
Anyway, the show lasted about an hour, and we all went up for a final "curtain call." After that Marie and I went back to the store, discussing the experience. She was relieved and a little proud of herself, and we exchanged email addresses. I picked out an outfit (the gingham underwear set), ATE (I was starving) and they gave me a ride to the train station. I slept on the train the way back and woke up in a panic as I didn't know what time it was--I was really out.
I showed up around 10:30 and eventually they gathered us (there were about 11-13 models) into a small stock room and started giving us lingerie outfits to try on. We were each to wear three outfits; if you had a problem wearing thongs, you were to speak up (they assured us the thongs would be covered with a babydoll). The models were a lot of fun--most of them were black (maybe a couple of Latinas?) and much younger than I (they were discussing their ages). The average age was early 20s. And I gotta say, Mama Duck stood up well--I looked damn good next to any one of them. Oh, and LOTS of piercings and tattoos. Everyone had a tattoo except me and one other girl. That girl (Marie) was coincidentally one of the two other white girls--she seemed to be in her mid-20s and was really nervous about doing this. She didn't have much experience modeling (I was by far the most experienced of all of them, and believe me, I am not that experienced as a model) and was worried about the pictures being used against her. She also didn't want to wear a thong. I ended up being something of a Mama Duck to her--I said "If you don't want to wear something, don't. Seriously, what are they gonna do to you? Especially since they're not paying--they need you [since many of the booked models didn't show up--they were expecting at least 10 more] more than you need them. You always have the right to draw boundaries." The other white girl and I also showed Marie how to walk--the third girl had a good walk but was a little stiff and her expression was a little too blank. I think the more dance training you have, the more it helps your walk, as you have to be aware of your body to settle into your hips. And I think it helps you as a model to work the crowd a little bit (i.e., don't be too blank-faced).
We had some drama in the dressing room--it was also the entry way for a stock room for the Yankee Candle Company, and two girls who worked for them wanted us out of there. The two girls from Honey Lingerie got annoyed and eventually something was worked out. There were also a number of skanky men/security guards/lonely old men trying to talk to us, etc. They didn't get far. I gotta say, I was impressed with how concerned the Honey Lingerie girls were with trying to make us feel at ease, and treating us respectfully. I did one runway show years ago and this one guy (who had commissioned the show) kept trying to stand in the doorway and making heavy-handed jokes about how he could see anything he wanted since it was his show. FUCKER. It's not your private show; it's a professional modeling gig. I cannot stand men like that. Get the fuck away from me--even in your wet dreams, I'd still shoot you down. Thank God there are mostly gay men in modeling.
Anyway, we started around 2:30. Before we started, most of the girls gathered into a prayer group. I (and the third white girl) politely declined--as religious as I am, that just wasn't for me. That's more of a Protestant thing than an Episcopalian/Catholic thing. I wasn't offended or anything, and they were very nice about it but I just don't feel comfortable with that. But their prayer was hilarious--they were saying things like "Please Jesus, don't let any skanky men say gross things to us and want to follow us home." I had to say Amen to that. I was in my first outfit, a blue gingham bra-and-panty set. It was darling. I looked like a sexy farmgirl; I should've worn my hair in braids. My second and third outfits were a pinkish bra-and-panty set and a dark blue babydoll set. I was wearing my purple CFMs for all three outfits.
So we started the show--we were to go out in order of heights, so naturally I was second. I stomped out there--there was quite a crowd, at least 200. I saw some families with kids in the front row, and a lot of younger men. They were way back though, and were nowhere near the runway, so it was easy to shut them out. I was all in the zone!! Did my turns, worked the crowd, stomped back to the dressing room and got into my next outfit. Then I gradually became aware of a contretemps between a female security guard and the Honey Lingerie organizers--I heard the security guard saying "We were told babydolls and bathrobes only, no bras and panties!" It was all very dramatic. On the fly the organizers had to cover us up, so I had to drape a bathrobe over my second and third outfits, and then when we were up on the runway, lower the bathrobe to reveal more of the outfit. Okay--I understand there was probably a miscommunication between HL and the mall, and perhaps that isn't the most appropriate thing for a mall environment (although why they couldn't just avoid the show with the impressionable kiddies is beyond me). But lowering a bathrobe? That looks much worse, IMO--that looks like something a stripper would do. I don't know, I just didn't like it.
Anyway, the show lasted about an hour, and we all went up for a final "curtain call." After that Marie and I went back to the store, discussing the experience. She was relieved and a little proud of herself, and we exchanged email addresses. I picked out an outfit (the gingham underwear set), ATE (I was starving) and they gave me a ride to the train station. I slept on the train the way back and woke up in a panic as I didn't know what time it was--I was really out.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Good Lord
Date: 2004-10-25 07:33 pm (UTC)I don't think I could get up there. Nasty men doing stupid stuff.
I'd take my shoe and take a whack at one of them. I hate that.
Oh my God, you're like, a model. And you hang out with me.
Re: Good Lord
Date: 2004-10-25 07:52 pm (UTC)