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| Haenuli models at Wicked and Whimsy, London, August 2016. Photo by Emily Faulder Photography (now Emily Valentine). |
To be clear, I won’t be talking about preparing your
modelling application. I’m not sure if I could help you beyond selecting good
photos (as in good quality, as well as ones you feel are flattering, where you
feel you look great), being honest about your info and reading the instructions carefully –
everything else is down to luck and designer’s tastes. If you do want more on
that, Luna Rain’s advice post is still very relevant
and Vanilla Bear also added some bits to remember at the end of this post.
Here I will only focus on how I’m preparing myself for the modelling itself.
Take Care of Yourself
This is something you should be doing anyway, which is why
it’s at the top of the list. You will normally get at least a few weeks’ notice
if you’ve been selected to model – that’s a lot of time to work on your natural
beauty. Drink lots of water (helps minimise any bloating), eat well-balanced
meals (vitamins and minerals for better skin/hair/whatever as well as overall
health), sleep plenty (no-one wants a tired-looking model), exercise if you
want to/can (no need to hit the gym, but even taking the stairs instead of the
lift can help) – all of this helps on a day to day basis. Depending on how much
time you have between being notified and the event, it may not be the best time
to experiment with your skincare regime. By all means, give your face lots of
TLC – even though you’ll probably be wearing makeup, good skin on the day makes
you feel more confident from within. However, if you’ve
only found out a week prior to the event, stick to products that you know won’t
break you out, irritate your skin or give you an allergic reaction. If you’re
feeling fancy, you could even treat yourself to a manicure (something neutral
so that it goes with whatever style you’ll model) – if not, just make sure your
nails are even, smooth (don’t want it to snag a chiffon dress) and clean.
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| When you feel beautiful in your own skin, you will do much better modelling. |
Practice and Time Changing
Truth is, you’ll be taking time out of attending the event
to model. In some instances, you may even be asked to model more than one
outfit. Regardless of the situation, it’s important that you’re able to change
quickly and outside of the comfort of your own room, since you won’t know until
the day where the backstage will be. While it’s preferable that your event
outfit is simpler and with fewer layers, since this will speed up the changing,
you’re not forced to make that compromise if you don’t want to. However, I do
encourage you to get into your full outfit at home and change into something similar to
what you’ll model using only the floor and no mirrors. Time yourself as you do
it too – it will give you an idea of how much time you’ll need on the day. If
you’re modelling for two brands in two very different styles, time that changeover too. Of course, all this depends on whether you know everything
about what you will model, but you could do a hypothetical scenario just for
the sake of practice. You don’t want to be the girl that everyone’s waiting
for who’s delaying the entire show.
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| How quickly can you change from one look into another? Wicked and Whimsy, London, August 2016. Photo by Catberry Photography. |
Strut, Pose, Weeerq!
Modelling in a lolita fashion show is not for the
faint-hearted, you have to be comfortable being in front of a large audience
and appear confident. Notice how I didn’t say “be confident” – you can fake
that by practicing. This can be divided further into two aspects: walking and
posing.
Walking
Make sure you can walk in the shoes you selected (if you’re
given shoes, ask for heel height and practice walking in something similar) and
practice walking slowly. My personal pet peeve is models who are so nervous
that they walk fast and the audience can’t fully appreciate the dress. I
appreciate that it’s difficult: your heart is pounding with adrenaline, everyone’s looking at you, you’re trying to
remember a dozen different instructions – there may even be music that might
distract you and you’ll naturally try to match your speed to the rhythm. Do all
that’s in your power to resist, stay calm and walk a little slower than you
normally would. If you struggle, try taking smaller steps. Anything that means
you’re on the runway for longer.
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| A confident walk that's not too fast - that's what you're aiming for. Dream Masquerade Carnival, London, August 2017. Photo by Emily Valentine Photography. |
Posing
This is a meaty part. Posing whilst on the
runway is a little different from posing for your outfit shot in front of the
camera. For one, as a model you’re there to show off the garment, not yourself. Secondly, rather than
posing for just one viewer (the camera), you’re posing for a roomful of
people, all of whom will see you from a slightly different angle. As always,
the best thing to do is to practice in front of the mirror. This
will allow you to see and adjust your poses until you’re happy with how they
look. Remember to show off the clothes: lift your skirt a
little to show off the print, stretch your arms to expose bell sleeves, lightly
touch your headpiece if that’s also a feature etc. Generally, as long as you
avoid poses that hide the print or features of the dress and stay graceful, you have free reign.
You should be told the main piece you’ll model enough in advance to be
able to figure out and memorise at least three different poses for it. Depending
on the size of the space where the fashion show will take place, you will probably stop at least
two to three times to pose, so have a different one prepared for each stop. Take
the style of the piece into consideration – cutesy poses like the peace sign
will work great for Sweet lolita, but not for gloomy Goths. I like to “get into character”: how does this style and outfit make me feel, what kind of
person would wear this style of lolita, how would they walk, stand, act in
this style – and take it from there. If you’re still unsure, then ask the designer or fellow models for some tips. It will
be an exercise for your short-term memory and having someone show or guide you
may help you feel more at ease. And
remember to hold those poses! Just like with walking, you may feel the urge to
move on, but you’re there to show off the clothes – let people see them. It
will seem like you’re standing there forever, but you’d rather pose a little
too long and allow everyone (including the official photographer) to see and
photograph you than to disappear too quickly. Just stop, focus on your pose and
your breathing, and when you think that you’re ready to move on, take another
deep breath and then go.
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| You wouldn't know from this photo alone that the model had troubles with her headpiece staying on. She made it work for the style and sold this piece! Dream Masquerade Carnival, London, August 2017. Photo by Emily Valentine Photography. |
Pack an Essentials Kit
Whilst your main job is to walk out in the clothes you’ve
been given, it’s always good to come prepared. Things just happen backstage
that may need improvised fixes and it will be much appreciated if you can take
care of them yourself. At the very least aim to bring some spare safety pins and
bobby pins, which will work in most of the probable backstage scenarios. If
you’re able to, bringing a mini sewing kit and some backup options (e.g. in case you rip
a hole in your tights) could go
a long way. Like I said, don’t expect the changing room to have enough mirrors
for each model, so having your own for makeup touch-ups is very smart.
Although it’s best to avoid eating and drinking in your modelling clothes,
depending on the time of day the fashion show will take place in, you may need
some refreshments. Bring some water, preferably in one of those
no-spill sports bottles, and a small clean snack (something non-greasy that
won’t stain – think a plain biscuit or carrot sticks without any dips), because
food and drink will likely not be provided. And if you can’t bring any of those
extras, at least bring in some skills and help
anyone who may need it. Offers of straightening crooked parts, making corset
lacing tight and even or doing up the waist ties never go unappreciated and it
will take some pressure off the designers/any helpers around.
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| Everyone loves that person who's able to help with waist ties! Wicked and Whimsy, London, August 2016. Photo by Emily Faulder Photography (now Emily Valentine). |
Remember to Ask
Finally, if there’s anything you’re unsure of, don’t be
afraid to ask. From the designer to the event organisers and your fellow
models, there will be plenty of people able to help you. Remember that you’re
realising someone else’s vision, so not only is it ok to check if this
blouse/hairstyle/makeup/whatever will be ok – it’s encouraged. Some designers
will give you more instructions than others – check all that you received.
Remember that if your question has to go to the designer who isn’t attending,
it may take longer to get an answer, so stay patient. Up until you go out on
the runway, you can ask questions to make sure that you’re doing the designer’s
vision justice and that you’re doing it right.
That’s everything that I can think of. Other than finding
out your technique for calming any nerves, listening closely to instructions
doing the practice run and remembering the order in which you will go on stage
(at least remember who’s before and after you). And remember to have fun while
you’re at it!
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