So today is day 4 of fittings for Lakme Fashion Week Summer Resort 2010 and I’ve been asked to give a rundown of an average day of fittings for a model for the Lakme FW website.

Most people who don’t work in the industry and just come to enjoy the shows don’t realise how much time and effort goes into all the preparations for each show, so here’s the inside scoop from a models perspective:

The day begins with an early morning pickup with a bag full of as many heels as we can carry and all our model basics. Then it’s a mad rush to beat the traffic and arrive at the venue in time for a rushed breakfast before the first batch of fittings is underway.

First we start with a line up so the designer and stylist can look at the models and assign garments accordingly, then a quick change and a line up in our outfits for the order to be decided, outfits to be changed, swapped, dropped or added. Once the outfits have been finalised for each model they need to be accessorised and styled, shoes need to be assigned and changed based on size and the outfits, then one final check before we do a quick walk of the ramp. We each have to walk to test out the shoes and so the garment can be checked for any alterations needed.

It’s an extremely tedious and time consuming process with a lot of waiting around involved so us models have to keep ourselves occupied so we try and entertain ourselves by listening to music, chatting, joking and generally keeping each others energy levels up which obviously gets a lot harder as the day progresses. Some girls will sing or dance, others will nap or read and we even had a girl today start doing crunches to bide her time! Anything to pass the time and this includes snacking as the only breaks we get are for lunch and dinner so food is constantly on our minds.

Fashion week can be very stressful and leads to a lot of frustration, tears, anger and fatigue but its all part of the process and the end result usually makes all the hard work and effort involved worthwhile and once show day arrives despite the lack of sleep, everyone’s energy levels seem to rise and the fun begins.

I think 2009 has been the best year for me thus far, so many things happening – some good, bad, doors opening, others closing. In terms of modeling it has been the year that made me make the decision to take some time of accounting work and travel with modeling. Here’s a summary in brief of the defining moments of 2009:

Braces. GlendaloughRenovations. BridalFair. Renee&ChrisWedding. Nanas80th. CAStudy. MyerCatwalkWithJenniferHawkins. Singapore. Supermodelme. AXN. Ricarda. SceneToChadwicks. PerthFashionFestival.  Melbourne&Sydney. SocialMediaAward. T3Interview. FTV. Diamond Model Awards.  MelbourneCupBurswood. Shekhar&AndyWedding. ScoopEditorial. BlackEyedPeas. PurpleHibiscusShoot. Lauren&ShayneWedding. MaidOfHonour. PoppysDeath. Beyonce. AleashaConradEngagement. PapaHospital. TheGame.IndiaContract. GlendaloughTenants.

• Tennis racquet
• Braces
• Gossip girl style headbands
• iPod Speaker Dock
• Twilight Book Set
  
• Angel  by Thierry Mugler Perfume
  
• 160 GB ipod
• Tan leather ballet flats
• Light Luggage Set
• Sims 3
• Wii
• Waterproof camera
• Bikini Sets
  
• Bodysuits
• Tan trench coat
• Webcam
• Pandora bracelet
  
• Black gladiator sandals
• In-ear Headphones
• Denim shorts
• Floppy Wide Brim Hat
  
• Jewellery box
• Travel wallet
• Macbook pro

Today is the day I officially made the change from Scene Model Management to Chadwick Models. I’ve been thinking of making the switch for a little while, after talking to a few other models who’ve done the same. I had been with Scene a little over 3 years and they’ve been very good to me but I just don’t think I was getting anywhere. I think sometimes everyone just needs a change because 9 times out of 10 change is a good thing and I think it was a case of me being too comfortable with where I was. I’m not a risk taker and don’t like confrontation but I just needed to pluck up the courage and just do it.

I decided on my way to a casting I’d drop into the Chadwick office and I met with Tanya & Sanela to discuss my options and to see if they would be interested in having me on their books for a start, as I’ve heard of a few cases where agencies are not willing to bring a model on board. I went in confident and was delighted when they told me they liked my look and definitely had a place for me at their agency. They were both so welcoming that I felt right at home and they seemed very optimistic about my modeling future. I think thats half the battle, finding an agency that believes in you and will therefore push to get you work because there’s no point being with a top agency that doesn’t believe in you and doesn’t get you work.

I was given all the contracts/docs I needed to sign to make it official and was told now all I had to do was call Scene and let them know I was leaving. This by far was the hardest part, despite knowing that models do it all the time, but as Sanela said its like a bandaid, the faster I do it the faster its over so I did. I thanked Anthony for all that he had done for me but explained that I just needed a fresh start and I’d like to hope we parted on good terms.I have only good things to say about Scene and would encourage any aspiring model to keep them as an option as well as Viviens & Chadwicks when initially deciding on an agency (in Perth).

I’m very happy with my decision and am looking forward to what the future brings….

BridalFair. FutureMusicFestival. GraduationCeremony. EcomsBall. KynanKatWedding. Jace21st. SpringintheValley. ReshanWedding. SingaporeThailand. PerthFashionFestival. MyerBasement. DeesGraduation. CAStudy. ShekzAndyEngagement. MelbourneCupRawDenim