Staying Composed on the Runway; & Seattle Fashion Week 2010!
I was at Seattle Fashion Week at the WAMU Theater in Seattle yesterday, May 15th, 2010. The designers there were IDCW, House of Versatile, B’zma, Vera Wang, Richard Blayne, Eva Chen, and Catalin Botezatu. I was modeling for B’zma. There are pictures of all the designers’ work here: http://www.allklier.com/clients/FSW2010_Intl/ (photos by Jan Klier).
Many modeling events and fashion shows are all day productions. I arrived promptly at 8:45am and left the Seattle Fashion Week event at 10:30pm. It was an amazing opportunity for fashion models, fashion designers, MUA’s (makeup artists), hair stylists, and much more. There was press from all over, including Seattle Pi. There weas amazing hair, makeup, dresses and crazy outfits. There were people, lots and lots of people.
Fashion modeling is all about the people, the networking. This fashion event was definitely worth the 14 hours of practice, changing, waiting, hair and makeup, and walking (the whole day was just one big, fun adventure!). I met so many great people there and reconnected with others. It was also pretty cool that I got to see Florin, from Go Periscope there. Also Apolo Ohno, the Olympic skater was there for the show, which was a pretty big deal for everyone. It was simply amazing day with amazing people with a whole lot going on. I had a blast and I was completely in my element. I have some pictures in my Facebook Seattle Fashion Week 2010 album for those who want to see them. (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=21150&id=111696388842428).
So obviously, there WERE a lot of people, which leads me to my next point: nerves. There were models there of all different experience levels. Some had never been in a fashion show before, with hundreds of people watching, and some had been in way too many to count.
An experienced model and friend of mine doesn’t get nervous; she meditates. She decided to meditate before the fashion show and her walk on the fashion runway. She seemed extremely calm and serene, and stone-still. It was very calming for me. There are different ways to channel the nervous energy so it doesn’t affect performance on the runway, which depends on what works best for you. It could mean doing something with your hands, to get your energy moving and take your mind somewhere else. Or it could mean dancing to the beat of the bass, which also takes your minds off things.
Runway music at fashion events is amazing. I love the upbeat pumping rhythms. I danced just before walking the runway. Actually, I danced all day to keep the energy level high.
If you find yourself getting nervous when you have to walk the runway, don’t sweat it! There is really nothing to get nervous about. When you’re done, you may reflect on how well you did. You may think that it was a total blast and wonder why in the world you got nervous in the first place. It’s really the same exact thing as rehearsing the runway; only, people are watching you strut your stuff when it’s the real deal. That’s the only difference: you have an audience to see how amazing you are.
The fashion runway is your time to shine.
Thanks for reading!
Briauna Mariah
Showing posts with label fashion model. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fashion model. Show all posts
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Facial PhotoTips for Fashion Modeling
If I had to choose the most important aspect of a great modeling photo shoot (within the model’s control), it would be the face.
When in front of the camera, it’s all about the “face dance.” There are many things you can do with your face when modeling.
Each model has her (or his) own obstacles to face. There is never one set way on how to model or, in this case, create different expressions in your face. But I can start you off with what works for me.
During my first modeling photo shoot with Leo Lam, I was told to exhale with my mouth slightly open. I didn’t know that doing so would show my teeth so much and now I’ve learned how to leave a gap between my lips while hiding my teeth at the same time. (The secret? I VERY slightly jut out my jaw and touch my teeth together. My lips shade over my teeth and there is still a gap there.) This gap is seen in a lot of photos and is very “model-y.” I would call this one of the standard poses with your lips.
The possibilities? Endless. Seriously. You can smile and show your pearly whites. You can smile with your mouth closed (for a more gentle look). You can give a devious half-smile. The slightest lift of the mouth can be the difference between a wild stare and a mischievous grin. A tiny squint of the eyes changes the story from bland to intense and dramatic. This is what it takes to make a mask of emotion believable.
This is where Tyra Bank’s famous term “smize” comes in. Smizing, smiling with your eyes, gives an intensity and life to a photo. If you aren’t doing anything with your eyes, the photo is going to lack luster. For me, smizing consists of slightly squinting my eyes, to make my eyes smile. You only need to smize if you’re not already smiling. If you’re smiling, your face automatically lifts and becomes livelier.
Here is a very helpful video on smizing from ANTM:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRBV-UTrdjM
To perfect the face dance, the many poses you must know how to do with solely your face, practice in the mirror a lot! If you’re putting on makeup, try smizing. If you’re just in front of a mirror in passing, practice posing with your face.
Happy smizing!
Thanks for reading,
Briauna Mariah
When in front of the camera, it’s all about the “face dance.” There are many things you can do with your face when modeling.
Each model has her (or his) own obstacles to face. There is never one set way on how to model or, in this case, create different expressions in your face. But I can start you off with what works for me.
During my first modeling photo shoot with Leo Lam, I was told to exhale with my mouth slightly open. I didn’t know that doing so would show my teeth so much and now I’ve learned how to leave a gap between my lips while hiding my teeth at the same time. (The secret? I VERY slightly jut out my jaw and touch my teeth together. My lips shade over my teeth and there is still a gap there.) This gap is seen in a lot of photos and is very “model-y.” I would call this one of the standard poses with your lips.
The possibilities? Endless. Seriously. You can smile and show your pearly whites. You can smile with your mouth closed (for a more gentle look). You can give a devious half-smile. The slightest lift of the mouth can be the difference between a wild stare and a mischievous grin. A tiny squint of the eyes changes the story from bland to intense and dramatic. This is what it takes to make a mask of emotion believable.
This is where Tyra Bank’s famous term “smize” comes in. Smizing, smiling with your eyes, gives an intensity and life to a photo. If you aren’t doing anything with your eyes, the photo is going to lack luster. For me, smizing consists of slightly squinting my eyes, to make my eyes smile. You only need to smize if you’re not already smiling. If you’re smiling, your face automatically lifts and becomes livelier.
Here is a very helpful video on smizing from ANTM:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRBV-UTrdjM
To perfect the face dance, the many poses you must know how to do with solely your face, practice in the mirror a lot! If you’re putting on makeup, try smizing. If you’re just in front of a mirror in passing, practice posing with your face.
Happy smizing!
Thanks for reading,
Briauna Mariah
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Walking the Fashion Runway
The (meeeeow) Walk. What I KNOW you’ve all been waiting for! Yes, it’s the catwalk, the strut, the runway, The Walk. There are videos online to help as you learn how to walk like a fashion model on the runway, but if those aren’t for you, listen up and I’ll give you some insider modeling secrets.
In my last blog, you learned about being confident on the fashion runway and in front of the camera. And as I wrote, I was thinking about the fashion model runway walk. Strut like there is no other. You are the most gorgeous model in the world: Let that confidence show in your runway walk and in your face.
Step 1. Look straight ahead; look fierce!
Step 2. Take long, graceful/strong/fierce steps. The “crossover” isn’t so popular with me. Don’t actually cross your legs over to the other side as you’re walking. I’ve never really seen any fashion models do this. Do walk in a very straight line, with one leg in front of the other. Keep your knees bending at a minimum. You want to be as tall as possible.
Step 3. Hips forward, shoulders up, back straight. Keep great posture, while kind of sticking out your hips. As Nick Casaus says, “Walk as if you are pushing a shopping cart with your hips.” It gives a nice curve to your body.
Step 4. Let your arms swing loosely, but controlled, with them almost behind you. Straighten your fingers a bit so they don’t curl and look shorter than they really are.
Step 5. Don’t be timid in your steps. Heels are loud (depending on the surface you’re walking on). One thing that held me back for a short time was being timid with my steps. Your steps are going to be loud, so let them be loud and clear, and strong.
Step 6. If you mess up, make the audience think you messed up on purpose. Don’t look embarrassed. Messing up never looked so smooth and good.
There are different kinds of turns for when you come to the end of the runway (and the beginning of the runway, for that matter). I suggest slowing down your runway walk slightly before the turn. Now, the turns are hard to describe through writing. I highly suggest watching professionals on the runway. A great website to watch fashion shows online is http://www.frillr.com. What I can tell you about turns is that your head should be the last thing that turns. Maybe even strike a dramatic pose at the end of the runway for the fashion photographer.
The whole idea is to really sell the garment you are wearing when it comes to fashion shows. For hair shows, it’s all about the hair. You want everyone to want what you have, even if it looks silly (because we all know that high fashion may look a little ridiculous and out-there at times). Whatever you have, you have to work it. Bad hair day? Work it. Bad hair is in style, haven’t you heard?
One video that really helped me when I was still learning can be found at this link (I’m surprised I found it so easily after a year): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EprBn84dCcw&feature=related. It covers anything else I can think of that I missed in here. I highly suggest watching it.
OH and Step 7. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!
Good luck!
Thanks for reading,
Briauna Mariah :)
In my last blog, you learned about being confident on the fashion runway and in front of the camera. And as I wrote, I was thinking about the fashion model runway walk. Strut like there is no other. You are the most gorgeous model in the world: Let that confidence show in your runway walk and in your face.
Step 1. Look straight ahead; look fierce!
Step 2. Take long, graceful/strong/fierce steps. The “crossover” isn’t so popular with me. Don’t actually cross your legs over to the other side as you’re walking. I’ve never really seen any fashion models do this. Do walk in a very straight line, with one leg in front of the other. Keep your knees bending at a minimum. You want to be as tall as possible.
Step 3. Hips forward, shoulders up, back straight. Keep great posture, while kind of sticking out your hips. As Nick Casaus says, “Walk as if you are pushing a shopping cart with your hips.” It gives a nice curve to your body.
Step 4. Let your arms swing loosely, but controlled, with them almost behind you. Straighten your fingers a bit so they don’t curl and look shorter than they really are.
Step 5. Don’t be timid in your steps. Heels are loud (depending on the surface you’re walking on). One thing that held me back for a short time was being timid with my steps. Your steps are going to be loud, so let them be loud and clear, and strong.
Step 6. If you mess up, make the audience think you messed up on purpose. Don’t look embarrassed. Messing up never looked so smooth and good.
There are different kinds of turns for when you come to the end of the runway (and the beginning of the runway, for that matter). I suggest slowing down your runway walk slightly before the turn. Now, the turns are hard to describe through writing. I highly suggest watching professionals on the runway. A great website to watch fashion shows online is http://www.frillr.com. What I can tell you about turns is that your head should be the last thing that turns. Maybe even strike a dramatic pose at the end of the runway for the fashion photographer.
The whole idea is to really sell the garment you are wearing when it comes to fashion shows. For hair shows, it’s all about the hair. You want everyone to want what you have, even if it looks silly (because we all know that high fashion may look a little ridiculous and out-there at times). Whatever you have, you have to work it. Bad hair day? Work it. Bad hair is in style, haven’t you heard?
One video that really helped me when I was still learning can be found at this link (I’m surprised I found it so easily after a year): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EprBn84dCcw&feature=related. It covers anything else I can think of that I missed in here. I highly suggest watching it.
OH and Step 7. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!
Good luck!
Thanks for reading,
Briauna Mariah :)
Monday, October 19, 2009
Fashion Modeling and Photography
Foundation is an essential item for all models. They carry it in their purse, handbag, or makeup kit, if not in all three. But "foundation" also means the essential knowledge which makes everything else possible. The goal of this blog will be to serve as foundation -- not for your skin, but for your modeling career.
The Foundation blog will serve models of varying levels of experience, from the absolute beginner who has not even done her first shoot, up to professionals who are signed with agencies and getting regular paid work.
I am a part-time professional photographer in western Washington state. I've worked with more models than I could count, and I've picked up a great deal of information and insight which can be helpful to models. I'll be sharing it here.
The Foundation blog will include advice, insightful (and sometimes humorous) stories and anecdotes, cautionary tales, and all sorts of information that can be helpful to models.
Please bookmark http://foundation.daveward.net and return, or better yet use the "subscribe" links in the sidebar to subscribe to this blog with google reader, mail, or whatever service or software you use to read RSS feeds.
The Foundation blog will serve models of varying levels of experience, from the absolute beginner who has not even done her first shoot, up to professionals who are signed with agencies and getting regular paid work.
I am a part-time professional photographer in western Washington state. I've worked with more models than I could count, and I've picked up a great deal of information and insight which can be helpful to models. I'll be sharing it here.
The Foundation blog will include advice, insightful (and sometimes humorous) stories and anecdotes, cautionary tales, and all sorts of information that can be helpful to models.
Please bookmark http://foundation.daveward.net and return, or better yet use the "subscribe" links in the sidebar to subscribe to this blog with google reader, mail, or whatever service or software you use to read RSS feeds.
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