Hold the Glamour

I am a full-figure model and working mother. I am a wife, a sister, a daughter, a friend. I am a Leo. I am a first-generation Aussie and mother to two amazing little native New Yorkers. I believe that fashion is important—but so is real life. I believe that all women are beautiful and strong. I believe in working hard and loving harder. I believe in eating delicious food and drink with close friends, in breathing deep the air of new places, in laughing until you cry. I believe that when our bodies and minds are healthy and balanced, anything is possible.

Tag: comp card

December 6, 2013

Three castings, a dead body and sore feet

Two days ago my day started at 6.30am. I was out the door by 7.45am ready to catch a cab to the Port Authority on 42nd Street and 8th Ave, New York.

I boarded an 8.20am bus to a town in New Jersey called Rochelle for a casting at 9.30am. I was dressed up, hair and make-up were done and I wore a cute pair of heeled boots for maximum impact to impress my potential clients.

Minutes away from my first casting of the day, the bus I was on slowed down. I looked up and saw police cars everywhere as we crawled passed a crime scene.

I then saw a partially naked women’s body lying under a tree — DEAD! All but her legs from the thigh down were covered up by a white sheet. I stopped breathing. The reality of it all moved from my stomach to my throat. Insanity! I’ve lived in New York for almost 12 years, and never before had I seen a crime scene like this one.

I saw my client, tried on three outfits and had photos taken of me wearing their samples. I was there for an hour.

I waited 40 minutes for a bus to take me back to New York all the while wondering if I’d see the poor victim on my return (I didn’t).

Once in New York, I lost my weekly unlimited metro card (public trains & buses) on my way to my agency JAG in Chelsea… Great! I was still a little shaken at seeing the dead woman.

I picked up my composite cards, book and details for my next two castings. Next stop was Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Someone at casting #2 took a comp card and some digital shots of me in my own clothes. I rushed out the door on my way back to the city.

I hadn’t anticipated on walking so much in my cute heeled boots which were no longer feeling so cute. All I kept imagining was taking them off and soaking my feet for hours.

Casting #3 was in Tribeca, New York. I didn’t have a picture ID on me to be let into the building so the security guard gave me a hard time for a while before he let me up to the 12th floor of the building… Really? I just saw a dead woman.

I had literally traveled to two states and two boroughs in one day. Onward I went, walking the city that never sleeps and is never quiet in my boots and hot, throbbing feet — counting every step closer to home. What a day!

Later that night, I watched the news and saw the segment about the dead woman I had seen. It was horrible and very real unfortunately.

Have you ever seen a dead body from a crime scene before?

If so, what happened and when?

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May 26, 2012

2 castings and a hair cut

Happy Memorial Day long weekend to those of you in the US of A! Summer officially starts this weekend and everyone I know is thrilled for the warmer weather… Finally!

My first casting this week was in the heart of the garment district in New York City. I wore my ballet flats to and from the casting however, put my heels on in the foyer of the building just before popping into the elevator (typical model behaviour unless the model takes cabs everywhere and I’m not one of those chicks).

I just bought my orange/red wedges from Anthropologie and I couldn’t wait to wear them in, although slowly does it tiger with the new shoes. One does not wear new shoes all day in the city when one is walking around all day and zipping from one place to another. You may as well start counting your blisters now… Summer has just begun and I have the next few months to wear sandals, flip-flops and sexy summer shoes. I’m not about to ruin my feet.

I walked in, introduced myself to the designer and then she proceeded to look through my book. I had to try on a champagne coloured wedding dress and then she had the owner of the business come in and take a look. He too looked through my book then took two of my comp cards to keep before leaving for his office. I was there for no more than 10 minutes.

Next… I was off to get a hair cut at Cutler Salon on 57th Street and 6th Avenue. I’ve been getting my hair highlighted and cut at Cutler since I moved to the city 10 years ago… I’m a creature of habit and they do marvelous things for my hair. My mane is very important for my work as well as for me personally therefore I make sure  it is taken care of by the best people in the industry.

Jenny Balding is amazing at what she does and has been my hairstylist for eight or so years. She cuts my hair every three months and I feel like a new, lighter woman every time I leave. It’s like a shedding of the skin which I find therapeutic.

NYC - Jenny Balding cutting my hair at the Cutler Salon

NYC – Jenny Balding cutting my hair at the Cutler Salon

NYC - Cutler Salon

NYC – Cutler Salon

My second casting was at my agency Ford Models on Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District. I walk in to see my four bookers at their desks working hard and laughing even harder. I had my book updated with some new tear sheets (jobs I’ve done) and some new test shots.

A test shoot is a shoot that the model organises for themselves to get updated images in their book. I usually test one to two times a year. Some models test more, others less. The model usually pays for the test at a discounted rate to a typical shoot, unless the photographer wishes to do it for free which seldom happens these days. If  the whole crew needs new images to update all their books then it’s typically free. The crew usually consists of the photographer, photographer’s assistant, model, hair-&-make-up artist and the stylist.

Anyway, back to the casting at Ford, I waited about an hour because there were so many models waiting to be seen. There were men, straight-sized women and some fuller-figure models like myself. Once I go in to the conference room, I introduce myself and sit down. The three clients pour over my book looking up at me whilst flicking through. We chat briefly before the casting is over and I leave the city to catch the F train home to my slice of heaven in Brooklyn… Leaving the chaos, hum and buzz of the Big Apple behind for another day.

Peace and quiet can be very glamourous!

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