Meet Sharon Quinn
As many of you plus models already know June 2009 is the month of New
York City's first ever Full Figured Fashion Week. The 3-day event
is the brainchild of DeVoe Signature Events Founder & CEO, Gwen
DeVoe and it takes place June 25th through June 27th. The long
overdue event is on the lips of plus sized models & fashionistas
all over the world. For many of you this event will be either the
first or the biggest shows you have done to date and I have decided to
include some helpful tips to help you navigate easily.
Don't be a "space hog" – Most of the time the backstage area has
a limited amount of space for models, designers, hair & makeup
artists & production teams. Try to be respectful of the space
limitations when packing your bag. A model with a super sized
suitcase backstage may find other models possibly tripping over that
bag and more often than not – losing a few things (things DO tend to
disappear in the chaotic frenzy as the clock nears closer to show
time). Find out in advance EXACTLY what you need pack and try not
to bring too much more than that. Try to pare down your clothing,
hair & makeup essentials into one "Carry-On" sized piece of luggage.
Shoes – In a perfect plus sized model world – you would be able
to pack your shoes in that same carry-on bag that I mentioned in the
previous paragraph. But alas we don't live in a perfect world and
if you have big feet (like mine) the likelihood of you fitting all of
your shoes in that one bag is slim to none. I have raved about
the shoe travel bags
from the online catalogs of Lillian Vernon and
Walter Drake.
The bags are designed to hold anywhere from 8 to 10 pairs of shoes in
one bag and if you are a creative packer like I am, you can squeeze in
a few more! It hooks right onto the little "clip latches" that come
with most carry-on bags. I never leave home without mine and I
guarantee you that you will come to find this item invaluable as you
progress as a model.
Runway Diva Tip #1: Only pack the shoes that fit and YOU CAN
ACTUALLY WALK IN. I don't care how beautiful the shoes are – if
they hurt your feet that will detract from your performance on the
runway. If you are purchasing new shoes for FFFW, it would serve
you well to break them immediately. Bringing brand new shoes to a
fashion event can backfire badly if you are grimacing every time you
put them on.
Remember to pack your portfolio & extra composite cards.
Make sure you keep your book in your bag and you have enough comp cards
on hand. Remember that FFFW means a prime time networking
opportunity for an aspiring plus sized model. Don't get caught
out there without YOUR calling card.
Be Punctual – Be it castings, fittings, rehearsals and/or
shows...if you are working on a DeVoe Signature Events project, it would
behoove you to arrive on time. I can tell you from experience
that if you are habitually late, you will find yourself in the audience
WATCHING the show. You all feel me on this one? Preparation is
key here. Be smart, if you know that traffic or public
transportation may cause you to be late – try leaving a little earlier
to possibly circumvent a time delaying situation.
A good rule of thumb to follow comes from casting director Wendy McKenzie:
To be EARLY is to be ON TIME.
To be ON TIME is to BE LATE
To be LATE is UNACCEPTABLE.
Don't be a Pest - Wait for the instructions (trust me they ARE
coming) before you jump all over the producers/directors with a million
questions. Producers and/or designers can be notoriously snippy
and short tempered as the clock ticks down to show time and the last
thing they want/need is a bunch of models asking them a ton of
questions that can be answered by a production staff member.
Once you get your instructions, listen to them, commit them to memory
or write them down if you have to; but when the lights go down and the
curtains come up – know your marks and positioning and then hit them
like a pro.
Be respectful of the designer(s) and the fitting process – Most if
not all designers already have a vision of a body in mind for the
clothing they create. Therefore an aspiring model that comes up
to him or her and says "Let me see what you got" will probably NOT work
for that particular designer. They are choosing YOU as a model;
you are not choosing them. It is almost never about what you may
like personally. You might have to wear a garment that you
absolutely hate but YOUR job is to sell it. Let the designer fit
you in what he or she visualizes you in and the go out on the runway
and work the hell out of it. If you cannot do this – you might
want to rethink your career as a model, because at the end of the day –
that is the only thing that will matter to the designer – whether or
not you can "sell" his/her garment.
Leave the ego at home or if you must bring it – bring it to the runway.
Bring a robe – You'll be sitting around in your undergarments
for a while, it's a pain in the butt to keep putting on and taking off
clothing. And don't even THINK of running back and forth to the
bathroom to change in privacy, you will find that at show time there
will be absolutely no time for that whatsoever. Get comfortable
with changing around other folks - it's the nature of the business.
If you arrive on time, with a pleasant attitude and ready to work, you
will have absolutely no problems navigating through all the events that
encompass Full Figured Fashion Week in NY!
Good luck and continued success!
You KNOW I'll see you on the runway...
