Even though everything wasn't always coming up roses....my years as a traveling fashion model were somthing of a fantasy...."exit real world" if you may. This little entry just shows how even though I was having a gripe with my agency and the owner, things were still pretty damn awesome. And I have to thank my friends at the time for how beautiful they made my life.
5/29
So frustrated with the agency right now. I will have it out with Patty when she is back from her trip. However, despite this I am still on an upward emotional flow which I can attribute mostly to my boys. On Friday we went to Gasoline. Just me and the boys. I had the best time. They are such angels to me. The one moment from Friday that I will never forget for the rest of my life was when we were in Hollywood and a Red Hot Chili Peppers ballad came on. All 7 of us linked arms in a circle in the flashing lights and sweat and sang at the top of our lungs. Total bonding. I love these guys.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Milan Travel Journal Part 3
5/28
I worked with the best clients yesterday. It was for showroom/fit but I got paid $3,000 for the day and have now officially cleared my account. Anything I make from here on out will be money in my pocket. And everyone said you can't make money in Milan. Ha!
My clients yesterday were awesome. They are a design team from New York and really loud & fun. They drove me to a couple of places in northeastern Italy to meet with textiles reps, seamstresses, etc. so that I could get fitted for their size 2's. I got poked and prodded and stared at for hours on end, but it wasn't brain surgery, so no complaints over here.
On our way back to Milan we stopped in the most beautiful town (Asolo) and had coffee and cake in the courtyard of a castle built in 600. It was the most breathtaking place I have ever seen and I am forever going to kick myself for not having brought a camera with me. Commited to memory, but how am I going to share it with anyone?
I worked with the best clients yesterday. It was for showroom/fit but I got paid $3,000 for the day and have now officially cleared my account. Anything I make from here on out will be money in my pocket. And everyone said you can't make money in Milan. Ha!
My clients yesterday were awesome. They are a design team from New York and really loud & fun. They drove me to a couple of places in northeastern Italy to meet with textiles reps, seamstresses, etc. so that I could get fitted for their size 2's. I got poked and prodded and stared at for hours on end, but it wasn't brain surgery, so no complaints over here.
On our way back to Milan we stopped in the most beautiful town (Asolo) and had coffee and cake in the courtyard of a castle built in 600. It was the most breathtaking place I have ever seen and I am forever going to kick myself for not having brought a camera with me. Commited to memory, but how am I going to share it with anyone?
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Feeling Famous
For some reason, every time I celebrated my birthday in Milan the most amazing things would happen. This first season, the agency party happened to fall on my birthday and I got the honor of getting to grace the party invitation's cover along with Eye for I's other "top" girls. I really didn't consider myself one the agency's "tops" but maybe they did...so I wasn't gonna go run and complain about it. LOL! My second season in Milan I ended up celebrating my birthday in Monte Carlo during the Grand Prix....but I won't give out all the details now because I want to stay chronological and not give away all the juice just yet. Suffice it to say P.Diddy, Prince Albert, Naoimi Campbell et. al. were there......not for me per se, but STILL! HAPPY FREAKING BIRTHDAY TO ME! LOLOLOLOL!
Oh yeah...for this particular birthday, I brought all of my friends to Old Fashion Cafe and we ate and drank and made merry until the wee hours of the morning. All paid for by Eye for I who literally "eyed" my male model friends wishing they repped them...since they were already taken by Riccardo Gay, WhyNot, Fashion, etc. The men's division booker actually told me that if any of my boys were unhappy at their agencies to let him know. Yeah, my friends are hot.
Oh yeah...for this particular birthday, I brought all of my friends to Old Fashion Cafe and we ate and drank and made merry until the wee hours of the morning. All paid for by Eye for I who literally "eyed" my male model friends wishing they repped them...since they were already taken by Riccardo Gay, WhyNot, Fashion, etc. The men's division booker actually told me that if any of my boys were unhappy at their agencies to let him know. Yeah, my friends are hot.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
My Salvaged Milanese Tearsheets.
I have this huge Rubbermaid container that I keep in my husband's studio full of all of my old tests and tearsheets from the very beginning of my career to the current day....one of these days I'll go through them and organize everything. For now, I'll just share a few of my original Milan tearsheets. Lord knows the rest are probably buried under old portfolios in that container. I've only had enough time & patience to rustle up a few for each trip....and sadly but truly, quite a few of my pics have stuck together from years of neglect and heatwaves and are thus rendered unsalvageable. *sigh*
Some of these shots were for fashion and/or editorials, one is from the Vogue Sposa shoot (guess which one, lolol!) and the last two are from a super cheesy job I did for Donna Moderna but which took me on a two day location shoot in Tuscany. We got to stay in an unrealistically beautiful Tuscan villa where we gathered for meals in a ballroom that made me feel like I had been transported in time every time I sat down to inhale orrechiete or whatever was the food du jour. It is jobs like that that made me want to pinch myself just to make sure I wasn't dreaming and that I was actually getting paid to spend time in locations like these, smile, wear nice clothes and just be alive.
Ah yes....the gardens of the Tuscan villa I got to stay in for the DM shoot...bellissimo!
Some of these shots were for fashion and/or editorials, one is from the Vogue Sposa shoot (guess which one, lolol!) and the last two are from a super cheesy job I did for Donna Moderna but which took me on a two day location shoot in Tuscany. We got to stay in an unrealistically beautiful Tuscan villa where we gathered for meals in a ballroom that made me feel like I had been transported in time every time I sat down to inhale orrechiete or whatever was the food du jour. It is jobs like that that made me want to pinch myself just to make sure I wasn't dreaming and that I was actually getting paid to spend time in locations like these, smile, wear nice clothes and just be alive.
Ah yes....the gardens of the Tuscan villa I got to stay in for the DM shoot...bellissimo!
Saturday, February 17, 2007
My First BIG Booking in Milan
Although working for catalogs and department stores should qualify as "big bookings" because the day rates are phenomenal, what really makes a booking "big" is the name of who you are working for. If you work for a major magazine, you will probably make a few bucks...literally...nothing to speak of, but you can say that you shot for Elle or Bazaar....or, prize of all prizes....Vogue. And when other clients find out that you shot for any of the afore mentioned mags and their partners, the chances of landing even bigger and better bookings (yes, money jobs!) grows substantially.
A week after my insane ride in Venice, I got a call on my cell from Fabio at the agency letting me know that I had booked an editorial for Vogue Sposa. Vogue Sposa is a cutting edge bridal magazine put out by Italian Vogue. I was thrilled! Even though it wasn't like I had booked a high fashion editorial for Italian Vogue itself, this was pretty damned close and good enough for me. After going to several castings at the Vogue offices and feeling like an imp next to all the preteen, amazonian gazelles with their 30 inch hips and waist length coifs.....I have to admit that booking this job gave me a prettty big confidence boost.
The following is my journal entry from the day of the booking, still magic to me after all these years.:
5/2
I worked for Vogue Sposa today. Me...working for Vogue! We shot on location at a magnificent 18th century villa with rolling lawns and splendid gardens. The kind of setting I once imgained myself living in as a child with fairytale dreams. I looked like an Edwardian princess in black & white billowing skirts, top hats and velvet blouses with kravats. So magical. I felt like I was transported in time. A dream come true on so many levels. I can't wait to see this editorial! I shot with 5 male models and it was all laughter and candid shots. I have to admit though that I was really self conscious about my skin. It broke out pretty badly this past week, and even though the make-up artist was reassuring me and told me that all models have problems with their skin in Milan because of the water, it didn't make me feel any less gross.
So, I hope the shots turn out great & the photographer & clients love them. Getting tearsheets from this will be huge for getting more work. Tearsheets from Vogue Sposa! I have to stop being so paranoid and worrying that they won't like the shots & won't use them. Yeah, I think I am a basketcase...but a happy one!!
Crazy French male model (can't remeber his name, but he was side splittingly hilarious) and me at the shoot.....he made the photographer's assistant take this polaroid of us....
A week after my insane ride in Venice, I got a call on my cell from Fabio at the agency letting me know that I had booked an editorial for Vogue Sposa. Vogue Sposa is a cutting edge bridal magazine put out by Italian Vogue. I was thrilled! Even though it wasn't like I had booked a high fashion editorial for Italian Vogue itself, this was pretty damned close and good enough for me. After going to several castings at the Vogue offices and feeling like an imp next to all the preteen, amazonian gazelles with their 30 inch hips and waist length coifs.....I have to admit that booking this job gave me a prettty big confidence boost.
The following is my journal entry from the day of the booking, still magic to me after all these years.:
5/2
I worked for Vogue Sposa today. Me...working for Vogue! We shot on location at a magnificent 18th century villa with rolling lawns and splendid gardens. The kind of setting I once imgained myself living in as a child with fairytale dreams. I looked like an Edwardian princess in black & white billowing skirts, top hats and velvet blouses with kravats. So magical. I felt like I was transported in time. A dream come true on so many levels. I can't wait to see this editorial! I shot with 5 male models and it was all laughter and candid shots. I have to admit though that I was really self conscious about my skin. It broke out pretty badly this past week, and even though the make-up artist was reassuring me and told me that all models have problems with their skin in Milan because of the water, it didn't make me feel any less gross.
So, I hope the shots turn out great & the photographer & clients love them. Getting tearsheets from this will be huge for getting more work. Tearsheets from Vogue Sposa! I have to stop being so paranoid and worrying that they won't like the shots & won't use them. Yeah, I think I am a basketcase...but a happy one!!
Crazy French male model (can't remeber his name, but he was side splittingly hilarious) and me at the shoot.....he made the photographer's assistant take this polaroid of us....
Friday, February 09, 2007
A Tiny Little Hiatus
My rants are not over....have no fear, Peacocks on Leashes is still alive....but I am taking a week off to spend time with my new baby girl who arrived three weeks early and who, believe it or not, already has a modeling contract with my agency in New York! A week old and she is already a little model. LOL! Some girls have it so easy!
So check back in in a week and I'll be back on with more pics and posts.....each better than the last. I promise! :-)
So check back in in a week and I'll be back on with more pics and posts.....each better than the last. I promise! :-)
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