Log Twenty Two- Update in Career

So it has been an awfully long time since I have done an update. I have been vigorously writing up my Critical Review and running around trying to hand out my surveys but new items in my life have been keeping me very occupied from blog updates, which is bad news for my blog but great news for my career and progress in the fashion industry.

I am extremely happy to announce that I am now a junior agent with TrueColours Model & Talent Agency here in Toronto. I have only been an agent for a month and I already have a solid roster of girls and guys who have also already been booking. The best part is the agency has exactly the same values and ideals as I do when it comes to models. They have a very diverse roster and give all their models different opportunities and experiences in the fashion industry, even finding jobs for acting and theatre.

There is so many different races, sizes, heights and ages that there is no restriction on what is considered beauty. I have been following this guideline while still making sure that my models meet some of the requirements that a high fashion model would meet as well as commercial.

Toronto still has a very outdated view on what a runway model should be. Blonde hair, blue eyes, Caucasian, 5'10 and overly thin body type. I am so proud that my models are so very different but so interesting which may not necessarily help me book them jobs in Toronto, but there is huge opportunity for places like Europe which are constantly trying to be different and look for something new. I would like to help change Toronto's view though. I have also been picking girls who are the trend or standard (blue eyes, blonde hair, tall) but are alternative (tattoos, pink hair) that are actually not considered "standard". Alternative models I have find make the best models, they are so creative and dramatic. They put so much passion into the photos and they have a no fear attitude.

I have really been enjoying it so far but it is a lot of work and does sometimes get in the way of my Critical Reflection progress. Although it has also helped because now I am getting a greater insight and understanding of this industry than I ever did as a model, jewellery designer or stylist. This can definitely help me progress further with the project. I just need to start focusing better on time management.

I will be posting another blog momentarily discussing more about agencies and body images/looks of models. My arguments about why sticking to the standard is not only harmful to your models' health but how it can be harmful to your business (the agency).

I have also attached a collage of some of my girls (and guy) on my roster, I am just extremely and excited to find such a beautiful, talented and interesting group of people. I am looking forward to the progress of this, where it will lead and how much it will impact this Critical Reflection. I am glad I did postpone the due date, this turn around in my life will make for interesting material.

 

Log Nineteen- Welcome back everybody, back to work!

What a summer it has been! I don't even know where to begin. My summer has been pretty eventful going from one new job to another in a matter of month.

I began working at a consignment store as a ways to gain more experience working with high end luxury clothes. I was also hoping to delve more into the social media prospect of the job as part of their marketing team. Unfortunately I learned more on how NOT to run a business especially in the fashion industry.

Run by a former "celebrity stylist" (although I have yet to find out exactly who she has styled for), the store gave me sporadic and last minute shifts, staff had friends come and hang out in the store for three hours, never been cleaned at least until I think until I had set foot in there and they misplaced clients' clothes who had consigned there including mine.

I ended up obtaining a new job at an upscale boutique called MARLOWE. Not only are the items they sell in perfect quality and handcrafted from Italy but it is more to do with wardrobe consulting rather than retail. It is definitely a huge stepping stone in my career as a stylist or a possible permanent career.

On top of getting this prestigious position within two weeks of working with MARLOWE and after hearing about my education with Middlesex, they asked me to help with the social networking with another MARLOWE employee at the Chicago location. That means myself and this other girl are in control of the Facebook, Tweets and Instagram for them.

Luckily with the BAPP program and everything I have learned from it so far, I have been able to make the social networking aspects of MARLOWE a success despite how new it is. I haven't even finished my program and I already have my foot in the door in the career that I want and have been working so hard for.

The modeling is still going well but I am no longer pursuing jobs. I will have people contact me from jobs I have previously worked with but I am slowly moving out of that part of the industry to do more production and behind the scenes.

I hope everyone had a fantastic summer. I will soon be getting hard at work with my survey and I am hoping to make it to the in-campus session at the end of October especially to meet some of you. All the best!

Log Eighteen: Finally getting down to business

These last few months have been a roller coaster, not only with the Professional Inquiry Plan but also various events like FAT week here in Toronto (Fashion Art Toronto week). I was on the Dragon's Den and Breakfast Television also here in Toronto. I had shoots which both appeared in Elle Canada and the Vogue Italia website. Examples below.

I've also been trying to gain a more hands on approach to the fashion industry like any normal Fashion Communications student would be doing. I have begun my jewellery classes at George Brown College and find that it comes very naturally to me. A lot of shop work, kneeling, piercing and soldering were involved but I found I highly enjoyed and, if I do say so myself, was exceptionally good at it. Here is some examples of the work I did and documented for the first two weeks of the course using Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Speaking of Web 2.0, this week I learned a better way of honing my Web 2.0 skills especially with a way that is more sufficient for my industry. That is Instagram. I recently have been hired on at a prestigious consignment store owned by world renowned stylist, Janet Han who recommended to me Instagram. It is purely through pictures that you reach other people on this social network, but fashion is a image orientated business. Also through Instagram you can reach to a lot more people than through Twitter or Facebook alone.

Janet Han has been great to work for and I am already learning so much about designer wear that I never knew before and consignment. This job is definitely a vital part to my education and eventual career in fashion.

I was so pleased my rationale for my award  title was agreed on as BA Honours Professional Practice in 'Fashion Communication'. I've begun planning out another survey to better understand success in the fashion, the business of fashion, ethics, etc. I also want to expand my SIG blog which has been such a success. Unfortunately I have also ignored it as much as I have this blog due to my busy schedule but I intend to change that. If any of you have not seen the SIG blog yet you can find it here at communicatedfashion.blogspot.ca.

I feel very excited I am coming so close to the end of my educational journey. It has been tough but I have learned so much. I already feel confidant to go out there now and pursue and long lasting and successful career in the fashion industry.

Critical Reflection and Summary: Digital Portfolio

 

Fashion Communication is mostly obtained from Ryerson University situated in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Fashion communication is described as one of the fields of “mass communication”. It is a mode of mass communication to promote fashion with such methods as social media, exactly what we have been learning through the BAPP course. Other methods used are video, advertisement, films, etc. Ryerson University describes Fashion Communication as, “Business-related courses in areas such as marketing, business, communication, fashion in international markets, fashion and society are combined with professional studies in communication design, illustration, typography, curation and exhibition, photography, video production and fashion journalism to produce a graduate who can work in all areas of fashion communication.” (Ryerson Faculty of Communication and Design website, http://www.ryerson.ca/calendar/2010-2011/PDF/Comm_Design-FT-1011.pdf.)

The reason I have chosen Fashion Communication as a suitable title is because the description of what exactly it is ties into a lot of what I do. Not only am I involved in the modeling process of the fashion industry but I have been involved in the production, design, marketing, business and communication side as well. Social media such as my Facebook fan page, Twitter and my SIG blog which has become more popular than I expected are great examples of my work in communication. These outlets have also helped in the business and marketing side of my career, helping to promote the business which is myself.

I have been observing those around me in the fashion industry and  I ask questions that have been transformed into my inquiry questions. I have also begun to take steps in approving my design skills such as signing up for jewelry design courses at a nearby college called George Brown. I have also been observing and learning from my friend, mentor and employer Andy Jones on aspects of sewing and clothing design. Andy Jones is a designer fresh out of college who has already started to make a name for himself. He is one person who has definitely helped me in different ways in the fashion industry.

Answering the question in Reader 4, “What knowledge and skills do you think you will need for the future?” I have already lightly touched that. Fashion Communication involves not only the knowledge of communication, marketing and business but aspects of design, illustration and basically the general production side of the fashion industry. Fashion communication is the back bone of the fashion industry and one must have a broad knowledge and extensive amount of talent in order to be successful. As I said before, I am taking these steps by attending classes, observing my peers, being involved in the production of shoot and shows behind the scenes as well as in front. There will be skills though that I know for sure I will need, for example, photography and graphic design. Once I have mastered the clothing/jewelry design and illustration part I will begin to look into these fields as well.

One important aspect of my Critical Reflection that I would like to bring up is my work in jewelry design. The jewelry design was all part of observation, trial and error and asking questions from peers. My jewelry would not be at the level it is at now if it wasn’t for trial and error especially. After much experimenting and help from Andy Jones, my designs now have a very definite look and skill added to them. Taking Andy’s advice and reading from such books as “Drawing Jewels for Fashion” by Carol Woolton, I am currently creating jewelry that has a “story”, a certain look and have used my knowledge and own life experiences to make jewelry that identifies me as a designer. Before I would just create anything that popped into my head that I thought would be aesthetically pleasing without a plan or a background story to it. Reading about the successful and international jewellery designers in “Drawing Jewels for Fashion” I learned they all were inspired by something, whether it was nature, an ancient civilisation or even their own life story. That’s how I’ve come to the conclusion to incorporate my dance training and my love for the ballet into my jewels. I am also very particular about material that I use now. For example, lately I created my “Swan Lake” earrings and matching necklace and took particular close attention to what materials I was using and if they were appropriate to the theme. I used very light and feminine materials, or at least what I consider light and feminine, such as white gold, fresh water pearls which were the colour of baby pink, Swarovski jewels which were either black or white to represent the two swans and black glass beads cut to look like feathers representing the black swan (which you can see examples of in the above pictures). My design is still through trial and error but I definitely think it has improved the last couple of months.
I think if I keep persueing the different skills needed for Fashion Communication my inquiry can be a success especially if I continue to ask the right questions from the right people and continue observations.

As for ethics I will review what I have posted here and there through my blogs in the past altogether in this summary. What I have learned about the ethics of the fashion industry is to make a brand for yourself, whether it is design or marketing. Whatever you are doing must not be an idea concocted from thin air, there must be an explanation and/or a story behind. Research and paying close attention to detail is extremely important. Many people coming into the fashion industry think this business is just about making something or someone look pretty. There is so much time, research and thought put into the work that if you're not willing to do all three then you will not be successful. Most importantly it is who you know. Networking and connections are what get you by in this industry so paying close attention to asking the right questions to the right people is vital. Sometimes though this has no effect and someone could simply not like you for whatever reason. This business is very finicky and you could tread on someone's toes without even realising what you said or had done. It is very hard to know what the ethics are in the fashion industry but from a survey I did in my SIG blog I learned at the end of the day it is who you know.

Another interview for my inquiry plan

I have already posted this in my SIG and I am reposting it here. Tracy was kind of enough to spend some time answering a few quesitons I had for her about this industry.


Hello everyone!

I am so sorry for not posting recently, this week has become so overwhelming and I am currently in the process of working on my Professional Inquiry for school which has been HELL to say the least! I also had a bridal shoot out in the beautiful setting of King City which was a lot of fun but took all day! I really enjoyed it though and had worked with both photographers before, Cyrus Mir and Anda Pleniceanu.  Looking forward to seeing the results!

I have had a the pleasure of interviewing Tracy Clifford, a reputable stylist who has been assistant to Oscar De La Renta. After graduating from Boston College with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Tracy dedicated her studies to fashion while attending the Instituto Lorenzo de Medici in Florence, Italy and went to have a successful career as a major style consultant. I asked her to share some tips, ethics of working in the fashion industry and things everyone should know generally about this industry.

1.      What inspired you to become a style consultant?

The simple answer is that I have loved fashion ever since I can remember.  I have always felt a connection to finding beauty in the world, and particularly so with clothing.  From my point of view, fashion gives us the ability to express ourselves artistically. Wearing beautiful clothing elevates our experience and has the ability to make us feel more self-actualized.  There are very few things in life that provide the opportunity for such a profound experience on a daily basis. 

I feel a special connection to fashion in particular.  I have always been able to choose amazing pieces that are unique, beautiful, and most importantly, compliment the body.  Fashion cannot exist in a bubble.  I think many consultants (and designers) loose sight of the fact that the primary goal is to use clothing to compliment a woman’s body and make her feel beautiful.  This is a particular skill of mine.  Plus, fashion is fun! 

2.      Has anyone inspired you in particular?

Though there are many designers that I admire, my true inspiration from fashion came from two very important women: my mother and Marissa Hartington. 

My mother has fabulous taste.  She always looked perfect and put together.  Growing up, she took me shopping and exposed me to beautiful clothing.  Most importantly though, she allowed me to express myself with clothing.  My family spent a lot of the winter every year in Naples, FL.  My favorite part of Naples (besides getting away from the Chicago snow!) was going with my mother to the Big Pink Building which housed Marissa Collections, an amazing fashion boutique.  It was at Marissa Collections with my mother that I first fell in love with fashion. 

My dad always said if you want to be in an industry, look at the most successful person you know in the industry and determine if that is who you want to be.  Marissa Hartington, the founder and owner of Marissa Collections, was (and is) the most successful person I know in fashion.  When I thought about if I wanted to be like her, the answer was a resounding yes.  Marissa is, in a word, amazing.  She is able to see fashion and spot trends like no one else in the industry.  I am constantly amazed by her taste, dedication, and tenacity.  I am so fortunate that Marissa took me under her wing, taught me about the industry, and allowed me to practice what I learned when she hired me to be a buyer for Marissa Collections.    

3.      Did you always want to be a style consultant or did you have other aspirations and training when you left high school?

I tried following in my father’s footsteps and working for his law firm and then for a judge.  I think I spent most of my time analyzing the lawyers’ clothes, instead of the law!  I also dabbled in the magazine business for a bit.  However, when I got hired at Niemen Marcus, there was no turning back. 

- What was it like assisting Oscar de la Renta?

It was amazing.  I started at the bottom of the totem pole but I kept my eyes open and observed everything around me.  I really learned a lot about fashion from the designer’s viewpoint, which was a new experience for me because I had always thought of fashion solely from the consumer’s point of view.  The experience allowed me to see the real guts of the fashion world.  Being around all of those beautiful clothes wasn’t too bad either!

4.      What do you think attributes to his success?

The simple answer is beautiful clothing.  Oscar’s natural talent, creativity, and understanding of a woman’s body is unparalleled.  His clothes are unique, in the moment and still remain timeless and wearable.   

5.      What has attributed to your success?

My success is driven by my clients.  Making them feel comfortable and beautiful is my number one goal and my clients appreciate it.  I am always thinking about them as I spot trends and browse the newest fashion.  For instance, I am in Spain as I am writing this, and I saw an amazing dress that would be perfect for one of my clients.  I took a picture of it and sent it to her so she can take a look.  The other thing that attributes to my success is making fashion fun for my client!  I want them to have fun picking out their own style (with my guidance) and to remove the stress and pretension from picking clothes.  I want my clients to feel the same joy from picking clothes as I do.  Fashion is such a fun thing and I want my clients to experience that too!

                                                                                            

6.      What is the demographic of your customers? Is there a demographic you market to?

I don’t think of my work in terms of demographics or marketing (much to my business manager’s chagrin).  Honestly, I work with women who want to look beautiful and have fun picking amazing clothing. 

7.      What is your favorite part about your work?

The clothes and my clients!!!  I love spotting the latest trends and taking pieces from the runway and making them wearable for my clients.  It is so gratifying when I see my clients beaming after they tell me how beautiful they felt at an even or that they felt so good when someone complimented their outfit.  I had a client call me last week almost giddy because she got stopped by a woman on the street who wanted to tell her how great her outfit looked.  These are the kinds of things I live for!

8.      Have you ever had to deal with ballet dancers or work in the dancing world?

Many of my clients are dancers.  I love working with them because they understand beauty in movement.  It is a lot of fun to pair fabrics and designs that take advantage of dancers’ natural grace. 

9.      Do you think fashion is important to the dance/performing arts world, not just costuming?

Of course!  Fashion is crucial to performers.  Needless to say, performers do not only practice their art on stage - it is a way of life.  I love to help performers express their vision when they’re out of costume.  As the Bard said, “all the world’s a stage.”  

Thank you so much to Tracy Clifford! You can find out more about her and her services at her website Tracy Clifford Style.

Log Fourteen- I got my first interview!

So I just interviewed a recent fashion design graduate of Ryerson University who also makes tutus! I posted the interview on my SIG blog as well. Here it is...

As I had mentioned in my previous entry, back in grade 12 I tried to make a pancake style tutu for my art ISU. It was a disaster! I did not realise you have to be extremely skilled and that sometimes even all your textiles and design training cannot help you. I ultimately just created the long classic tutu instead. Ever since my failure with the pancake tutu I have been fascinated with people who can create these masterpieces but had not met anyone personally who could. Now I have! Alexandra Julian is one of the Mass Exodus designers who created a tutu line and was one of the few selected to showcase at the PR show. Here's a little snippet about the fresh out of school designer. "Alexandra Julian is a graduate of the Fashion Design program at Ryerson. She won 3rd place for Canada in the Triumph lingerie competition in 2011, and was selected for the curated collection that showcased the top 25 collections at Mass Exodus 2012. She likes to design and make ornate and elegant clothing, often inspired by historical fashion. She grew up in Kitchener and Toronto, and aspires to be a costume designer or fashion designer." I was fortunate enough to not only have her input but I am very excited that as my first interview on this blog she is a tutu designer. Here's what she had to say...

- What inspired you to do this tutu collection?


I started off with the idea of doing costume because I love extravagant clothing, period pieces, and classical beauty. I am a huge of fan of ballet and go often to see it because I have a very strong emotional connection with it; I'm not afraid to admit, I've cried watching Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and Onegin! Seeing my first ballet, The Nutcracker, was also what inspired me to get into fashion in the first place, so ballet has a special place in my heart and has inspired me throughout the years. This particular collection is based on the original fairy tale of The Little Mermaid. It's my favourite fairy tale and I thought the idea of a fantastic world beneath the sea as well as the emotional and tragic plot would be beautifully interpreted through ballet. I actually read later on that it was originally intended to be a ballet!

- Has anyone inspired you in particular?

I take inspiration from many different sources, whether it be the dancers at the National, or my mother, or designers like Alexander McQueen... I find so many people inspiring!


- Do you have a background in dance?

Unfortunately, no (unless you count the few ballet classes I took as a 4-year-old). I wish I could have taken dance when I was younger, but I think it's never too late to start, and now that the collection is over, I am really looking to take some adult dance classes!

- What was the work process that went into making these?

There are so many steps to creating the whole collection, it's hard to think of them all! Basically it all started with the sketches, and then research and interviewing industry experts to develop target market and competitive analysis, then technical sketches, patterndrafting and muslin stages (for the unfamiliar, a muslin is a mock-up of a garment made in comparable cheap fabrics), and finally the actual construction of the final garments. The making of the final garments was the most trying part! It can take weeks for professionals to make one classical tutu, and I only had two weeks to make each garment on my own, while holding down a part-time job and internship! It was the craziest time, but I'm very proud of myself for making all the garments myself and it was a challenging experience that I learned a lot from.

- What sort of materials did you use?
I used a lot of synthetics because they are cheaper for a costume budget, and because I did a lot of heat cutting in my collection. It's not easy to see from a distance, but all the scales and chiffon on the mermaid tutu and the grey chiffon pieces on the sea witch tutu were heat cut using a soldering tool. Because the fabrics are synthetic, when the edges are cut with the soldering tool, the edges melt creating a nice sealed edge that won't fray and it allows for so many interesting shapes to be cut out, without having to worry about finishing the edges. All of the costumes are lined with cotton however, so that they would be comfortable if used for dancing!


- What are you hoping to achieve with the designs especially now you have graduated?

Since costumes are usually made for specific productions, unless someone wants to choreograph The Little Mermaid ballet, there isn't much I can do unfortunately. If there is interest however, I'm considering selling them to dancers for competitions or perhaps some dance companies in need of costumes. I hope to be a costume designer in the future, and I feel this collection shows the skill, commitment, and passion I possess for costumes. I am still very interested in fashion design, however, and want to keep my options open. I think these designs are still relevant to showing my skills as a fashion designer.

I want to thank Alexandra for taking the time out to answer my questions. I love the fact she is inspired by ballet AND Alexander McQueen. My type of designer! You can find more pictures and info here on the Mass Exodus website Mass Exodus or you can look at Flare Magazine's "124 Looks From Ryerson's Mass Exodus 2012 Show" here Flare Magazine Website. 

All photos taken by Michael Ho.

Log Thirteen- Results on the poll

So again I have been lacking the attention on this blog. April is my busiest month with Mass Exodus (The Ryerson fashion students graduation show), shoots and FAT (Fashion Alternative Toronto week). Mass Exodus was great. Got a huge response due to this outfit I chose to wear, designed by Lia Valdez (photo by Michael Ho)...

So the results are in from the poll and it looks like the winner was, "It's who you know." To be perfectly honest I wasn't surprised. The next poll I will be doing is, "How much detail to fashion do you pay attention to in your everyday life?"
I'm also thinking more about my award title and I keep getting drawn to "Fashion Communication". After finding a description on the TFS Fashion Spot website http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f90/fashion-communications-66162.html that describes "Fashion Communication" as this;

Specialization in Fashion Communication also begins in second year. Business-related courses in areas such as marketing, business, communication, fashion in international markets, fashion and society are combined with professional studies in communication design, illustration, typography, curation and exhibition, photography, video production and fashion journalism to produce a graduate who can work in all areas of fashion communication. Through the selection of elective courses in second, third and fourth year, students may elect to pursue a minor or to otherwise customize their elective package to focus on their individual career objectives. Students also work in teams to produce a series of fashion events culminating in the year-end fashion presentation, attended by over 3,500 people, including industry and media representatives.

I think that perfectly describes what I am doing now. What do you think?

Also in other news, now that I have finished and passed my French level IV course I have signed up for the jewelry design course at George Brown to hone my skills on my jewelry making. Here's an example of one of my designs. Model is Tara Wright, photography by Stephen M. Loban, hair by Linda Radan and swimsuit and makeup done by Lisa Jackson.

Finally I would like to add, I stumbled across this great blog by one of the dancers of the National Ballet of Canada where she blogs about the connection between dance and the fashion world. It's a really great read, definitely give it a look! Haute BALLERINA Couture

Log Twelve- Feedback coming in already for poll from SIG blog...

So after posting my first poll it's great to see I am already getting back peoples' opinions. So far a total of nine people have voted on my question, "Can one be successful in the fashion industry with basic knowledge of fashion or is a broader knowledge the only successful path (for models, designers, photographers, makeup artists, etc)?" Out of the nine, three voted, "Basic knowledge is acceptable as long as you are up to date with current names, events, etc." One voted, "No! Completely unacceptable, must have a vast knowledge of fashion history as well as current, business, marketing, etc." And five voted, "It makes no difference. It is all about who you know." For a while questions one and three were at a tie until recently which I was not expecting but at the same time didn't really anticipate any of the answers. I am surprised how only one person voted for the second question. Can't wait to see what other results I get back from future polls and tomorrow I'll be conducting my interviews during tomorrow's show. Below is the poster...

As a reminder you can find my SIG blog through this link; http://communicatedfashion.blogspot.ca/. I would love to hear your feedback and maybe your thoughts on fashion effect in the performing arts world?

Log Eleven- Last post for today I swear! Task 4b!

I have created my SIG in blog form titled "The Business of Fashion" to find out people's success and views in the world of fashion. I even posted my first poll, "Can one be successful in the fashion industry with basic knowledge of fashion or is a broader knowledge the only successful path (for models, designers, photographers, makeup artists, etc)?" It's still a work in progress and trying to still gain followers but that's how I use social networking to my advantage. Yay! Have a look and tell me what you think...http://communicatedfashion.blogspot.ca/

Log Ten- Task 4a and thinking more about my Professional Inquiry

So I know that what I'm doing is very different from what a lot of you on the course are doing but I am hoping some of you can relate to any of the questions I post and give me your input.
I am trying to focus more on the fashion aspect of this industry. Surprisingly a lot of models do not take an interest or let the fashion world have an effect on their jobs and daily lives even though their careers are based on wearing these items. They are the props of fashion. Since I deal with jewelry design and styling on top of the modeling I want to get a perspective on both sides, the designing and the modeling, and see if I can merge them into one collective group of questions.
I am very exciting since on Thursday I will be participating in a fashion show with the majority of models and designers being my friends and/or people have worked with numerous times. I've been given permission by my friend Andy Jones (designer) to interview both the models and designers in the shows with my questions. Andy Jones and Christopher J. Nevin are two of the three designers being showcased that night who I have both worked with before. I styled this shoot for Andy's dress (model is Kelleth Cuthbert)...

And this is from one of the many shows I walked in for Christopher J. Nevin...

For the designers here is a few examples of inquiry I am interested in:
- Before starting a particular project or a new line where do take your inspiration from?
- What effects your inspiration or work on a design? Do you research into a particular time period? Are you effected by nature? Architecture? World issues or politics?
- What is the work process that goes into making one of your designs?
- What is the market you are targeting?
- What is your ultimate goal in making your designs? Is it consumer based or art based?
- Must one have a complete understanding of the history of fashion to make it in this industry or can one get by on just the current names and events? How much knowledge is needed to be successful?
As for the models I am interested to know:
- Before attending a casting do you research on the designer/product/photographer/etc that you are attending the casting for?
- Do allow fashion to be an important part of the casting i.e. do you wear the designers work or do you stick to the form fitting black outfit but still focus on the fashion names in the items that you wear?
- Do you have a lot of general knowledge about the fashion industry? If so was this an interest before the modeling or did you research this in order to have a better understanding and help your chances of getting the job at the end of the day?
- Are you thinking of developing skills to help gain more jobs? i.e. Dance, acting skills, second language, etc.
- Are you interested in developing skills outside of the modeling but still in the fashion industry? For example, skills in photography, makeup artistry and even fashion design.
Then more similar questions I want to know from both groups are:
- Who or what inspires you to do what you do?
- How do you handle rejection?
- Do you analyse after rejection?
- Do you believe you have the knowledge and skills that you will need for the future in this industry or do you feel you still need more?
Most importantly I want to know:
- How do you make your business (the business of you and/or your designs) successful?
I also want to integrate the modeling and fashion design questions into two different questions. For the designers I would like to know, what do you look for in a model when you set up a casting for your designs? And for the models I would like to know, is fashion and fashion design knowledge a big part in your life and job?
As for the performing arts students in this course I would love to know if fashion effects your career decisions? Do you focus on what to wear for auditions or job interviews? Will you research into a particular dance clothing company for auditions or company class? Does a brand effect your performance on stage or in class at all? Is fashion design (shoes, leotards, etc) an important part for a dancer in general?
I would love to hear what you guys think! Has anyone delved into the costume department of the performing arts world at all?
I've also began to think about my award title. I figure it will have to obviously be involved with Fashion, I just don't know what aspect.
I am going to leave you now with a trailer from a movie a saw this weekend for the Canadian Film Festival. It is called "Material Success" and it is a documentary following Bruno Ierullo (who I modeled for a few weeks ago) and the process that goes into creating one of his fashion shows. If you get the chance it is a very interesting watch just to see the work and inspiration that goes into fashion design. You even see a little bit of the models side of this industry. Enjoy...
Material Success

Log Nine- Finally onto Module 2

After having a lovely chat with Paula today, things are becoming a little clearer on this course and it has made me really considering where I would like this course to take me and my career. I am still looking at the business side of the modeling and fashion world but maybe delve back into the styling and jewelry making aspect of it a bit more. I have even been considering taking a course in jewelry design at my old college George Brown which I attended before I studied at Cambridge Performing Arts College in the UK (Bodywork Studios). This was actually first brought up by my boyfriend's Dad in the Christmas time which I am starting to think about more seriously. Here is an example of some of my jewelry which appeared in San Francisco fashion magazine "Votive Magazine"...

 I have also told Paula how I am now being a little more picky when it comes to my modeling jobs. I have been so overwhelmed with castings, fittings and etc when most of the these jobs are free, which I mentioned briefly in my last post. I feel I have done enough free jobs in my career to make the networks and connections I have today plus I need to focus on this. Getting my degree is very important to me. I am very excited to begin the inquiry and have already listed a few questions in my head. In the meantime I am off to a fitting for a paid bridal shoot which I got from doing a previous free shoot with the photographer. It was a shoot for "bridal swimwear" called Mantah Swimwear. Here's an example from a poster for it...

I will post some (or hopefully all) of the number four tasks by tonight. If anyone is interested in seeing more of my work since I cannot post it all here have a look at my Facebook fanpage http://www.facebook.com/Victoria.Ellingham and/or follow me on twitter, username @Tori_Hearts.

Log Eight: Task 3c and playing catch up

So, to put it bluntly, this month has been hell! I have seen a dark side of this industry that I knew existed but tried to ignore. Toronto Fashion Week has come and gone. It was probably one of the worst experiences of my modeling career. The castings were nightmares! For example, one designer bluntly made ten girls leave her tiny hotel room humiliating them in front of us. The four girls who she picked, that included me, were made to walk back and forth in a slow "sexy" walk for an hour and a half in this cramped hotel room. After practising for an hour and a half, the designer not once looking at us, told the group, "Thank you, we'll let you know tomorrow." After all that we weren't guaranted to be in her show! None of us got picked to walk for her. My agency was fantastic and sent me to many castings but with Toronto's still very apparent old fashioned views stuck in the designers' and organisers' minds I only got one show which I was quickly cut from. They told me it was because they cut my outfits which was not true. I saw both my outfits still on the runway plastered all over the internet. They had cut every boy and girl from my agency. I will never know the real reason we were cut but it hurts and since then I have had more disappointments. I've been delaying writing more posts simply because I have been running around this city like a headless chicken only to find disappointment after disappointment, so when I did find the time to write I felt embarrassed to write that I had been unsuccessful. There have been some good moments. Last weekend I walked for Bruno Ierullo (http://www.brunoierullo.com/) on a 420 foot runway. It was a huge production and a lot of fun. Even some of the top models of the world will never get to experience a show like this.

The bad experiences have made me start to think, how much longer do I want to be in this world? You go through so much pain, mentally and physically, for something that isn't well paid and sometimes (most of the time actually) free shows or shoots. I almost fully gave up on the modeling but obviously that's not the best option especially after just signing with Icon. I am going to try and get into for of the commercial side of modeling and even try to break into the acting scene here. The problem with doing fashion in Toronto is that it isn't a fashion city, not yet at least. The movie industry is booming here and there is constant work according to someone I met from the film industry here the other day. I am going to talk to my agency  about getting more acting jobs or even find a predominantly acting agent.   

Now onto Task 3C...

My number one important source of information is Model Mayhem. Not only are job postings constantly being renewed on this site for Toronto and international modeling jobs, insiders share tips, information, people who to be careful working with, the best agencies, etc. It is extremely helpful for me.

Another source I find very important is obviously Facebook. Again not only is it a website to socialise, find jobs and stay connected with people I work with, I can look at other models' profiles, pictures and work and learn from what they are doing. I like to study their poses and facial expression so I can learn what is best for me.

Twitter is extremely important, from this I have learned a lot from when and where events are taking place and if they need models, sometimes stylist jobs (which has been taking a slight back seat for the modeling at the moment). I can also read international models' Tweets about their experiences and what they see, like Jessica Stam.

Another source I use, mostly for styling or for getting ideas on outfits intended for go sees, is Look Book (http://lookbook.nu). People from around the world post their stylish outfits, from models to bloggers to stylists, share tips and tell others where to get these great items.

Finally a very important source for me is the free local newspaper Now Magazine (http://www.nowtoronto.com/). Not only does it have what is happening in Toronto, important issues and upcoming events but they post a lot of jobs in the classifieds especially for modeling and acting.

So I will try to post more, unfortunately the busy season is not over for me yet and I still have to decide where I want to go from here with my career. The most important part of my life right now though is getting through this course and maybe it can help me with my ultimate decision. Unfortunately with my career being so difficult and busy I'm finding this hard but I am going to try more from now on.

Log Four- Reflective Study

Yet again another busy couple of weeks! I'm totally relishing on the busy days though because in my line of work, I know that soon enough will come the slow season until April. Even with the networking, hard work and persistence every model encounters a slow season.
I have been reading through Task 2b and 2c while also reading through the theories suggested in 2c. I was most drawn to Kolb's learning cycle. Most would probably think reflective study would do more harm than good to anyone in the modeling business especially when so much negative feedback is given to you on a daily basis and you're purely judged on your looks, height and body image. But I've found that Kolb's learning cycle has been very useful and I had unknowingly been using his theories already.
As a freelance model, being 5'8 and not having the "standard" measurements (my hips are to big) it's been difficult for me to be perfectly honest. But since I did not take the path of simply listening to agencies telling me I could not model because for whatever reason, I would analyse and reflect on why the casting did not go well and what I could do next time to better my chances of getting the job. For example, I visited an agency around two years ago. They told me they could not sign me on and I could not model because my hips were to large. So I analysed what he told me and planned to lose a little weight in my hips, have a bigger and more varied portfolio in my book and made sure I networked with the right photographers, MUAs, designers, stylists and other models. When I came back two years later with everything I had reflected on done, those actions took effect in a very positive way. The agency wanted to sign me on the spot. I did not however sign with them yet. I've learned that I can practice Kolb's learning cycle in similar situations with other agencies which I have already started doing, so I will be repeating the learning cycle to better my chances and have more of a choice in who I sign with. I do realise though that the learning cycle will not always work. Toronto is becoming a fashion city but only slowly. I've come to realise a lot of people in the fashion industry in Toronto can't seem to let go of tradition and old habits. They stick with the same fashion and that usually means the same models. A lot of the magazines showcase the same waif, blonde, 5'10, elf looking girls as they have for the last 10 years. Europe and most of the world is moving away from that look, always trying to find something different, so even if I do use the learning cycle in other meetings with agencies it may not work simply because those agencies are stuck in their old ways.
I do have to say that the internet has been my most vital tool in my career. Facebook, Model Mayhem (a social site for models, photographers, etc), Twitter and blogs have all been essential in my success so far. The best example I can give right now is the competition I have entered over a month ago now to achieve a front cover shoot with a magazine called Wowza. In order to win you must upload a picture of yourself to their fan page among other photos and the photo with the most likes by December 1st wins. I have been extremely successful so far due to the social networking, previous jobs, Twitter, social networking help from friends, this blog, other blogs and my Model Mayhem. I am currently over 2,000 likes which is an absolute dream come true. I have been working six years to not only appear in a magazine but be on the cover of one. Again, I could not have done it without applying my skills and knowledge about the internet and social networking. There is two days left so if any of you would still like to help me out please click on this link Victoria's competition photo and like the photo. If you also pass on to your friends it does help a lot. As for the styling I've had to put that a little bit on the back burner these days. It has been difficult and right now I really want to concentrate on the modeling since I can only do that for so long.
Before I end this blog I am going to post a few pictures I have had taken lately and a few from a fashion show raising funds for breast cancer research I did just a few days ago.

I also wanted to show you all my very first window appearance! I am currently the face of Cos on the Kingsway hair salon, a shoot I did back in July with a very prestigious photographer (which I cannot disclose yet due to magazine submissions) and I blogged about not to long ago. My friend sent me this the other day, I have yet to see it. Very excited though! Let me know what you think!

Log Three- Reader Two: The Reflective Practioner

So I'm not exactly sure where to begin with this entry. As usual I've had a lot of different jobs during these last couple of weeks, which explains the delay in this entry.
One thing that has just come and gone was Toronto Fashion Week. It was something I've lately been longing to be a part of. Unfortunately this year they have strictly said ONLY agency models can be a part of the shows which made things extremely difficult for me obviously being a freelance model. It made me realise despite the fact I have done very well for myself there are still many closed doors for me. For some reason being with an agency gives you more entitlement and credentials rather than years of experience. I am also vulnerable still to people scamming me out of more money that I deserved from jobs. At the same time, the issues with signing onto an agency is they could be scam artists themselves, they may not be getting in enough castings, they may just put you into one category of modeling when I want to do it all and also the fact they cannot actually get you the jobs, they can only get you the castings. I have started agency shopping but it has not been easy. I've sent emails to agencies with either no response or saying they were not interested. I've also gone to see agencies, two of which were interested but I've had some bad reviews on them. I also had one agency tell they weren't interested and leave within five seconds of myself arriving at their office. There have been positives though from these last couple of weeks. I've had confirmation from the photographer from the hair shoot that he is submitting still the pictures to hair magazines. The shoot Tara Wright, Stephen Loban, Linda Pazic, Lisa Jackson and myself has gained interest from W25 Magazine, asking for all the hi-res from the shoot. I also participated in a photo shoot yesterday for designer Arnaldo Santos with his dresses and a new online magazine for Fabulous PR. I also modeled for friend and fabulous knitwear designer Dylan which you can see on his website www.dylaniumknits.com. Here is just a few of my favourites from his site...

So even though I've had some pretty negative moments especially with the agencies. From this experience and others in my past I've learned to not give up so easily. Whether it is the fashion industry or performing arts industry, I find both can be equally brutal and pretty self esteem destroying. But you need to keep going if you really want to be successful in what you do, because even if everything seems hopeless things will work out in the end. I've also seen in my many years of doing the modeling and the performing, people giving up the minute things don't go right I guess expecting things to come easily and always be smooth sailing, especially when you have made a pretty strong resume for yourself. But it will always be tough and you must persevere no matter how bad it gets.

The bad experiences have also made me even more determined to crack this industry. I've just signed up for a competition where I could win a front cover shoot with Wowza Magazine which is this fantastic high fashion but alternative magazine. My model friend, Dalia has been lucky enough to appear in their pages already. In order for me to win my photo, on their Facebook page that I uploaded, it needs to have the most "likes" by December 1st. It's been pretty competitive so far but I have been really determined and asking for as much help as I can. People have been  really fantastic so far and this has helped me reach out to more networks and connections. I've also really got my face out there to others. If any of you would like to help out here is the link to the photo Victoria's front cover photo on Facebook, just simply click "like" on the photo and share with others. I really hope I can win, it would be such an amazing opportunity and another job I can add to my ever growing resume. Like I said, I am even more determined now than ever and will not allow the bad experiences to effect me.