Get the skinny on the models at RAFW, is it all glitz and glamour or tantrums and tiaras? We delve into the models’ behaviour …
Are they super skinny?
A few I’ve seen have verged on shockingly skinny, bones jutting out left, right and centre, but the majority are slim, not skinny.
I bet they don’t eat, right?
Wrong. Backstage yoghurts and wraps are delivered, and while I can’t vouch for personally seeing these foods being devoured, I have seen them eating lollies, lots and lots of lollies. (The Natural Confectionery Co. Snakes, in case you’re wondering the meal of a model.)
Do they really only get out of bed for $10,000?
Well I haven’t seen their bank balances but I will say the majority of girls seem to arrive on time, ready for work and sans the star-like behaviour. So far I’ve only spotted one girl sleeping on the job. (When asked for a photo she raised her head and pulled a ‘fierce’ pose in just two seconds flat. Ever the professional.)
Is it one big binge of booze and more?
In a word, no. Everyone’s there to do a job, and short of one girl I saw with a hangover, everyone is fresh, if a little tired, and on the Diet Coke or Perrier.
Are they freakishly beautiful?
Absolutely striking once the MAC make-up is on, but when it’s off they’re not too different from you and me. Yes they have spots, yes they have dark circles and yes they don’t always seem to like what they see.
Is it all catty and cutthroat?
Well I haven’t seen anyone pulling a Mean Girls and feeding fellow models protein bars if that’s what you mean. Some girls are best buds, some aren’t. You have to remember that these girls are often working insanely long hours, facing language barriers and being judged on their looks, would you be uber-friendly the whole time? Me neither.
Is it as ‘easy’ as it looks?
They’re richly rewarded for simply being a clotheshorse and walking for a few minutes at a time. So is it as easy as it looks? Well, the call time for today’s Romance Was Born show is 3am. The show doesn’t start until 9am so that’s six hours of prep, being ordered around and primped and preened in a style that you’ve had no control over. But in saying that, they do have some of the industry’s finest artists, stylists and designers working on them.
Ps. In ‘researching’ the last question I felt it mandatory to try out my own catwalk strut. In short, the answer to the question is no, it’s not as easy as it looks.
