Relearning How to Walk: Behind the Scenes of my First Runway

Sitting in a tiny pea-green dressing room with six other models, my heart pounded from the anticipation of walking my first runway show. 

Hook’d Magazine organizes a fashion show featuring student designers and models each spring. This year’s Haus of Hook’d fashion show highlighted six student fashion designers and thirty models, including myself.

The model application process started around last January. Over winter break, I took my measurements and polished my portfolio to complete the first application. I was ecstatic to discover I had advanced to round two of the process in early February. The second round consisted of filming a 20-second runway walk video to a specific song and three different poses. 

To film my video, I moved the bar stool chairs out of my apartment’s kitchen to create a long, clear walkway. I positioned a chair at the end of my makeshift runway, where I placed my phone on a small tripod to record the walk. I walked back and forth in my kitchen (much to the dismay of my downstairs neighbors) for about an hour until I found several takes I liked. 

The next step was going through my favorite takes and showing them to my roommates and friends to choose which one to submit. Once I had found my perfect take, I anxiously uploaded it and hoped for the best. 

A few weeks later, I was beyond excited to hear I had advanced to the third and final round of the model process. The only catch was that it was an in-person casting call. Everything up until now had just been photos or videos, nothing live. I was so nervous even thinking of walking in front of the people determining my modeling fate that I knew I had to prepare well. 

To prepare, I studied videos of my favorite 90s runway models, like Naomi Campbell and Shalom Harlow. I also walked back and forth in my room wearing different pairs of heels to find which ones felt and looked the best. 

After about a week, it was time for the casting call. As the instructions said, I wore a tight, all-black outfit and heels and spent extra time on my hair and makeup that day. I did a similar walk to the one in my video for the previous round, which took at most five minutes. The next, and arguably most challenging, step was waiting on my acceptance status. 

A few days after the in-person casting call, I received an email stating that I had been selected to be a model for the show. I was so excited and proud that my hard work up to this point had paid off. Now, it was time to start practicing for the show!

For the weeks leading up to the show on April 13, we had weekly modeling workshops. These workshops consisted of practicing our walks and receiving feedback on what to improve. They were also a way for the models to get to know each other and build a sense of community.

After spring break, I met with my assigned designer, Ginger, and the rest of the seven-person modeling team for fittings. Ginger’s brand, Coco De Chom, consists of beach-ready kimonos, dresses, kaftans, and more, all emphasizing being environmentally friendly. At this fitting, I got to see my dress for the first time, which made the whole experience suddenly feel real. 

During show week, we had our final rehearsal on April 11. That rehearsal was my first time wearing the dress with my heels and accessories. I practiced different poses, emphasizing the flowiness of the skirt until I found what I wanted to do for the show. 

Shortly after, show day rolled around. The day began at 12:30 pm, as the models were getting ready at an apartment lounge until about 3:30. I was doing my makeup, so I brought all my products and brushes. I sat at a small table and did my makeup while talking with some of the other models. 

Getting ready was one of the best parts of the day because it was fun to see what everyone’s hair and makeup looked like and also because it was surprisingly laid-back. I felt more at ease talking to other models and bonding over pre-show nerves. 

At 3:30, we were split into two Fetiis and began driving to the studio where the show was being held. Once we arrived at the venue, everyone rushed to their assigned dressing rooms and started changing. After everyone was ready, we took solo pictures of our outfits and group photos of each designer’s team. It was almost like having a mini photoshoot before the actual runway show. 

About an hour before the doors opened, we ran through the show one last time. This was when the nerves started to hit. After the run-through, we were under strict orders to remain in our dressing rooms until showtime, as we did not want the guests to see the looks before the show. 

So my team waited in our campy green room and played Heads Up! on one of the models’ phones to pass the time. After an hour, it was finally showtime, and we lined up in the hallways in our assigned order.

During the show, I could see my friends in the audience while waiting for my cue, which suddenly put my mind at ease. Once it was time to walk, I gathered my skirt and stepped onto the runway, reminding myself to stay on beat and keep my eyes level. I remembered my poses and twirled my dress as I stepped off the stage, taking in the moment.

If someone told me back in January that I would be walking in a runway show for an audience of over 200 people, I would not have believed them. While I loved watching fashion shows, I had limited experience with modeling and constantly questioned whether I had what it took to be selected for this show. 

Overall, this experience allowed me to build more trust in myself. Putting myself out there each step of the way, whether it was an application, casting call, or rehearsal, strengthened my confidence and proved to myself that I could do whatever I put my mind to.