I still, to this day, have certain designers or casting directors call me (via assistants, of course) to be in a show or promoters texting about a club opening or some event they are inviting me to. I haven’t been in the business since 2009 and have let them know I’m no longer in NYC. But I guess connections are everything, aren’t they? I remember I always thought it was strange how some casting directors thought you were THE SHIT and others thought you were “Meh!” How opinions differ. And how much luck is involved in making it as a model or not. I would have really liked to have stuck with it long enough to see but I started way too late and soon it was time for us to think about kids. Right before I left NYC for good (at that time I didn’t know I was not going to come back. I was only going home for the holidays, but ended up deciding to stay), I was sent to a casting for American Eagle’s new line Aerie. See, the way things work is you go to anywhere from 1 to 10 castings a day and if you’re good, you might get one or two that day (depending on the size of the job). If these are big castings (like campaigns), then you can go for months without getting any big ones (because the competition is fierce). But it’s all about making sure you have steady work and if you’re new to the scene, like I was, it’s also about making connections and building your book.

JOBS:

1. fashion show prep

2. bridal shoot in Miami

3. same bridal shoot. I just LOVED that dress

4. After a show in our model’s apartment

5. a bridal show

6.another fashion show (after hair/make up)

7. showroom

8. some shoot

9. going home after a shoot (people on the subway probably thought I was crazy with that make up, but i had no time to remove it since i was already running late to a casting)

So the Aerie campaign casting went well but I didn’t even give it second thought, because chances were that someone else with a kick-ass book would get the job. That was until I got a callback and then after that a hold (a callback is when they want to see you again after having narrowed down their choice to fewer girls and a hold is an actual hold put on a certain day making sure the model is available for them for the day of the shoot while they are trying to decide between 2-3 girls). This was huge -to be put on hold by American Eagle. It was between me and another girl. I had to delay my flight home but didn’t end up getting the campaign. They picked the other girl because I was “just too European looking for AMERICAN Eagle”. Totally understandable. And damn my Russian genes! (ok not really)

Just random in mirror shots of outfits I wore.

1. Getting ready for Halloween
2. Going to a party (BCBG dress)
3. not sure what that photo was lol
4. dressing room
5. this is how skinny i was. and that’s how skinny you HAD to be to model seriously (in NYC). I was not the skinniest girl by far. Yet strangely enough I was healthy, ate healthy, excersised. A bit of an akward pose too.
6. Trying on a gown for some award show I was going that evening
7. at the gym (boo, I want my abs back)
8. going to a party. I think this was for Britney Spear’s birthday at Tenjune and she never showed to her own bday party, but there were stilt walkers (it was during the circus album)
9. going to a casting
10. going to a casting
11. going to a casting
12. going somewhere (apparently)
13. this one is funny to me, because I look soooooo tired. I rememeber clearly it was the morning after some really late party night
14. going to a party
15. going to a casting
16. My christmas dress

I did have fun though. Oh how much fun I had! Would I let my daughter model? There’s nothing I won’t support Alexis in doing but, like hell, she will go there alone until she’s 18, only if I can travel there with her. That’s even if that is something she wants to do.

I’d love to do a regular Flashback Friday post, but I gotta be realistic. I have almost no time and a million more relevant posts that I want to write, so this type of post will have to be a spur of the moment kind of thing, like this time.