If there's any major player throughout the week we call Fashion, it's clearly the model. From the pre-show castings, to hair-and-makeup backstage (plus all the hustling around the city to get from venue to venue) no one else gets as complete a look into the next season as they do. Now that Fashion Week is coming to a close in New York, there's no better time to look back over the week through the eyes of one of its faces—in this case Angola-born Maria Borges. If you missed her during her first four seasons on the scene it's probably because she was a Givenchy exclusive. This week has been a bit unusual for her—but since when is Fashion Week considered usual? Read her take below:
This has been a particularly crazy Fashion Week for me—I like to call it the week of expecting the unexpected because no two Fashion Weeks are ever the same. It's always nice to have a change from shooting photos. You get a chance to perform with bright lights, loud music, and a lot of people.
The week begins with castings. Before I head out, I make sure I've got my model kit, cards, an apple, shoes, keys—check, check, check. As for any attitude, I've checked it at the door. Now's not the time.
Castings are surprisingly enjoyable. It's once every six months, and you get to see all your friends in one week. When you're waiting around, you become sisters, doing makeup, and rushing from thing to thing together. The downtime between castings and shows isn't so bad either. I'm a pretty upbeat person and keep myself entertained easily, but thank God for the iPhone! I can call my booker, read a book, surf the web, whatever I want. Makes everything more enjoyable.
Once shows started, I was really looking forward to several shows. Carolina Herrera is my favorite every year. But, like I said, things never go exactly the way you expect them to during NYFW. For instance, Tuesday morning, my agency called me and told me I was leaving New York and flying to Paris for a job that night. I literally had 20 minutes to pack. I was excited to go, but secretly disappointed, too. Leaving meant I had to miss certain shows I was particularly excited for—especially Ralph Lauren. I wish there were two of me so I could do both!
Disappointments aside, our insane schedules during the week make for some good stories. One of the funnier moments of the week happened when I was doing the Polo show. It ended really late, BUT I had to be at Honor which was at 2pm. So it's 0 degrees outside, my agency is calling me every 30 seconds, and I was in a cab, five blocks away from the venue on the West Side Highway stuck in traffic. I just got out of the cab and ran the five blocks in heels! People in cabs were just staring at me, thinking What the hell? The client grabbed me on the corner, put me in hair and make up, and I was on the runway just in the nick of time.
Right before I left though, I walked Carolina Herrera and Zac Posen just like I'd hoped. Both shows were classic with beautiful hair, makeup, and clothes. It really reminds me how lucky I am to be walking in these top shows because I'll remember them for the rest of my life.
Photos courtesy of Maria Borges (Supreme).
