This is the dress I wore for the Paris Chic runway show on Feb. 8. I was allowed to keep the dress after the event.
March. 12, 2020
By Caila Barreiros
Staff Writer
How early would you wake up for the opportunity of a lifetime?
Well, on Feb. 8, I got up at 6 a.m. in preparation for the makeup artist who would be arriving at my house at 7 a.m. in the morning.
I wanted to look my best for Paris Chic, the formalwear brand that asked me to model in a runway show during New York Fashion Week. I took part in NYFW last year wearing a dress from the trendy brand U.NA U.NA, and I was excited to participate once again.
I started my day by brushing my teeth and washing, cleansing and moisturizing my face. Then, I started styling my hair. The night before, I washed and straightened it to save me some time the morning of the event because things get very hectic.
I was halfway done with my hair when my makeup artist Ariana Lombardi arrived. It is odd for models to have to take care of their own makeup because usually, the designers will provide makeup artists so all of the models look similar, but for this show, I was asked to arrive with my makeup already done.
My makeup took about half an hour. Then, my makeup artist left, and I finished my hair, got my things together—to be totally prepared for the event, I took with me two of my own outfits, a dress and two pairs of shoes—and was out the door with my parents by 8:15 a.m.
I ate a banana and drank a bottle of water in the car. Once we got to the Garment District, we took a bunch of photos and looked around.
PHOTO FROM CAILA BARREIROS
After the runway show, I changed back into my street clothes and got my photo taken on the runway.
I checked in as a model and was allowed back behind the runway. There, staff members were directing models to where we got our dresses. I was asked my size and escorted to a rack of dresses.
Sadly, I’m between sizes, so I only had three dresses that fit me. Once I chose the one I’d be wearing—a conservative, knee-length, floral dress with half sleeves—I got changed and was sent to a designer to have my outfit checked.
Then came the most torturous part… the waiting. I met some girls, one from California, one from Texas and some from New Jersey. We sat for almost an hour until all the other models had been cleared by the designers.
Around 10 a.m., about 20 models and I got placed in a line based on our height. Then, the show began. The children went first, followed by the teenagers who were aged up to 19.
“I checked in as a model and was allowed back behind the runway. There, staff members were directing models to where we got our dresses. I was asked my size and escorted to a rack of dresses.“
We did our individual walks, which is when models come out on their own and walk from the back of the runway to a specified point that is the prime spot for photographers. This usually takes about two minutes per model.
Once all the models had done their individual walks, we got back into our line based on height. Then, we all came back out on the runway together for the finale.
I always love modeling because it builds my confidence and gives me a major rush of adrenaline. I love hearing the cheers from the spectators and having my photo taken by the photographers who are positioned at the end of the runway.
At about 11 a.m., after the runway show was complete, my new friends and I were interviewed by another model who was planning to post about the experience and the clothing on social media.
After that, I headed back to Lyndhurst, equipped with great memories and my new Paris Chic dress, which I was allowed to keep after I wore it on the runway.
PHOTO BY MRS. SILVELO
I received this New York Fashion Week Paris Chic shirt as a “thank you” for participating in the runway show.
