Testimonials

The next morning, Jennifer Starr busts in the house at 7:30 to tell the models that they've just gotten a booking and need to be ready in ten minutes. The models drag their asses out of bed and head to Bloomingdale's, where they meet with Stephanie Solomon, director of fashion. Today they'll be brand ambassadors, showing energy, glamour, and fun. Their assignment is to walk the floors, selling what they're wearing to the customers. Therefore, they need to know the price, fabric, and designer of every piece of clothing on them. The models get dressed and report to the fashion director for individual critique.

Shannon goes in first, and is asked what else she might pair with the tunic she's wearing. She says she could put it with a pair of jeans, and Jenn and Steph act like she just cured AIDS. They adore her.

When Ben goes in, he's visibly uncomfortable. He tells us this isn't his strong point, but he'll try to make it work. They ask him if he personally would wear what they put him in, and he sullenly replies that he doesn't dress up. Looks like someone's going to be in the bottom three again! He says it's impossible to be natural while selling, and he feels like a car salesman. I hate to be the one to break it to him, but modeling is all selling. And as a model, he's not so much even the car salesman as the woman in the evening gown draped across the hood.

They meet back up with Stephanie, who tells them that she's about to unleash them on her best customers, the "ladies who lunch." Everyone can go out, except Ben. While the other models go out on the floor, Ben sulks that he'd rather do well at not being with the customers, than go out there and make Bloomingdale's look bad. Good point.

The rest of the models walk into a room full of people brunching, and start introducing themselves. Perry, to no one's surprise, starts performing too much and is pulled out and admonished by my girl Steph. She eats the rest of them up with a spoon. She loves the way Shannon is so animated, Holly is displaying the garments, Casey is flirting and letting people try on the clothes, Ronnie has great eye contact. All in all, she says they're the best group of brand ambassodors she's ever had. Maybe because they aren't making the paltry $8 an hour she probably pays real ambassadors. Jenn asks Steph if she would hire Jenn's kids, and Steph says she absolutely would. Jennifer glows with pride, and my heart melts a little towards Jenn and her perennially sucked-in, I-just-ate-a-lemon cheeks. When the models reassemble, Stephanie said they were all great, but her favoritests were Shannon and Casey.

"Can I just get a bite of that?"

And it's catwalk time! The models arrive to a studio full of glam dresses and extravagant costume jewelry. Niki, who let's not forget, has aged another year in this episode, breezes in with her signature breathy, "hi models!" Today their assignment is to capture the essence of the label they're wearing - really embody the brand. They'll each be modeling two different vintage looks, and have to adjust their walks to suit the garments. Shannon is excited because this is like a real runway show - you have to be able to change clothes quickly and still look graceful as soon as you hit the runway.

Shannon goes first - she's given makeup that makes her look undead. She says that she tried to float down the catwalk in her first dress, a flowy gauze number. Her second was more "body-concious," according to her, and she was more aware of her curves in it.

Ben's first look was what he describes as 1930s gangster. At the end of the runway, he swings his pocketwatch around. His second look is a tuxedo, and he seems a little more relaxed in it.

Ronnie's first look is a suit without the jacket - just a vest. He clutches the side of it and looks very Mr. Belvedere. His second outfit is a tux and he walks slowly and confidently.

Casey is given a fedora and suspenders, then a tuxedo with pant legs too short for him. If this is the "insanely good" catwalk he was talking about earlier, I think he's in trouble.

Perry's given a barbershop quartet look, and then a James Bond tux. He, of course, felt great in both.

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Posted in Make Me a Supermodel by Sparkles at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Last Comment: bfrank on Mar 14, 2008 01:45 AM.