lately i've been wondering if i'm totally over doing runway modeling. but once again, i forget all my gripes and concerns when i actually do another show and have an incredibly fun time doing it.
today's show was one of the most well-organized i've ever been apart of. the set-up inside the venue was well-thought-out, things started generally on time, it was adequately staffed, the rehearsal was efficient and reasonably brief.
not to mention, the designs were spectacular. it was a student show, and you might think that would mean the designs aren't as good as, say, professionals. but i usually find the opposite—student designers but their heart and soul into their projects, and many of them are unbelievably talented at doing so.
despite the great time i had, i deflated a bit when i reviewed the footage of my walk afterward (graciously and artfully filmed by my darling fiancé) and found that it wasn't as dramatic as it had felt. watching it, i had a thought that my walk really hasn't improved much in the past couple years.
in order to get better at something, you have to do it a lot—preferably in quick succession so you can iterate as quickly as possible. in some ways, i've done that with my runway walk, especially in the long run of shows i did late august in berlin, modeling for several designers a day for several days. but other than outlier events like that, it's usually several months between fashion shows where i get a chance to practice my walk.
of course, i do practice at home from time to time. but i'm realizing that the practice i do at home is usually in front of a mirror. which isn't a bad thing per se, but it is definitely a very different experience than walking on a runway where i can't see myself. when walking in front of a mirror, i'm working based on visual feedback, not how it feels in my body. that means when i'm on the runway, i haven't built the skill of being able to reliably match the walk i'm imagining in my head to the one i'm actually achieving with my legs. thus, the mismatch i experienced tonight.
the conclusion is pretty simple, i guess: do more walks without visual feedback. or at least without simultaneous visual feedback. a tight iterative loop of recording and reviewing could be in order.
that's scary, though. the comforting thing about runway is that if you want, what happens on the runway stays on the runway. the finished product is what happens during the show, unlike a photoshoot where the finished product is a lasting image. i'm scared to record myself and be disappointed with what i see. i'm scared i'll do it and still not get any better.
i'd like to get better, though. whether it's because i want to have the best walk in the room or because i just want to build the skill and make myself proud, i'm not quite sure. but i'd like to get better, regardless.
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