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Models! Why don't you just believe in yourselves, and stop allowing other people to set the pace for you? Either they take you as you are, or they find some other "Coat hangers" as you find something else to do with your beautiful selves.
You are beautiful, whole and complete, lacking nothing. So why do you allow yourself to get so caught up? Anorexia? Drugs? Then what about you physically and mentally? Just for the sake of fitting into the size zero description of the designers/agents. Then what do you get in return? Is it really worth it?
Don't let anything worry you beautiful people, or cause you pain! Instead, prove to them that you can do it all just the way you are!
"You are the ideal model just the way you are!"
Either the industry accepts you or they find someone else, as you find your purpose. It is there somewhere, just find it!
What about the modeling agencies? Can we take more responsibility of these hot girls? I think it's a high time agencies started thinking more about the well-being of the model. As agents/agencies, we are solely responsible for the model as well as her modeling career. If we really want the best performance from these models, how can we be the same ones encouraging them to get into hard stuff to help them to shed off those pounds? How can we be the same ones watching them kill themselves slowly? And immediately they look like crap, then when we have progressed through them, we drop them like hot potatoes leaving them to the world looking and feeling worse than they ever felt!....and in two minutes, we find new models to replace them.
And yes designers, I would like to save on some fabric too and at the same time, have an amazingly striking model strutting the runway in one of my designs. I am not talking about the sick-looking ‘size- 0' model, ‘Size- 4' comes with more life and still maintains that slender frame. I really don't want to my audience watching fats/flab on the runway, but again, the bones are not what we want to see on the runway. Shame on you whose sliding the ‘speed' or ‘coke' under the table, then proudly looking to the left, to the left! When your favorite model winds up a junkie with nothing to show, even after all those years of making your line "the line" to wear, and making your bank account phat!
A few years ago one LA-Based designer blasted me backstage for my big ass(et), when he spotted me eating slices of my favourite NewYork pizza...
"You need to lose 10 more pounds!" yells the designer, as I struggle to pull the skirt up my "African Heritage" (asset)
"You need to stop eating for a month"
"This is not a plus-size modeling" "I think you are in the wrong place!"
"You need to talk to Hernandez!" "You need a good fix"
"That fat needs to go!"
"Go where!" I ask myself quietly.
What I am trying to say is that we need to build strong characters within us to get ready to deal with some of these fashion industry people, so that they are never going to be able to break you as a person.
Despite the rejection I received with open arms many times for one reason or the other, I have had to look around me and closely look at the models that they would sign up in two minutes, and then realize that I was in my own league. That is what makes me "ME" minus ‘bling bling' today and makes them "THEM" plus ‘bling bling' today.
To me, the bling really doesn't matter much. What matters to me is what I get out of it and how I use it to influence the girl next door who is struggling to get into an industry she has no clue about.
So me this African girl/woman is at peace either way as she stays holding on her end of the rope firmly, without letting it slip. Strong will and Integrity holds me at all times; I may not get everything I want, but I hold on strong to what I believe in for life. One day it works for me, another day it works against me, but I never let it go. Never let what you believe in slide away for the sake of others! If you do, then what's the point of believing in anything? I figured getting the models to realize their purpose helps them have a dream; when you don't have a dream, you have nothing to live for, and the ability to be able to exploit resources only begins with dreams.
I realized and accepted long time ago that my nappy hair is always going to be nappy, my black flawless skin is always going to remain that way, my African accent, will always sell me out. But I accept me, and I sell the package the way it is. It will appeal to some buyers in the market, but some will go the opposite direction. That is okay!
"Girl! You got a little accent!" "Where are you from mama?"
"Kenya!"
Damn girl!"
For this African model, getting lots of love is a given. Losing out is also a given.
Then comes "Pressure!" with all her sisters and brothers..........
I met a lot of models; one day she was fine and the next week/month/two months were drama!
Karla, one of the models I met in NYC was pronounced dead in Santa Barbara in April 2004 - anorexia!
Model A, locked up for possession!
Model B, In and out of rehab like Amy Winehouse!
Model C, I met in the subway in NYC one late night at about 1:00am, high as hell. Apparently, she Just got back from Europe, could not find anything better to do with herself and her hard earned Euros.. but more high and high again. I don't know what happened to her eventually as I never heard her whereabouts again.
The rest are on leaves, red wine, more drugs and anorexia/ bulimia seems to be the order of the day as life goes on for them. But life still goes on.
They call it pressure! But here I am saying "Yes, there may be pressure in every other career and aspect of life, but it is up to you and me to take control of it and not let it control us, without hurting ourselves and others."
Who really represents the model, by really looking out for their best interest emotionally and mentally? Now that the modeling agency represents the model strictly for work purposes and does not really give a rat's ass about anything else.
Maybe we should have a ‘Retired models' agencies for mental and emotional healing.'
The "Best way possible" can only be best once you know who you are. And for you to know who you are, you definitely need to know who you are and who's you are. Once you know your creator and his will for you, then you will live a peaceful life, with much more confidence, knowing and following what is good for you through your inner spirit.
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