Saturday, November 20, 2010

Gianfranco Ferre



So I'm going to start my first entry from an event that happened within the first 2 weeks of my modeling career, but to this day has been one of the coolest experiences I have had since I started modeling, so I decided to make it my first!

I started modeling in May of 2008. While living in Michigan I got signed to Wilhelmina Models, to the main fashion mens board. I moved to New York shortly after, and it all started from there!



Wilhelmina set me up for a "looks" job within the first week I started. Basically I was meeting with a really successful stylist (Karl Templer) who needed a model to put on the looks he created for a Vogue editorial he was styling, to see how they looked and fit. It wasn't anything glamorous and I don't even think I got paid for it, but the outcome was totally worth it.

My agent at Wilhelmina told me that it could be great exposure to be working so close with a top stylist, so I said alright lets do it. I go to his studio, tried on a handful of outfits he put together, and that was that. As I was packing up and getting ready to leave, he looked at me and said "you know... when you walked in I didn't really see anything special, but once you put on these outfits you totally transformed". He then looked to his assistant and told her to take polaroids of me for Ferre. I had no idea what that meant... but little to my knowledge I was in for a big surprise.

A few days later, Wilhelmina called me and asked for me to stop by the agency. They said nothing more. So I had no idea what they wanted to say to me. I arrived and 3 of my bookers pulled me into a conference room and told me that I was to be leaving for Milan Italy in 2 days and that Karl Templer booked me exclusively for the Gianfranco Ferre show for Milan Fashion Week, all expenses paid, (flight, hotel, food, AND being paid for the show) and on top of it I was to be staying for 5 days because I was also to be doing all the "looks" for the show as well!!



I was completely stunned. I had never been to Europe before, let alone for FREE! So I packed a bag to last me for 5 days and 2 days later headed to the airport for Milan!

I arrived in Italy and was beyond excited, but slightly nervous at the same time. I came from a pretty small town back in Michigan, and to move to New York City and then take a flight to Milan all by myself within the first 2 weeks of modeling was quite a change for me! I didn't know a single word of Italian, so it was a challenge, but I'm very navigationally savvy, so I managed.

Ferre headquarters in Milan, where I basically lived for 5 days.


My room was on the top floor and I had 2 balconies overlooking the city!

From hotel balcony 
2 of my bookers on the left from Wilhelmina, and a handful of Willy guys in Milan for fashion week!

Duomo

Here are a few pictures from the Ferre show...




I had a really great time in Milan and it was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity! I feel very fortunate that I got to experience it. 


Headed home. Hitting the ocean for the next 8 hours...


-Mitchell


















No comments:

Post a Comment