I was there..

Hey Gilly,

Look what I found just now! And I was there, too! I'm not on either video, thought.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-kQNV-4Jlw

http://models.com/oftheminute/?p=20214

Njoy!

With Love,
*Sally*

The Runway Walk and the Mind

Dear Gilly,

       Yesterday I went to the agency to make new polaroids and a new video for the website. The video that they always do and upload is actually the model walking towards the camera, in some sort of a backyard, stopping and turning both sides to show his/her profile and then walking back to the starting point. It's quite simple in fact. One thing bothered me, though, and I want to share it with you, together with my recent observations about the terrain I am being asked to walk on.

       The thing is, I notice myself getting distracted when the pavement is not straight, or when there is a chair/table/hole/sniffy-dog-in-the-room/models to dodge!!! I know it sounds ridiculous, but I can't help it! Something inside me makes me feel uncomfortable... it's almost as if I'm afraid not to bump into that chair, or not to get my heel stuck in some "crack" on the floor. And also, on many occasions the client has a dog, and that dog is extremely curious and wants to sniff your shoes, or most often - follow you! Well..... excuse me, Mr. Dog... but I need to show my walk here! Countless times I have stepped on the poor creatures, because when I reach the end of the "catwalk" at the casting and stop to go back, I turn and find myself stepping on the animal! I am sorry... but dogs have no place at castings for shows! hahah... (I love dogs, for the record) So, when I think about it, no wonder I am stressed when I see a pet at the casting... But you might ask, how could I possibly step on a chair, when the chair is just sitting at it's place? Well.. I can't even explain it to myself, honestly... But I think it's an unconscious feeling of lack of space... that kind of holds me back from doing my best as far as walking comes. But, of course, I always put maximum effort. :-) Now, about the situation when there are many other girls in the same room, waiting their turn, watching you and mentally judging you... (sometimes verbally, too), it's also hard because you feel all the eyes on you, expectant of your failure, or at least hopeful of it. I know, I know, isn't it the models' job to be watched, especially at the shows? Well, yes, but it's different.. ! What is different? I don't know.. But at that moment when the client takes out the comp card, closes the book and says "Can you walk for us, please?" ..all I can think about are the other models, what they will think of my walk AND my look... because everything matters... judgement doesn't miss a thing, especially when jealousy and competition are involved... but about that some other time.

From my personal archive.
A catwalk in Milan.... can you spot the hole?!

        Something else made an impression on me recently, though. When there is a mirror at the casting that you have to walk towards, you are able to observe yourself, and I find it 100x easier. I feel like I can adjust what I see to perfection, make it look exactly like all the top-model-walks I see on FTV. And ... guess what? It feels gooooood!!! :-) And if there is a long/wide/distinctive space designated for the casting walk, then I couldn't possibly ask for a better casting, and therefor it's super easy for me to show the best I am capable of.. hehehe... Well, most often none of the above is present, but I still try to block my mind from any distraction and focus on my walk, my expression, my pace, and hope to hear the client say "Can you try this on, please?", which my mind has gotten used to immediately translating into -> "Congratulations, you passed on to the second round! yey!" 

        Oh, and just in case you were wondering, I did like how I looked in the video that I did yesterday at the agency, regardless of the doubtfulness the uneven floor raised in me. I guess it's not that hard after all... All we have to do is to give a little push from inside, and every obstacle, be it conscious or unconscious, can be overcome!

With love,

*Sally*

airport life

SALLY,

you would never guess how i spent my last 2 weeks, litterally in an airport, i had this editorial i shot outside around the city of milan , the issue should come out in november, then i catched my flight to Amsterdam, where i had to shoot a tv commercial!, i love to do movements because it takes more then a second, you are left on your own for at least 10 seconds, no rights to mess up!

...  then the next day  i flew to munich to shoot a juwelery story for Cosmopolitan! and on the same dayi flew to paris, i arrived around midnight i barely slept and my call time was 4 am.the client went to pick me up and drove to a van. hair and make up done. and we shot in Place de la concorde with famous photographer TOM CRAIG that shoot for british vogue. he is very friendly and down to earth http://www.tomcraig.com/home2008.html! i was finished at 09h30 am.;) it was freezing but it was worth it!!!! i had the time to spend the day in paris..... oh god I LOVE PARIS, the shopping there its amazing, especially this store called MAJE

  http://www.maje-paris.fr/its my favourite, its take its inspiration by designers but the clothes are around 200 or 300 euros.i like the details. the puffy sleeves , the leather skirts, the leather shorts, the belt! the details...arghhh i love it!!!

 i spent so much on clothes in paris, its irresistible! someone should say i should go to rehab but i say no no no!:):):):):):):)

this week i turned on my computer and my agent tells me i am booked for a campaign in madrid.waw.i would leave the same day! i can say i did 5 countries in less then 2 weeks time!NOT BAD at all!:) this is what i call travelling and maaaaaaan i love hotels:):)of course i met this guy and it seems inpossible to have a relationship when you travel so much. its like you have to choose between relationship and work, what do you think? can we live one without the other? i can confess i put all my energy in my job but sometimes i wish my heart wasnt empty, i want to be loved too.i want to love. i would like to know what is love. and be in company. i would like to say WE instead of ME. but its i guess one second of weakness of mine. back to the concentration. i would like to become someone, to be famous, to be inspired and seen , to become a part of the world. but isnt it a search for love too?

i wish u an amazing week my lovely sally,
xxx
GILLY

dear sally

my dear sally, i love you so much, i am grateful you are my friend, together we have been having such great times, remember? cannes, saint tropez milan, como..the jobs, our kitchen, our model apartement, our funky roomates, our jobs, our parties! waw its great to have a friend to share it with! i spent so much time alone with all my travels. i focus a lot on my carierre but u make me enjoy my life, together i feel alive.

i wish u to have such an amazing carierre, i wish that all your dreams become true! i know it will when you focus on it, and u stay positive, it always happens! its the secret of life!

i wish to have you during all my life!

lets keep in touch often my dear sally.

with love.

gilly.

Letter 1

Ciao!

This is the first letter I write to you, dear Gilly, and that's why it's exceptionally special to me. First, I would like to say that meeting you in the beginning of this year was one of the best things that ever happened to me. We've spent so much time together since Day 1 that we've gotten to know each other's passions, strengths, hopes, dreams and beliefs pretty well. The amount of happy moments we've had together and the experiences we've shared and learned from is beyond measure. Right now, from where I'm standing (a high chair in our kitchen in Milan), I can't identify one favorite thing about our unique relationship that has kept us from drifting apart, like it most frequently happens in our world (about that later), but one thing is certain.

And that is - our passion for fashion that we have so wildly in common. In fact, it is so beyond control, that we decided to share it with the world and use it as our "thing", through this blog. With the help of the letters that we are starting to exchange here, I will never be apart from my best friend, wherever in the world we happen to be. Oh, and yes, I will always know what is taking place in her heart and in her mind, be it fashion related or not. ;-)

Sooo.. Here we go!

With Love,
*Sally*