My First Lingerie Casting Call Experience
Our intern submitted this, and while it's not our usual piece, we were so touched by it that we decided to publish it anyway:
When I was told that I would be a staff member for a model casting call, a million thoughts ran through my head. I felt honored, thrilled, and honestly a little nervous all at once. My first thought was: What even goes on during these things? My only previous exposure to anything remotely related to a casting call involved scenes from dramatized films like "The Devil Wears Prada" or "The Hills". So naturally when I was told that one of my primary tasks involved interacting with the models — making sure paperwork was filled, that everything was in order, and all their questions were answered — I imagined myself running around chaotically trying to catch up while coats were being tossed at me to carry.
Surprise surprise, all my preconceived notions proved to be completely false. First of all, the casting call took place in the summer, so no one wore coats. Secondly, everyone was so calm and sweet! In fact, the entire event was super relaxed, organized, and professional. When I fetched the models downstairs, I was instantly greeted with friendly smiles from the eager and beautiful girls. It may be that I wore a badge that had five magical letters on it that spelled out “STAFF,” but as the event progressed, I noticed the models making friendly conversation, some helping each other change into their next hosiery outfit and exchanging numbers at the end of the event. It was so interesting for me to observe all 27 fabulous girls of different body types, height, and ethnicities in one room, coming from different areas such as Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, and more! They were just your typical, everyday girls but once they stepped up on stage to take their test shots, they exuded poise and confidence. One of the best things about VienneMilano is that personality plays a large role in finding the model with the right fit. Not only did they take test shots in three outfits with thigh highs, but they were also asked a few simple questions during each round that allowed the model the freedom to express her personality in her answers. It was amazing to see models who were also mothers, students, teachers, actors, dancers, and more. These were not just pretty faces, but real and genuine women who work hard every day and were fulfilling a passion of theirs.
During the casting call, I had a few models approach me, asking for help in choosing between two outfits with stay ups. For a millisecond, I would freeze, taking in that rewarding feeling of having a MODEL ask ME for advice. When I was walking around and taking pictures to get some behind-the-scenes footage, they would move chairs out of the way for ME. Once the event wrapped up, they took group photos (I even got to be in one!) and some even approached me, thanking me for the opportunity to be there. I guess you could say I felt like a big shot within those few hours and thoroughly enjoyed my fifteen minutes of fame while they lasted.
I am so thankful to have been given the chance to be a part of a VienneMilano model casting call — it opened my eyes to a new outlook and further confirmed my love for the world of fashion.
