After submitting my portfolio and explaining why I wanted to be apart of the Vancouver Fashion Week, I was on my way to helping the models with makeup for the show. As nervous as I was going into it, I have come to realize that I am much more confident in myself and abilities then I have ever been. Feeling more like a veteran, as I have 10 years of makeup behind me, really helped me stay positive that the choices I am making are only for the better of my career. I was constantly asked how long I have been in the business, and with every person I told I reminded them I wasn't old, I just started young ;)
Some people may wonder if the makeup artists or stylists are paid for the show, the answer is no. We are all volunteer. This may make many people shy away from working the show but all the products are sponsored and the experience is priceless.
Even after all these years of being a makeup artist, I still get excited with the new tips and tricks I learn. Always evolving, always expanding. There are so many talented and amazing people in our city, and these experiences allow me to meet a few more every time. You never know who or what you may come across in your day, but you won't have any regrets if you do something that may be outside your comfort zone. Push your boundaries a little every day, you will be happy with the results. I am glad I made the choice to do the show, it gave me a better appreciation for the art of fashion and everyone "behind the scenes".
Going into this show I had heard mixed stories, good and bad. Much to my surprise, the only bad things I dealt with was rain and excessive amounts of water...but we live in Vancouver, this is not new to us! Luckily, my time at the show only included laughs, free product, meeting new people, polite models and a semi lack of sleep. All in all, a great time with great people.
The go, go, go atmosphere of backstage comes in waves. You can have an hour of "waiting", followed by two hours of back to back models. With no time to even think about anything other then who that specific model is walking for and what the hell the face chart states and which products to use. I made it my mission to study those charts to ensure my work went smoothly, and this helped out SO MUCH! Being a makeup artist I know how important it is to portray what a client wants, but in this environment things are much different. Every now and again you may have a model that sits in your chair asking for a slight change from what the designer has asked for...the smile and nod approach worked well as I followed the face chart exactly as I should. Shhh, this is my little secret. Or atleast it was. I honor the look the designer has chosen as it is their art. If the roles were reversed I would appreciate an artist doing the same for me. Blood, sweat, and I am sure tears go into these outfits for the show, and I am in no place to take that away from them.
In the end I walked away from a great week with a full heart, a sore back and another notch in the TO DO list checked off. Here are a few photos from the show of the wonderful, beautiful models I got the pleasure of working with... (all photos show credit to the photographer in bottom left corner or above the VFW symbol). ENJOY!
