Freshman Alba Allen felt a tap on her shoulder.
It’s go time.
Shoulder’s back, chin up, eyes on the rectangular, black runway. Watching the eyes looking expectantly at her.
The lights shone brightly, illuminating the black asymmetric dress, lined with a gold chain below her knees and the dark makeup painted on her eyelids.
Allen was walking for Kansas City Fashion Week.
***
It was September 27, 7:30 a.m., and Allen’s alarm was going off from her Alexa.
Allen hoped that her hair would still hold the shine from her Olaplex No. 5 conditioner the night before. All she had to do was brush her teeth, brush her hair and wash her face before she left. Allen rotated between a Youth to the People and a CeraVe cleanser. Afterwards, she would apply her Laneige waterbank moisturizer and drink lots of ice-cold water with a Nuun electrolyte tablet to help regenerate her body before the runway.
“Ready?”
Her mom asked, smiling at her daughter from the front seat.
Both of Allen’s parents modeled in their twenties, encouraging their daughter to start her career at age 13, giving her tips on posture, heels, and hair.
Placing a premade salad and cheese-and-crackers in her lunch box, Allen sat in the car – driving off to Union Station for Fashion Week.
***
Noon.
Allen’s call time.
Heading backstage, she found her seat where a fashionable lady was waiting to twist Allen’s long, light blonde hair into an updo. Allen sat down and pulled out her MacBook, setting it on her lap. Modeling cut out from her academic time — but the three hours it took for her hair and makeup were enough to finish some Spanish homework.
Ignoring the tugs on her hair and the scent of hairspray in the air, Allen tried to focus on her keyboard. Stylists running around, models practicing their walks and designers chatting in the background under the bright lights dialed Allen’s nerves up an octave.
Even though she’d done runway before.
“Okay, you’re done,” her stylist said before moving on to the endless stream of girls waiting for their hair to be artfully pinned up before the runway. “Tell your makeup artist to be careful when applying foundation, don’t mess up the hairline.”
A makeup artist wearing sheer spider-web patterned sleeves and a black headband brushed dark brown eyeshadow and winged eyeliner along Allen’s light blue eyes, keeping her expression fair-toned and lips light.
Because she got cast for her looks, Allen couldn’t change anything from May until September. That meant limited haircuts, no piercings, and no colored hair.
An hour later, Allen was runway ready.
“Okay. Wait here until it’s time,” the designer said to Allen, dismissing her with a wave.
“Modeling is different for everyone. I get to choose where I model right now,” Allen said. “Hopefully, I get an agent because then I’ll be able to do more shoots and walk more events.”
To her, an agent is beneficial because it will help her get more exposure in the modeling industry.
“The ideal outcome for me would be to become a big-time model. But I think if I don’t become one of the more popular models in the industry, I’ll definitely keep it on the side,” Allen said.
With femininity and romance, sweeping skirts, and classic Parisian looks, Dior has spoken to Allen since she tried on their Miss Dior Eau de Parfum she’d gotten for her 14th birthday. From gold details, bold prints, and the iconic Medusa logo, Versace has become a symbol of style and extravagance for Allen after wearing a pair of their sunglasses.
“The way they style their clothes and the image their models give off is so cool. It’s a little far-fetched, but I’d love to work for them someday,” she said.
Allen keeps every one of her audition numbers from her castings, keeping them in a little pouch.
***
6:30
The announcer called for everyone to line up.
Allen gathered some of her dress fabric in her right hand, and stepped lightly in her black sandals — preparing herself for the walk.
“You look so good!” A girl said to Allen, smiling and nodding to her dress. The models backstage took a collective deep breath, supporting each other throughout the night.
She felt that tap on her shoulder.
That tap signaled it was time to begin.
That tap opened the door to blinding lights and hundreds of eyes.
Don’t trip. Don’t fall. Don’t look around.
Those directions bounced around Allen’s head in a frantic rhythm as she carefully kept her eyes in front.
I can’t see with all the lights in my face. I’m supposed to turn at the end of the runway. What if I miss my mark?
Strutting down the runway, Allen ignored the sea of faces and thought about how she looked on the television backstage, soaking up the moment after months of preparation.
After the walk, she changed out of her outfit and joined her parents in the crowd, watching the other models walk.
“Sometimes brings me flowers and I see them in her arms,” Allen said. “Sometimes I see her out of the corner of my eye and I just have to remind myself not to smile.”
Allen watched a model tip-toe — on pointe — down the runway, while wearing a ballet skirt and a corset top made from wood.
“There are definitely some designs I wish I could wear, but I always appreciate the designer for the work they put in and how they specifically designed a piece for me.”
A little girl walked up to Allen as she was walking out of the venue, asking for a picture.
“I feel so good about myself and how I’ve been doing this far,” Allen said. She remembered when she got cast twice in the same season, after being turned away from her first audition – when she knew modeling was her future.
Feeling like a celebrity supermodel, Allen posed for the camera.
And that made her smile.
