In
February 2005, I met a young fashion designer by the name of Mariam
Miraj. She asked me to take part in her upcoming fashion event.
I was so excited and honoured and I couldn't find it in myself
to say no!
Over
the past few months, myself and a few other local girls experienced
the ups and downs of what it's like to be a model, including the
stress for me of not having a definite partner until the night
before the show! In total, I had SIX partners including the final
girl who did NOT drop out! She was a godsend!
After all the date changes for the show (April to May, May to
June, June to July and all the location changes: Leeds to Bradford,
Bradford to Manchester) and all the partner changes for me everything
finally happened on Sunday 3rd July, AND IT WAS BRILLIANT!
Well,
lets go back in time a bit... I woke early on Sunday morning,
and I wasn't nervous, I was calm and also very excited, no butterflies,
everything was going to plan so far...then...uh oh! I have to
be at Mariam's house for one o'clock, but I have no idea where
it is!
I
asked her for the address, and printed a map from the internet,
alas! Technology finally likes me! We set off from the house at
12pm, allowing time to get lost, but we managed to find the house
in 15 minutes!
Once
again, I was the first person ready, I was always the first person
at rehearsals, and Mariam was, as always the last! The house was
hectic! Of course, everybody was still getting ready and slowly
more and more models turned up.
Mariam
asked me if I was nervous, I replied no, but at the same time
spilled mango juice all over myself! Uh oh! Clumsy mode was now
in operation! From then on I was spilling things, bumping into
things, and tripping over!
We
were scheduled to all be on the mini bus by 1pm and be in Manchester
for about 2pm, but oh, no, things are not allowed to go as planned!
At
3.20pm we were still at Mariam's house, waiting for three models
that were lost! (Wow! for once it wasn't me!). We finally boarded
the coach and arrived smoothly with no more glitches, apart from
me falling off the coach when we got there!
 |
| "We
were in a fancy restaurant eating salmonella infested burgers
and chips! (Yes, models, feasting on big greasy burgers!)" |
There
was a wedding commencing in the hall and we needed to be in for
the show so we couldn't rehearse until they had all gone. We were
so hungry! We considered gate-crashing but we didn't. We thought,
seeing as we were in a restaurant, we could get food from there
and Mariam asked to pay the extra money on top of the hire for
the room, but they said they couldn't do that (no idea why - why
would they refuse the extra money?) so we had to get a take away!
We were in a fancy restaurant eating salmonella infested burgers
and chips! (Yes, models, feasting on big greasy burgers!). I wasn't
having any of that "I've already eaten this month" malarkey!
I enjoy eating, I'm thankful for what I have got, and I feel wrong
wasting food.
After we had finally eaten, time was running out, the stage still
wasn't set up, most of the models still needed make-up, and we
all needed our hair doing as well. Everybody was supposed to have
the same hair and make-up, but that was thrown out of the window
when most of the girls stated they hate having their hair up!
I could see Mariam getting stressed out even more, so I just agreed
to whatever the make-up artist wanted to do, praying that the
crowd wouldn't think I looked like a drag queen!
Mariam was frantic, waiting for the last minute male models to
turn up, and ironing everything. She had ten minutes to show the
boys the routine that they needed to memorise was due to take
place an hour later! They only had one song to perform together
and Mariam was past caring about their synchronisation! Whereas
if WE stepped one foot out of time, she nearly cried! Aw bless
her!
The only worry I had left, after getting used to my new face,
was if I would be able to walk on stage with all my different
shoes. With our schedule, we should have been able to rehearse
on our stage at least once, but with all the different obstacles,
we didn't get that chance! The only chance I had was sneaking
downstairs early, with two of the other models, wearing my most
difficult heels of the night, to see if I could perform my twirls
smoothly! It was good enough for me...or so I thought!
We were all finally dressed for our first performances and were
all running around backstage like headless chickens! I was so
scared. I was ready to just go straight home! I was up second,
and so we all made a pact, that after being on stage for the first
time, that we wouldn't tell the next models what it was like.
So
the hosts went on, the first two models. As I heard their song
finishing, I took my position, and my partner did the same. We
went out there, AND LOVED IT! It was brilliant! All up until my
pivot in the middle of the stage on my way back up!
My
stilletto style heel got stuck in the joint of the two blocks
forming the stage! But in my count to four, I managed to discreetly
pull out my heel out, and walk away without any criticism! Yey
for me!
Once
I came off stage, I could not wait to get back on the catwalk!
I just got this amazing adrenalin rush from the audience. It was
brilliant! Wherever I walked, people's heads were following me!
I wasn't even bothered that there were about 200 cameras on me!
From what I hear, two other models also made mistakes. The actual
stage was carpeted, and the ramp we had to walk down on was wooden
and was slightly higher, and those other two models tripped when
setting off down the ramp! However, they recovered so well that
nobody even noticed! Not even me! And they call me Eagle-Eye-Cherry!
The show was a hit! Apparently we looked very professional, and
we pulled off that model look very well! We all enjoyed it so
much that Mariam is considering another show!!!
Sabeen Ditta
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