QUICK POST.

I know I haven't been blogging for such a long time but since my first show season things have changed so drastically; my life has changed. Balancing school and college is really hard, but I am determined to do both to the best of my ability; you only live once right? I was literally doing work in between shows when I was in New York and staying behind until 6-7pm when I got back to college but I'm doing it :) Im going to try and blog at least once a week from now on so keep checking my tweets for updates @LeLeValentine x

DIARY OF A GIRL IN NEW YORK.

On the 29th of January i woke up at 3:30am to be ready by 4am to get a car to the airport. One word- AWFUL! But my morning was about to descend into sheer stress. Once I got to the airport I had to wait with my mum until the check-in actually opened; it wasnt even 5am yet! When they did open I waited a while because i didnt really want to leave my mum just yet... i wanted to just fall asleep on her shoulder to be honest but I knew i had to get up and do what i had to do. BUT when I got to the desk the woman's face began to screw up and she asked me "have you applied for an ESTA Visa". what the hell was that? I remember vaguely having to do one last time but I thought it lasted like 20 years! I was right but because I got a new passport I had to do it again! So there I was paying £2.00 for 15 minutes on a computer in the airport *sigh*. To make matters worse and old man was also attempting to fill out this form- he didnt even know how to get the computer to go onto the internet -_-! "hello dear, what should i type?" "hello pretty girl, where do I type it?" "hello sweety, do I click GO?". I wanted to scream!

Finally i filled out the stupid form and paid a fee of £10 and wrote down my unique application number into my phone, qued up again and reached for my phone to retrieve the code. My phone screen was black. I clicked the unlock button. the screen was still black. WHY IS MY LIFE LIKE THIS? my phone screen was broken so that meant no code. no code meant no ESTA. no ESTA meant no entry to America! So I had to fill out the form again and get a new code. whilst doing this I had to e-mail my agents telling them everything that was happening and time was running out... my flight was in less than an hour and i hadnt even been threw security yet :( I dont think anyone nows how helpless i felt at this time... I didnt know what I would do if i missed this flight i felt like i would disappoint so many people... my mum, my U.K agency and U.S agency, my friends and family and most importantly myself.

Finally, got past the check-in point! yess! But, the security process was long. To make matters worse I smashed my nail varnish on the floor and everyone was looking at me expecting me to clean it up but in reality there was absolutely no time to do such a task so I ran off :). I looked up at the departure board and saw "New York- Flight Closing". I prayed to God that i wouldnt miss this flight so I ran- and I look crazy when I run. But I made it! I sat down and looked up and thought "Thanks dude... now please.. my phone" and I took my phone out of my pocket just as the plane was about to take off and wacked it... It switched onnnn!

I watched 'Salt' with a smile on my face and passed out :)

QUICK INFO ON THE SHOWS :)

Ok so let me explain how the fashion week seasons work to those of you that don’t know :) 

   Fashion week happens twice a year during the months of February and March and August and September. They are separated into to seasons Autumn/Winter and Spring/ Summer. A/W happens in February and March and S/S takes place in August and September. Now some people maybe thinking “is this girl confused” but I promise im not! The shows I did were for Spring/Summer 2011 not 2010; the fashion world sets the trends so of course they would show case them 6 months before leaving enough time for high street stores to adapt the trends to suit their target market.

The order of the shows are as follows- NEW YORK/ LONDON/ MILAN/ PARIS.

New York and Paris are viewed as the most prestigious of the shows due to the fact they boast the best designers such as Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren etc. If I don’t do shows in New York I'm less likely to do well in all the other countries because people wouldn’t have seen me and if you do well in Paris then your highly likely to get campaigns and editorials after the shows! Everything is so connected in the fashion world when it comes to shows which equates to more work for me! But without doing shows a model is not likely to do well after that so I'm making sure that I do my best… come the 30^th of January 2011 I shall be in New York once again going through the motions of castings through the harsh Winter of New York and I shall take you with me this time! Keep following my blog for updates :)

Top left- old picture for my card. The rest are shows i walked in :) Giles Deacon, Marc Jacobs, Topshop Unique, Loweve and Ungaro.

Next season i have my fingers crossed for Louis Vuitton and Chanel in paris; oh how I would love to walk for those designers!

LIFE AND DEATH.

Life and death. 

One is associated with happiness and miracles; the other mourning and despair. However, they are both inevitable parts of life. Recently, I have experienced both of these with the birth of my cousin on the 30^th of October and the death of my Grandma on the 8^th of December. I remember exactly how my face dropped when I heard the news of my grandma. It was a shock. Everyone was crying; I was the last to know. But I think about it now and although I look at her photo everyday and my eyes well up I know that it’s for best. She’s in a better place now looking down on me smiling gently. She is no longer in pain. The one thing I am truly sad about is that my new little cousin will not have a chance to meet our Grandma and experience for himself how funny and inspirational she was. I will make sure that he does know. I will make sure he knows that his grandmother was a beautiful woman who had such a hard life but always smiled and made the best of what she was given. I love her. Rest In Eternal Peace my Grandmother, Hermine Jasmine Anderson.

NUDITY AND ME.

Ok. So I’ve been modelling since I was a fresh faced fifteen year old and I have developed so much. Not just in the way I carry myself but also in confidence; specifically with my body. Recently I was in the December issue of Marie Claire Magazine and the last page of the spread… well lets say I was “bearing all”. People ask me all the time now “wasn’t it embarrassing?” and “what does your mum say?”. 

Well here it is!

Marie Claire December 2010. [just the nude ones]

I remember my first 'topless' shoot. At first I did feel nervous and awkward and I tried to cover myself but then I realised that it was just my body and as time went on I just got more comfortable. Then she was like “can you move your hands away from your breasts if that’s ok?” and I just ran with it. Those photos turned out really nice; in fact she didn’t even use the ones were my breast were completely out. Since then I’ve grown to accept my body and I’m happy to display it; as long as it’s in a tasteful manner. My mum has exactly the same attitude as me; as long as I’m happy she really doesn’t mind!

Now, even more recently I done a FULLY NAKED shoot. It was just a photo shoot either. It was part of a short film dedicated to Alexander McQueen! MY FANNY WAS OUT! (Okay it wasnt out like that!) It was myself and two other black models and we had to rub on each other and dance (can someone say porno lol) but we all had a laugh and tried to enjoy the situation and the clips turned out beautifully. Bodies are beautiful and if they’re going to be portrayed to convey their beauty in a different light then I’m fine with that! NO PAGE 3!

First Topless Photoshoot.

SO MUCH FOR "VOICE OF THE STUDENTS."

I go to a Sixth form college in South London and I’m on the school council. It’s a lot of additional responsibility on my plate with the meetings and so on and so forth but I joined because I have a voice and I wanted to use it to voice the opinions of the student body and provide a service to them. However, this has not been possible to do with our principal cancelling and postponing everything we organise. First she “postponed” the talent show which was fair enough due to the students over-excited behaviour but that really knocked everyone’s faith in the student council. Now she has cancelled our annual college rave due to the fact that the CMDC (whoever they are) wouldn’t allow it due to fear of violent attacks after the event. I don’t believe this for one second seeing as we were using the same venue as last year and that was completely fine with no trouble afterwards or anything like that. But all of a sudden the event is deemed too dangerous. Thanks so much for telling us when we’ve already put down the deposit for both the venue and the DJ and spent many hours after college discussing themes, decorations and even designing the posters. Thanks so much for considering all the hard work that we put in. Oh yeah, thanks so much for meeting with us and discussing it before hand- oh right she never even did that. I don’t care if she sees this or reads this because she’s taken the absolute p*ss out of us. Other teachers keep using the excuse that “she’s new”- she’s been here for over 2 years now so I’m not hearing it. Nobody come up to me asking me what happened/ what’s the school council going to do because at the moment I am not a member of that time wasting sham- and we're meant to be the voice of the students.

College Rave 2009. Theme; Jocks VS. Nerds.

MODEL BEHAVIOUR.

Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I never did modeling. From the way that people go on I would assume that I would be some bullied anorexic no friend child because people always seem to use my career as an excuse for things I do. For example people say “Arr you’re mad skinny but you do modeling so that’s okay”. WHATS THAT MEANT TO MEAN? So imagine if I wasn’t one then what would you say or what would be the narrow-minded reason as to why I’m slim?! Another popular comment seems to be “arr you dress kind of weird sometimes BUT that’s the model look”. Sigh… what is the ‘model look’ anyways?! Half the time I don’t even like what other models are wearing because I find it too bland or too stuck in the box; slimming, black, androgynous BORING- Well to me that is. If I hear that lame line “because you’re a model one more time I’ll probably scream and run off and you know what the person will most likely say when I’m gone “that’s some mad model behaviour!”

[PICTURES TOMORROW]

PEOPLE LOVE TO HATE.

  People say that infamous phrase “there’s a thin line between love and hate” yet when you ask what is the opposite to hate the majorities instant reaction is to say love. What a contradiction?! But one thing I do know is that people love to hate. Why is it that when people are trying to succeed in life there will always be at least one individual trying to get them down with their negativity! GET A LIFE! Everyday I see people trying hard to do something with their lives and you know what; I congratulate them. Whether they’re working hard to get those A grades or putting in extra time at their part time job it doesn’t matter; theyre still living their life! The more negativity you put out in the universe the more you’ll get back later in life and im a firm believer of that. Everyone is trying to get somewhere so why cant people just except that and leave them be?! Hating on someone doesn’t improve your position in life!

IS X-FACTOR RACIST?

After the eviction of Paije from X-factor my twitter timeline was on fire of comments saying that the show was racist and fixed etc but in reality did any of these people even try and make a difference to the results? Did any of these people screaming "racism" vote for Paije even once on his duration on the show? The answer to this question is no. This is one of the biggest problem with the black 'community' in Britain; we want our people to succeed but do not support their progress. How do you expect black figures to have a chance if you don't support them? Someone made the comment that the fact that people are voting based on the colour of the contestants is still racist and that you should vote for whomever performs the best and I do agree with this comment but the fact of the matter is that all these people blaming racism for the eviction of Paije clearly wanted him to win but when it came down to him and Cher, a white female, people looked for every other excuse except for the fact that no one voted for him. Both of them are talented contestants but if people really didn't want Cher to go through then guess what they should've done? Voted for Paije.

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN TRIBUTE FILM.

 Yesterday I was privileged enough to be selected to be apart of the Alexander McQueen tribute film directed by Nick Knight. It is a short film, which will be roughly 6 minutes long according to Knight, and the story depicts McQueen’s turbulent but brilliant life through the portrayal of ascendancy and descent through the imagery of a journey through Heaven and Hell. One of McQueen’s dying wishes was to work with a group of all black models for a show and this vision is now being brought to life to honor one of the greatest designers of our time. This film is also special because it contains some if his last original creations which after this will no longer be able to be worn as they will be sent to the Met Museum in New York. These include his infamous shoes and feather detailed gowns.

The short film is scheduled to be release on the 7th of December at the British Fashion Awards at the Savoy Theatre to commemorate one of the most iconic creators of not just the British fashion industry but the world. I cannot wait to see the finished product and I believe that it will be a true reflection of the vibrant yet tragic life of the great Alexander McQueen.

EDUCATION AND ME.

  To be honest, balancing both my modelling career and college is really difficult for me because both of them demand so much of my time and both of them are very important to me. I know some models are just doing school for the sake of it or even drop out to pursue their career and there’s nothing wrong with that but for me there’s not much more enjoyable than being with friends and expanding my knowledge. I take sociology, media studies and English literature and my subject tutors are telling me that I am capable of getting all A’s or higher; however, apparently this vision is waning with every lesson that I miss to do a modelling job.       

Although my teachers are supportive I don’t think they fully understand what I’m trying to do with my life and to be honest neither do I. All I do know is that I’ve been handed an opportunity to go forth and travel and make something of myself so I don’t see why I shouldn’t take it.

 Since I was young it has been seen as the norm to go through the schooling process, go to university, get a degree and a good job and live happily ever after with other routes of success seen as lucky chances or unobtainable feats. To do something different is portrayed as outlandish or not a feasible way of living despite some of the richest people not having completed education. Funny that isn’t it?  In college they’re telling us to complete our UCAS, write our personal statement and select a course which will reflect our future career. There is so much emphasis placed on university being the only option for a successful and fulfilling life that people rush their choice and panic; how many 17/18 year olds really know what they want to do with the rest of their lives?

One of the tutors in the careers department of my college told my friend to reconsider taking a gap year to act because “what were the real chances of him making it as an actor” not knowing that he had already appeared on T.V shows such as The Bill and various theatre productions. She should’ve encouraged him to explore other options instead of condemning his vision as a false reality.

I know that University is perfect for some and the key to a lot of professions rely on having a degree but there’s so many things university can’t teach and experience you just can’t gain from a textbook based environment; sometimes you have to go out and find it yourself. I do plan to go to university at some point in my life but it will always be there. Once you’ve got you’re A-levels who’s to say that University has to be the next move? Its not for me anyway no matter how much I enjoy learning I just don’t want to look back on my life and think “what if?” because I know I’ll regret that feeling for the rest of my life.

NAIL VARNISH EXCLUSIVE.

  Nail art is an ever-expanding industry with nail designers such as Sophy Robson gracing the runways of fashion week in shows such as Topshop Unique, Giles Deacon, Ungaro, Loweve and Louis Vuitton. 

  I may be very busy for my age but there is one thing I never forget to do every week without fail and that is paint my nails. However, I was getting bored with the array of colours I had collected over the years and needed something new. It appears Barry M have answered my prayers in the form of Barry M ‘Instant Nail Effects’ which I tried out yesterday. You paint your nails your normal colour and wait for it to dry before putting a single coat of the nail effects on top that dries and creates a unique cracked effect with each nail looking different. Below are pictures of my attempt.

Visit http://www.sophyrobson.com/so-so-fly-nails/ for nail ideas and tutorials.

19/11/2010.

19/11/2010- Expadition to Brick Lane.
Bag; Burnt Orange Vintage Moschino Backpack
Jeans; Topshop
Shirt; Uni Qlo
Jacket; Forever 21
Dr.Martens.
Photography; Funke Jacobs.


MY LOOK? Dark jeans with gold embellishment contrasts nicely with my studded leather jacket. Played around with textures and prints and threw in my floral Dr.Martens for fun! At the moment I love mixing metallics hence the Moschino gold letter detailed bag :) [still not a fashion blog guys ha!]

FASHION AND RACISM.

Although people hate to say it and it’s a subject that many wish to divert from but it is true; fashion is racist. This hit the head lines in recent years with Carole White proclaim plainly “FASHION IS RACIST” and we saw the production of the all black edition of Italian Vogue and Prada use their first black girls in over half a decade in their shows but that is not enough. However, the fashion industry is just a small part of an ever-expanding world that is still covertly racist. There is still institutional racism, racial discrimination in work places with the statistics for a black person being stopped and searched much higher than it is for a white person. Then there is even shadism; racism amongst a race which divides rather than unites. So how do we expect the fashion industry not to be racist if the world surrounding it still is?

FAKE UGGS.

One thing I do not condone is fake Uggs. Not sheepskin boots of another brand but IMITATION Uggs. What is the point? They may look like the real thing but the quality is so poor that you’ll be moving sideways in a matter of weeks! Not to mention what happens to them in the rain! I know someone who paid £70 for a pair of fake Uggs. However, if she had just saved up her Educational Maintenance Allowance she would’ve been able to afford the real thing so why go there? There is nothing wrong with buying a sheepskin boot that isn’t Uggs because Uggs is a brand NOT a type of boot; something people forget. But I don’t see the point in purchasing imitation Uggs; they will not get you far and will leave you looking silly when yours deteriorate and your friends are still in tacked. 

IM OKAY WITH PRIMARK.

As I was scoping through twitter the other day I saw a tweet reading something along the lines of “WHOEVER STILL SHOPS IN PRIMARK NEEDS TO START LIVING LIFE!” and I thought to myself “why?” why has Primark still got that stigma attached to it that it had a decade ago? I remember when I was younger how embarrassed I would be when my grandma took m e shopping and would leave with the biggest Primark bag available and then ask me to carry it! The cheek! It was already bad enough that all the clothes in there were 2 sizes too big so I could “grow into them” but the fact they were from that shop made it ten times worse! However, I don’t understand how people can say Primark is still cheap and taboo if it is now the same price as HnM and imitates its designs from other leading high street retailers. However, let me stress that I personally do not buy a lot from Primark but if you are on a tight budget, not bothered about others having it or don’t wish to pay extortionate prices for certain items then I really don’t see it as a problem.

QUICK RE-CAP ON FASHION WEEK

From August the 23^rd to September the 16^th I went to New York for fashion week. I remember going to my agency in the morning al excited and weighing my suitcase with the other model I was flying out with. When people asked, “aren’t you excited” I would say “No.” I wasn’t excited because I knew how much work I would have to put in and that it could all be for nothing. However, I was so happy to be given this opportunity. How many other girls my age can say that they were going out to New York by themselves to try and make something of themselves? So, Happy= Yes. Excited? = No.

The idea of being by myself in a different country didn’t hit me until it came to taking my bag up the stairs of my model apartment. Yes, apartment not hotel or even motel or even bed and breakfast. When you go out to different countries for fashion week you are more than likely going to be staying in a house or flat with other girls. But yes back to the suitcase. My bag was so heavy and lifting it by myself I realised; I am by myself. My mum isn’t here. I don’t know anybody. I'm not in England anymore.

What came to me, as even more of a shock was when I got up the stairs there was about six girls gathered watching TV. I thought model flats only held about 4? No, no, not Elite Model management! They own a 3 floor redbrick house, which, in total, housed twelve girls.

Twelve teenaged girls aged from 15-19 with one kitchen, three bathrooms, three bedrooms and mice. Can you imagine my pain?! My faint delusions of a house resembling the Britain’s next top model house were instantly shattered and replaced with the reality that I would be there for a month; the only English girl in the house. Yes, I was also the only fully black girl in the house if you want to know but to be honest I really wasn’t thinking about that; I was just hoping to make some friends and I did in the form of Rebekah Jett, Maddie Kulicka and Hill Anderson.

Living in a model house can be very stressful. They steal your food. They drink your milk, they try on your clothes. And lets not even start about the chick that I lent my boots! Out of the kindness of my heart I lent her my military boots when it was pouring with rain [this girl only brought sandals] and she returned them in some creased fashion!

I walked for Marc by Marc Jacobs, Nathan Jenden both in New York, Topshop Unique and Giles Deacon in London and Ungaro and Loweve in Paris.

I would go into more detail but I really don’t want to bore you guys especially since you’ll be able to see it all in February when a Channel 4 documentary focusing on my modeling agency comes out. They followed me in New York, London and Paris fashion week so you’ll be able to glimpse what exactly I was going through (if you watch it that is).

INTRODUCTION.

I am Leomie Anderson. I am 17 years old and currently attending college in south London. As for the title of my blog it is 50% true; on most days I am just an average teenage female going to college laughing with my friends and studying hard. However, the other 50% of is a budding model signed for Premier Model Management trying to establish herself in the modeling industry.  However, do NOT think this is just a fashion blog because I wouldn’t describe myself as a ‘fashionista’ but this blog is simply a place where I can tell whoever reads this what goes in my mind and life whilst trying to blend both aspects of my life.