Secrets to Walking the Walk

The models who took to the runway at a recent charity fashion show were a bit fuller and walked more rigidly than standard supermodels. A few looked as if they were walking the plank, not a ramp in the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Tennis Club.

Still, they held their heads high, looked great in their clothes and managed to avoid their deepest fear--falling off the stage.

Not bad for a bunch of amateurs.

Most of the 20 models were members of the Orange Coast Assn. of Realtors who volunteered for the runway to raise money for HomeAid Orange County, which helps to build and renovate shelters for homeless people.

“We’ve been teasing each other at the office that we were going to do a full monty,” said Jim Weisenbach, a Newport Beach real estate agent who navigated the runway without any Chippendale-style maneuvers.

When called on to model for charity’s sake, you don’t need to look like a professional model, but you’ll enjoy yourself more if you learn how to act like one.

“A pretty face is not important,” said Kitty Leslie, a fashion show producer in Laguna Niguel who has worked with hundreds of volunteer models at charity shows. Leslie recently had a slightly plump model steal a show by smiling big and playing to the crowd.

“She sailed down the runway with the most outstanding attitude,” Leslie said. “She had them eating out of her hands.”

Off the runway, amateurs sometimes develop a sulky attitude because they don’t understand the first rule of the runway: They are merely props for the clothes.

“They’re not there to show off themselves. They’re there to show off the clothes,” Leslie said. “Often you have the attitude of the [model] to cope with. She might see herself as Cindy Crawford, and she’s not. Then you become the Wicked Witch of the West.”

Amateurs are often surprised when Leslie informs them that they can’t choose what they wear for the show. Some complain about their outfits and want something different.

“They don’t understand that they’re going to wear what I pick out and what the stores want to sell, not what they’d buy,” Leslie said. “They see themselves in a different role. But I have no preconceived notions. I look at someone and see that she has good bones or good color. I never send anyone out there looking bad. They always look better than they normally do.”

Experienced models understand that, in Leslie’s words, “you’re a hanger with curves.”

As for fitting into the clothes, it’s expected that most volunteers aren’t perfect model sizes. Leslie tells volunteers to be honest about their bodies. They don’t always get a fitting before the show (pro models never do because stores don’t like to tie up merchandise). Those with figure flaws should tell whoever’s pulling the merchandise.

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Many flaws can be camouflaged, but legs are the most visible feature because the audience sees them at eye-level.

“If you have a leg problem of any kind, it will stand out,” Leslie said.

Female models should always wear nude-to-the-waist pantyhose, even with swimsuits, because they give the legs a sleeker look. Hairstyles should be simple, but makeup exaggerated beyond what they normally wear.

Rehearsals help models gain poise and confidence, but amateurs don’t need to master the moves of a supermodel on a Paris runway.

“I do not believe that in one or two sessions you can make models out of them,” Leslie said. “I give them as few parameters as I can because, once they get up there, they tend to forget it all.”

Yet even amateurs can practice a few techniques that will leave the impression that they know what they’re doing.

A couple of hours before the HomeAid show, the real estate agents practiced strutting their stuff on the runway. Show consultant Barbara Logan, owner of Designer Connection, a special event and fashion show production company in Laguna Beach, showed them how to execute turns and strike a pose.

“Do it with an attitude,” Logan told one model, demonstrating how to roll one shoulder back in a provocative stance. “Posture and attitude go a long way. You’re feeling good.”

She coaxed nervous models not to rush down the runway.

“A little slower!” she said to one. “Loosen those arms up, girl!”

Most walk too fast because they’re in a hurry to get off the stage.

“It’s pretty intense. All eyes are on you, which isn’t normal. You’re tempted to go zoom,” said Anthony Cupo, owner of Salon Salon in Laguna Niguel, who participated in the HomeAid show.

Others dawdle.

“I had one I thought would never get off the stage,” Leslie said. “They should listen to the music. That’s their cue as to the speed they should be moving at.”

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Leslie teaches models to gaze out over the audience rather than look down at friends cheering them on in the front row.

“When your head is bent down, it creates creases on your neck. It’s not a pretty line,” she said. “Try to look three tables back.”

Models are especially nervous just before they step on stage. They tend to check and recheck their look in the mirror.

“The hardest part is talking the models down from stage frights,” Leslie said. “I try to bolster them by telling them their strong point. I’ll say what great legs they’ve got or what beautiful skin.”

While many models’ greatest fear is falling off the runway, that’s a rare occurrence. In all the shows Leslie has produced, only one model--a professional--walked off the ramp and into the audience, breaking her leg.

“Any mistake a model makes I can cover for, but I can’t cover for falling off a runway,” Leslie said.

Still, amateur models do loosen up and have fun.

“With all the pampering, it’s like Cinderella,” Logan said.

In the end, Logan is often impressed with amateurs’ performance.

“There’s something in them that always wanted to model,” she said.