Have you ever wondered what it's like to model in Italy? Or perhaps a fashion show in general? I recently walked in my first Italian runway show. Some things that happened were to be expected, but other things caught me totally by surprise. Pour yourself a glass of wine, because things are about to get interesting...
Getting to the fashion show:
As a former-California model, I'm used to getting in my car, sipping my tea, and vibing to Ariana Grande while cruising down the freeway to my shoot.
But in Naples, Italy? I jumped on the backseat of my fiance's scooter, hurridly fastened my helmet, and clutched Marco for dear life as we zoomed down an old, bumpy, cobblestone road. We passed by the fruit seller, the gelato shop, caught a panoramic view of the Gulf of Napoli, and miraculously arrived to the venue in one piece.
"Grazie per il passaggio. Ci vediamo stasera?" Thanks for the ride. I'll see you tonight?
"Sì, sarò qui. In bocca al lupo!" Yes, I'll be here. Good luck!
I gave Marco un bacio (a kiss), and ventured alone into the venue.
Arriving at the venue:
The venue was HBToo, a modern industrial warehouse by the seaside. I walked up an LED-lined staircase and was simutaneously impressed, amused, and confused by the sight that greeted me.
Impressed: The models, to be expected, were a gorgeous group of Italian girls.
Amused: We had nearly all accidentally shown up in the same outfit- Fitted black shirts, jeans, and black boots.
Confused: There was a giant pizza box with a couple slices left, along with a plastic cup filled with dirty brown water and cigarettes on the table in the center of the models. Were these girls slamming pizza and chainsmoking before the runway? I had a lot to learn about modeling in Italy...
"Ciao, sono Ambika," I introduced myself to the group. Unfortunately, I was so focused on not appearing nervous, all of the girls' names went in one ear and out the other. It appeared that the majority of the girls already knew each other and were speaking in rapid Italian, so I sat next to two friendly-seeming outsiders and struck up a conversation (in much slower Italian.)
"Cos'è questa situazione della pizza?" What's the deal with this pizza? I asked.
"Era qui quando siamo arrivati." It was here when we arrived, said one of the girls with a shrug.
We made more small talk for what felt like eternity. Just as I was running out of things to ask, I was saved by the bell.
The transformation begins:
"Ciao, sono Rossella. Sono la truccatrice. Siamo pronti per voi, ragazze, di sopra" Hi, I'm Rossella. I'm the makeup artist. We're ready for you girls upstairs.
Sending a silent prayer of gratitude, I followed Rossella up another set of stairs. We arrived at a dark loft that was packed with a huge team of makeup artists, hair stylists, heating tools, and nervous smiles, probably caused by the apparent lack of lighting, space, and electric outlets in said dark loft. I was seated at a chair and a nice girly named Kristy immediately got to work on me.
Two hours, one hair stylist, one broken curling iron, four make up artists, and three different lipstick attempts later, I had been turned into something resemblant of a hot goth vampiress.
"Tutti di sotto!" Everyone downstairs! A male voice bellowed.
To practice or not to practice?
I joined the rest of the hot goth vampiresses in a huddle on a windy outdoor deck. We gathered around a man who from this point out shall be referred to as "Yelling Guy." I could have a basic conversation in Italian, but between the whistle of the wind and the 1,000,000 words/ second coming out of this man's mouth, I had no idea what the dude was saying.
I watched Yelling Guy as he walked onto the catwalk, gestured around wildly with his arms, span in a couple circles, and returned to us on the deck. He proceeded to move on to the directions for the finale.
At this point I had gathered three things:
Nearly all of the other girls had already modeled in this fashion show.
As a result, Yelling Guy saw no need for us to do a practice walk.
My first time modeling in Italy was going to be a sh*t show.
"Did you understand what he said?" I heard a voice whisper next to me- in English!
I saw that a mega-tall Black goddess was talking to me. She wasn't there when I arrived; she must have snuck in during hair and makeup.
"You speak English?!" I was shocked. This was the first English I had heard all day.
"Yes, I'm from the Domincan Republic, I moved to Italy about 10 years ago," the Goddess quietly explained.
"I caught a couple words he was saying, but I'm pretty confused. What are we supposed to do?" I asked.
"Ok, you're going to start here on the deck and walk down the right row of chairs to a tape marking. You'll stop, pose, turn to the back, pose, turn back to the front, continue around the bend to the other side, pause at the second tape parking, pose, turn around, pose, turn back, and continue down the row, and exit through those doors," she whispered.
"Uh...ok I think I got it. Thanks!" I whispered back, hoping I understood correctly.
The accidental strip show:
We filed back inside and into the dressing area, an area separated from the main room by a curtain. We began getting into our first looks as the DJ began to play music and the room started to fill with the murmurs of the guests' voices.
"Aah! Fermare! Chiudi meglio le tende! Possiamo vedere le ragazze!!!" Ahh! Stop! Close the curtains better! We can see the girls! A panicked assistant ran to the dressing area, warning us of the accidental strip show that was currently taking place for the first few lucky guests.
Oopsies!
The sassiest Italian model:
After that little debaucle, we waited behind stage in our first looks. I was clad in a comfortable and cute turquoise velvet two piece set with heeled loafers and a barrette.
While the other models chatted and took selfies, I found a seat next to three cute little girls who seemed to be around 5-7 years old.
The talented Neapolitan designer, Roberta Bacarelli, designed both womens' and childrens' clothing lines. Apparently, these cute little girls would be modeling in the show as well.
"Sei così carina con il tuo vestito! Sei felice di fare la sfilata oggi?" You're so pretty in your dress! Are you happy to walk in the runway today? I asked the youngest in a gentle voice.
"Lo faccio da anni," I've been doing this for years, sighed the four year old as she rolled her eyes at me.
I didn't know if I should be amazed or disturbed by this little child.
Let the show begin:
The music of Billie Eilish began to blast loudly on the speakers and that was our cue that the show had begun. The immacuately dressed models scrambled to assemble in line according to a list that was taped to the wall with all of our names, but the problem was that I didn't know the other girls' names, and every round of looks had a different order of names. Yelling Guy was standing outside on the cold deck calling out the names of the girls who were next up, but it was hard to hear him over the sound of the music and the howling wind.
Amidst this shuffling sea of models, the designer stood calmly holding her baby grandson while she monitored the show from a small screen backstage. I tried to get a glimpse of the screen so that I could understand what to do, but I heard "AMBIKA!!!" and suddenly it was my turn to go.
I half ran/ strutted across the deck to the first door, took a deep breath, and began my walk. Lights were flashing all around me and I locked my gaze straight ahead. Out of the corners of my eyes, I could see guests filling all the chairs, but I couldn't look around to see where Marco was sitting. I didn't even know which camera I was supposed to be looking at.
I found my first mark, struck my poses, and continued my walk around the bend. I couldn't find the second mark. I stopped where I thought made sense, struck my poses, continued down the runway, and exited back out onto the cold windy deck. Shaking with nerves and adrenaline, I hurried back into the changing area to throw on my second look.
Couture Chaos:
The room was a frenzy of topless women with dresses caught around their heels and stressed assistants helping get them into their next looks. Each look had a matching barrette, but there weren't enough barrettes to go around, so the girls kept stealing them off of each other's heads before marching off onto the runway.
Ignoring the chaos around her, the designer remained calm and focused on the screen. I was so impressed.
This runway-walking, clothes-throwing, barrette-stealing routine continued for five more rounds of styles, until it culminated in my favorite look.
The Grand Finale:
I entered the runway for my final look. It was a long, tight-fitted black dress with a red floral print, paired with velvet red heels and a black barrette. I felt so sophisticated and sexy. The crowd must have picked up on it too, because they started applauding. Guess I wasn't a complete disaster after all.
The show ended with the designer and her baby grandson walking out, followed by all the models holding Girl Power signs. Hurray!
After the show, we all hurriedly changed back into our normal clothes and joined the others in the main area. Marco was waiting for me and I gave him a huge smack on the lips, before realizing that I had gotten my bright red lipstick all over him.
I was pleasantly surprised to see a group of our friends there, who ran up and gave me hugs.
After the show, Marco and I were enjoying a glass of wine at Giuseppone A Mare, a romantic spot by the sea, when we happily recieved an invitation from our other friends, the designer's daughter and her partner, to swing by their home for dinner. We scootered over, passing by a cute Enoteca (wine shop) on the way.
Upon arrival at our friends' home, I immediately wiped off my now-crazy vampire makeup while our friend put her baby (yes, the same one from the fashion show) to sleep. The four of us enjoyed a cozy night in, complete with laughs, wine, and fried chicken sandwiches with fries (I guess Italians love American fast food!)
Food for thought:
When I first moved to Naples at the end of 2022, I had no friends, no work, and practically no knowledge of the Italian language. There were many moments when I was sad, lonely, and stressed, but I persisted. Walking in this runway show and being surrounded by so much love was a huge milestone in my Italy journey. This night really made me feel like I was becoming a part of Neapolitan society. I have a huge journey ahead of me, and a lot to learn, but I'm proud of how far I've come so far.
I hope that this inspires you and gives you the courage to take that leap of faith, whether it's moving abroad, finding your dream career, or trying a new hobby.
Un bacio,
Amby