Tag archive: modeling

Fashion a Better World

WHAT WHAT? HOLY COW!!! The reviewer was talking about the dress I was modeling!! Whoo hoo – I wore a showstopper!!  Let me tell you, hitting the catwalk to sounds of cheers and cameras flashing is a pretty heady feeling and but to see the accolades in print is out of this world. Not bad for an old lady who JUST started this modeling thing! OK, not old, but middle aged.  Just goes to prove that you’re never too old to try something new! I’m so excited to be part of a world that traditionally doesn’t recognize women if they aren’t 17 years old,  skyscraper height and rail thin. I do believe that there’s room for REAL women in the modeling world after all and I’m living proof!!

Last weekend I was so very blessed to be asked to walk a runway show for the “Fashion a Better World” event at Top of the Hill Distillery in Chapel Hill, NC.  It featured women entrepreneurs in North Carolina focused on sustainable fashion whose aim is to encourage artistic minds to bloom where they are planted, creating an ecosystem of creativity within North Carolina.  Brooks Bell, entrepreneur and champion of women-led businesses, was the keynote speaker. They also featured a surprise celebrity guest which you can read about here. The event was sponsored by UNC as part of Global Entrepreneurship week, along with Triangle organizations, to give designers a platform to talk about the significance of their work and promote the growth of the fashion industry in NC.

I modeled for the fabulous Kim Kirchstein of Leopold Designs who is not only an amazing artist but she is one of the sweetest, most down to earth people I’ve had the pleasure of working with.  I’m proud to call her my friend! Check out the UNREAL dress I got to wear. It’s actually  108″ x 45″ of hand-batik silk, with wet-into-wet dye and brushed-on wax strokes which create the soft textures in this design. Kim tied it around me in what she called “the pantsuit” tie. The feeling of silk enveloping my body was heavenly and then to wear it down the runway was just icing on the cake! Read this awesome review from Scope Magazine and the wonderful blog from Pretty Little Snipets to find out more more about all the brilliant designers and how incredible the night was. BRAVO to everyone and a special thanks to Symbology for hosting the event!

Colleen Ann Guest wearing a Leopold Design by Kim Kirchstein for Fashion a Better World

Colleen Ann Guest wearing a Leopold Design by Kim Kirchstein for Fashion a Better World

On the Runway – Colleen Ann Guest wearing a Leopold Design by Kim Kirchstein for Fashion a Better World. Photo by Josh Kongmany

On the Runway with Kim – Colleen Ann Guest wearing a Leopold Design by Kim Kirchstein for Fashion a Better World photo by Josh Kornegay

Redress Raleigh Sightings in the Media!

The professional shots are starting to roll in and you can see some incredible shots of all the fashion and models! I have to say though, I’m especially partial to the designer I walked for: Margo Scott of Rocket Betty Designs! She has a Facebook page too!

If you have any Redress Raleigh sightings, then by all means post them in a comment here! I’ll post more links as I find them too.

• Thank you to Elizabeth Galecke Photography on Facebook for the featured image on this post! Go see the rest of  her shots on her facebook page here: Elizabeth Galecke Photography Redress Raleigh Album or go visit her website at www.elizabethgalecke.com
• SimplyDPhoto.com website
•  Facebook photo album by Qlint Chesney
• Michelle Smith’s blog
• Artery Blog in the Independent Weekly 
• NC Museum of Natural Sciences Nature Research Center Grand Opening photos on Facebook
• WKNC 88.1 Blog
• Sarajane Case Photography
• Side Yard Studios slideshow
• New & Well blog

• Video footage of the event!

Mother Nature’s Got Nothin’ on Father God!

I was very blessed to be asked to walk the runway in an eco-friendly fashion show this past weekend during all the Earth Day festivities. I love fashion and the whole idea of using eco-friendly techniques and up-cycling vintage products to create garments and accessories makes me super-duper happy. It was a joy and a thrill to be a model for this particular show. The people involved are conscious of the environment and are very giving and loving individuals. Every designer I met and every person I spoke with glowed with their love for nature. And…I’m right there with them! Love me some nature!

Yet by the time I got to the second day of events and made an appearance at the outdoor festival which took up several city blocks of downtown Raleigh, something that was gnawing at me in a teeny-tiny way suddenly took on a ravenous appetite and began to devour my heart. I passed by a statue of a person posed with it’s arms wide open, face turned up towards the sky, and clearly in a position of worship. I looked around me and saw a myriad of birds, animals, people, celestial bodies, and all forms of created things replicated in some fashion (paper mache, statues, artwork, etc). And as I looked around some more,  I saw rapture and awe on the faces of festival goers as they gazed upon the re-created things. Yep, I was right square in the middle of over seventy thousand people WORSHIPING.  Worshiping not just created things – but RE-created things (can we say idolatry?). And I could almost feel the contempt for the CREATOR of the organic creations in the midst of all this “love.”

Whoa. Eye-opening and soul-baring moment. I needed to leave. It was time to sort out how to reconcile my love of nature with my love of the one and only God Almighty who created the earth, sea, heavens, and all things in them!

Let’s be clear about something. I firmly believe God calls us to be good stewards of the resources and creatures we are coexisting with. I do NOT advocate any practice that harms the environment! Yet at the same time, I fully recognize that it is my Father God who deserves my adoration and my worship – NOT his creation. So how do I share my love for God and not alienate/offend my environmentally conscious yet utterly lost friends? This is what scares me!! I don’t want people to dislike me and I certainly don’t want to say or do anything that would make them hate the Lord!

So I dug into the Scripture.  Romans chapter one really spoke to me this morning. The Bible is very clear about the dangers of worshiping the created rather than the creator. I talked about this with my husband, prayed over it, and then I went to church with all of this burning on my mind. And in the middle of the teaching, the pastor said, “If all we do is love people (and not share the truth of the Gospel), then we are just making them happy on their way to hell.”

WOW!

OK, so I’ve now feel both led and commanded to share what I’ve been thinking and feeling – fear be damned! If someone gets offended, then I just have to take that chance. I would hate to have someone whom I loved dearly but was too afraid to offend,  look at me and say, “You knew this and you NEVER told me?” as they stand in judgement when the Lord sentences them to hell. So here goes…. (All bold and italicized emphasis is mine,  New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica)

Let me share Acts 14:15-17 from this morning’s teaching:

And here is what stood out to me from Romans (1:16-25,32)

BAM! STOP RIGHT THERE!! Is that me???

Do I continue to do such things and approve of those who practice them? ………………………………………….Um………no? (There’s that fear of offending people creeping in.)

Wait…let me use my big girl voice and be more definitive – NO. I do not!

(let the de-friending and nasty remarks commence while I duck and cover…)

Are you still here? whew….. Ok, well, then let me just sum it all up with some conclusions I’ve drawn about myself. After pondering, praying, and reading this morning, I’ve decided that I must take care that I keep perspective on my own environmental and animal rescue efforts so that I don’t get caught up in inadvertent worship of the creation. I must continue to immerse myself in scripture and surround myself with fellow believers so that I can be an effective witness to the great and awesome mercy of Christ; that He died for us while we were still sinners! And I must set my self apart from others who choose to worship the created rather than the creator. But by being set apart I don’t mean that I should abandon or remove myself from having relationships with folks outside the church – I need to be an example of Christian love and Godliness in every circle I am involved with. And I need to be involved in every kind of social circle available to me so that I have the opportunity to share the gospel with everyone and all may come to know the saving grace only offered by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Difference, An Open Letter to a Client

It may seem like a peculiar way of going about it, but through modeling, I believe I can change people’s preconceived notions about beauty and value . . . and I can make a difference in this world. A difference to you (the client), the world around us, and in my own life – – because the why of modeling (as well as the how) is something I comprehend. Let me explain.

Years ago I spent some time as a retail display designer for a national clothing chain. I learned there’s a direct correlation between an artfully crafted display and the resulting sales – – but just because I had created a killer display didn’t mean it translated to killer profits. I had to be flexible and objective; willing to concede when my creation wasn’t all that, and then quickly move on and create something better – – something that sells; not just something pretty. Modeling is similar in that a model has to be prepared to go the extra mile to find sensational poses which stretch the imagination and yet she must trust the photographer’s (and/or client’s) direction and make adjustments on the spot in order to best express their vision.

It occurs to me, to be effective in this industry, a model doesn’t really have to be a particular age or size or shape (regardless of what the media tells us); she needs to understand the intention of why she’s modeling in the first place. It’s never about her – – it’s about the client’s creation and how she best enhances it. She needs to be exude confidence and radiate energy; doing her very best to share space in harmony with the product so that her presence is a compliment to the piece rather than the focal point of the shot.

Ultimately, the purpose of modeling is to entice buyers to open their pocketbooks and not just marvel at an artistic expression. When acting, I can use words and action to help me effectively portray a character and convey a story. I have come to greatly appreciate the higher level of focus required to do the same thing without those luxuries when I’m modeling. In posing with and showcasing a product, a model has to create a lasting impression that will capture people’s attention and inspire them to actually make a purchase – – with only a single frame to get the job done!

What’s more, it’s advantageous when the model believes in what she’s selling. My years in retail taught me that I can sell way more merchandise when the product is something I believe in than when I don’t care for it. Selling then becomes more about sharing one’s passion for an amazing product rather than simply trying to unload it. My personal preference is for consumer goods that are sustainable / green / recycled / used / vintage, etc. and I make a point to broadcast that as much as possible. Wearing and being photographed in those kinds of garments and accessories lend that much more credibility to my personal position as I proudly share links to photos on my website and social media pages.

So, yes; I’d like an opportunity to model for you because I believe I can make a difference. A difference in how your work is represented; giving a new perspective to the process and expanding your audience along the way. A difference in the lives of those around us; encouraging people to challenge their perceptions of beauty and to make a positive impact on the environment. And a difference in my own life; allowing me to grow as a person and as an artist through exposure to new people, products, and experiences.

Thank you for your consideration!