Too Fat and Told to Leave the Runway
Nabys Vielman contacted me personally, requesting that I walk for him in his NYFW show. He promised me an editorial photograph published in a top outlet. He had clearly written to me that each model would get one editorial photograph published in exchange for walking for him.
I have worked in fashion for years. I know the industry, I know my value, and I know the difference between jobs
I arrived in good faith, but as the day dragged on I was waiting, waiting, waiting with hair and makeup done, but never called for the promised exchange. When I asked why I’d been left out of the editorial, I was told to leave.
A well run show would not have this issue. There’s a big difference between an innocent mistake and someone who has their ego involved. When you point out the error, the innocent person will correct it. I am a professional and agency represented model. I am not shocked by much but this was above and beyond – I did this show at Nabys’ direct request after he promised me that there would be a guaranteed editorial photograph published. I always normally get monetary compensation. This was a special request.
So when Nabys Vielman contacted me personally about participating in his New York Fashion Week show, I agreed but made sure that I would be getting something useful out of it for myself too as this is my livelihood.
Nabys told me that each model would receive one photograph in the editorial.
That was the understanding I arrived with. This was even confirmed the prior day when I had spent over an hour fitting the original outfit for him.
On show day, I showed up ready to work and excited for the day. When I arrived, he told me I looked fat in it and switched me into what was essentially a moo-moo. I was professional. I said, “Oh, great.”
I accepted the change and continued preparing for the show. I arrived at 4 p.m. and was ready with hair and makeup for hours.
But the backstage atmosphere was becoming increasingly stressful. Vielman’s energy was frenetic, and people kept commenting to me about it. It was not simply my own private impression. Others were noticing the atmosphere, too.
I remained professional. I was there to work.
The editorial was promised…
As the evening progressed, I watched Vielman put other models into multiple outfits for the editorial.
Approximately 90 percent of the models had participated in it. Many doing double outfits.
I had been told each model would get one photograph.
I was left out.
I had already given my time. I had spent hours preparing. I had accepted the outfit change. I was ready for the show.
And I was watching the editorial opportunity I had been promised happen around me.
Over an hour before showtime, I asked about it. Asked if there was 5 minutes right then to do some photos (nothing was happening and the photographer was free).
His response was that there wasn’t even five minutes for photos in my outfit.
I had been there since 4 p.m. I had been ready with hair and makeup for hours. I had watched other models receive multiple editorial looks.
I was asking about one photograph. Instead of apologizing, he blew up at me and told me to leave and that I was out of the show and “bringing him down”.
Fashion is an opportunity to have fun, be creative, professional and bring colleagues together towards a creative goal. I wanted this to happen for Nabys.
Then I was told to leave for simply trying to speak up for my end of the deal. Should I be left with nothing and work for him for free? As what – charity?
When I brought up the fact that I had been left out of the editorial, Nabys told me to leave.
He did not even let me walk the runway.
That is what makes the experience particularly difficult to reconcile.
I prepared. I showed up. I got ready. I waited. I stayed professional.
And when I asked about the editorial photograph I had been promised, I was told to leave.
The issue is not just a photograph. It’s my right to speak up about the bare minimum. I didn’t react to the abusive comments about my body, but he wanted me to stay silent about my interests completely.
A model’s time is not infinitely available. I was asked to do a professional job with an editorial in lieu of monetary payment (even Nabys acknowledged that he was uncomfortable asking this of me).
For better or worse, models are expected to be flexible. We are expected to wait. We are expected to accept last-minute changes, uncomfortable conditions, but the possibility that the promised exchanges may not actually materialize shouldn’t be accepted.
I had already made a large professional exception by agreeing to do an exchange based runway for someone who contacted me personally. This involves travel there and back to attend an hour fitting and then over 6 hours for the show! All in, around 10 hours of my time he is asking of me.
The editorial photograph was explicitly part of the understanding. I was not asking for special treatment. I was asking about an opportunity that had been promised to each model.
And I was asking after watching most of the other models receive it.
What I walked away with – ? Humiliation and embarrassment. That and possible body issues.
I came to New York Fashion Week to create something positive.
When he told me I looked fat in the original outfit, I accepted the change and said, “Oh, great.” I know I’m a sample size, but hearing comments like this still takes a blow to my self-esteem. Especially after recovering from an eating disorder many years ago.
I watched other models participate in two large groups for the editorial while I remained excluded.
I asked the producer about the photograph I had been promised. I asked if there was 5 minutes to do an editorial photo (the photographer was standing around doing nothing) during the final wait time. When she called Naby over he simply told me to leave.
I was told to leave. In front of everyone. After already investing hours of my time in his show. I had worked for 8 hours on my feet the prior day, then rushed to travel to a hour long fitting for this very show. That’s all before the 5+ hours of prep and travel on the show day itself. None of this mattered to Naby. My time meant less than nothing to him, maybe even less than my dignity.
I did not even get to walk the runway after waiting for 5 hours backstage (more than enough time to do a 5 min photo).
The experience was not simply disappointing. It made me question myself, my body and the entire industry.
I had shown up ready to work. With a good attitude. Ready to make Nabys vision come to life and his dreams come true.
I had done my part.
I was asking for the one thing that would benefit me – an editorial photograph. Just one. 5 minutes.
And I was kicked out. I was “bringing him down” because I expected him to honor his own words. No runway. No grace – and no respect for my time nor my talent.
the above is my subjective recount of my experience at NYFW
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