Welcome to fashion month—a worldwide tour (Tokyo! New York! London! Paris! Milan!) where houses showcase their designs for the upcoming season. Models debatably have the toughest go of it all: Traveling city to city, show to show, walking in clothing and shoes that sometimes don’t quite fit over and over. So we asked: How do 11 models you’ll recognize from Vogue Runway collections like Khaite, Givenchy, and Coach stay grounded? Their answers, below.
Tess Breeden
“I keep myself grounded during Fashion Week through art. I am incomplete without my sketch pads. Each of my sketchbooks reflects chaos: Drawings overlap one another, markers bleed through the pages, and doodles of nonsense are numerous. The point of carrying these books around is not to create impressive work but to express myself. When waiting around in between castings and jobs, drawing helps keep my mind stimulated and engaged, by allowing me to stay grounded and lose track of time.”
Lulu Wood
“Fashion month is a wildly hectic and fun time. It’s crucial to stay calm and grounded amid the frenzy. I always make sure to take moments to myself to rest and recharge, whether that is listening to music, jotting down my thoughts, or just spending a few minutes alone between shows and castings to reconnect with myself and take a step back. But most important, I’m incredibly lucky to have the most amazing friends and support system. Having those heart-to-heart chats with my parents and friends about things unrelated to work really grounds me and provides perspective along this crazy ride!”
Sara Grace Wallerstedt
“I think Fashion Week can be really hard on everyone. Trying to keep any kind of routine is incredibly difficult when you are running around last minute to castings and fittings, but I try to keep my morning routine the same because it helps me not get too much into my own head. This usually includes saving time to make my coffee, eat my breakfast, and sit and watch my favorite YouTube videos. I also think that I’m way more social than usual during Fashion Week, which can be overwhelming at times, so finding time to decompress is super-important. For me this usually includes playing the Sims on my computer or reading a good book.”
Holly Nicole
“If I ever have a break in between castings but not enough time to go home, I’ll find a cute café to chill in. I order my favorite drink (a matcha latte), possibly a pastry, and listen to music. It’s my favorite thing for a relaxing break in between running around.”
Bella Rose
“If I can find time during a busy Fashion Week schedule [in New York], I try to stay grounded by walking along the West Side Highway. If I can’t find time to do that, I’ll listen to podcasts or music in between castings to keep my mind at ease.”
Jits Bootsma
“The key to me for staying calm during all of the buzz of Fashion Week is to keep my mind at ease. I tell myself: Do not make yourself too crazy, you’re here to live in the moment, enjoy the laughter, the new people, the new places, and, of course, the karaoke nights with your roommates. It is going to be a totally new ride anyway, so enjoy it as much as possible and we will see how things turn out.”
Merel Roggeveen
“The way I stay grounded during Fashion Week is by simply calling my family. Since they don’t know anything about the industry, they make me realize being in New York already is a big accomplishment.”
Sam Case
“I like to stay very focused during the day and let go at night by watching a TV show. It’s nice to get caught up in another world for a while and relax.”
Anyier Anei
“During Fashion Week, I like to remind myself that there’s life outside of running around the city, doing castings, fittings, and shows. It’s the one time of the year when all the models and other creatives I look up to are in the same city. I often make an effort to meet up with friends for a quick bite, drinks, and banter; just to catch up and enjoy each other’s energy even if it’s just for a few minutes. This gets my mind off work pressure and I primarily focus on enjoying the city I’m in with friends while making memories.”
Dana Smith
“To stay sane during Fashion Week, I like to get lost in code-word or crossword puzzles. I bring mini travel books with me everywhere and often get the newspaper (if it’s in English!). They help me to forget about work for a while and give me a sense of comfort and nostalgia, as I used to do them with my grandparents.”
Jordan Daniels
“To stay sane, I stay as sober as possible, get as much sleep as possible, and hang out with my non-fashion-related friends!”
