"The Competition Has Started!"

September 11, 2012

"The Competition Has Started!"

As the title of this post says, this is what Mr. Mills exclaimed upon seeing the MVW candidates at our first official meeting. I took that to be a positive sign since I could hear the elation in his voice as he looked each one of us over. For some of the ladies, this was a reunion with their mentor. For others, like myself, this was an introduction to the person who would ultimately choose the winner in the end. In some ways, MVW can come across like a sorority with everyone vying to join the legacy of legendary models. We were the pledges who had survived the equivalent of Rush Week known as the MVW auditions and were now joined as Sisters.

I won't lie. I was as anxious as anyone else for the initial meeting. Some of us are friends with previous contestants and had heard the tales of tears and meltdowns that occurred during the first MVW meeting. I didn't know what to expect. Maybe Mr. Mills would like me. Maybe he would take one look at me and shake his head in disappointment. As I surveyed how expertly dressed the other women were, I expected the latter. However, to my surprise and delight, he took notice of me on the first day.

Let me clarify one thing right now in case anyone has any misconceptions: I do not personally know Frolic Mills. If anything, I've been warned many times to be cautious in his presence. Rumors of his callous nature were greatly exaggerated as I would come to find out though. He wasn't really that intimidating; he was kind of a pussy cat. Whether he had mellowed over the years, I couldn't tell you because as I said, this was the first time we had any kind of direct interaction. Thankfully, I had made a positive impression.

He called up a few other ladies who caught his attention and told everyone not to mistake this as meaning one of us was the winner already. We all had a chance to excel or fail based on our styling and actions. This was never more clear than the next day when I received a constructive critique for my pose choices. I was humbled and grateful, albeit a bit disappointed in myself for not garnering the same kudos I received the day before. This is what it means to be in MVW. One day you're in front of the pack; the next day you return to the back. To win, there can be no room for small errors. This is the Olympics of SL modeling.

My first styling is a retro casual ensemble I concocted while creating looks for the first scored challenge that will take place during BOSL Fashion Week. Thanks to a sale at coldLogic, I was able to score a great dress that allowed me to channel my rockabilly side.

My second styling was a mini test given to us for the second meeting with the theme "fall chic casual." We were told to think of what women in New York would wear while shopping 5th Avenue. I considered another skirt ensemble but went for a risk to stand out. Even though it didn't pay off well, I still enjoyed what I did.