NOELLE (Our Winner!) 10.17.08

Q. How does it feel? To have walked the runway?
NL: This has been one of the best experiences of my life. I absolutely loved walking the runway. It was so much fun. I want to do it again and again....

Q. How has this experience changed you?
NL: I've learned so much in this experience. Many doors are opening for me and I am so grateful.

Q. What is next for you?
NL: MEXICO BABY!!!!

Q. Reflecting your experience from cast call to runway, what is your favorite memory?
NL: I have 2. First, my favorite memory was the Chicago Magazine photoshoot. I felt like a professional model and it was great to see what all goes into it. Everyone was so wonderful and it was incredible working with such brilliant people. I enjoyed being with all girls at the shoot as well. Of course, my second favorite memory was when Mario, said, " and the winner is... I was completely shocked! I had no idea they were going to call my name. I am just so grateful for this whole experience and I am a very lucky girl.

STEPHANIE 10.17.08

Q. How does it feel? To have walked the runway?
SR: Walking in the show was so exciting, but it went by so quickly. We must have spent four hours backstage, but the time seemed to fly in the chaos of getting our hair, makeup done, rehearsing, etc. My memory of actually walking the runway is a blur. I'm sure there was music playing, and I'm pretty sure that I stopped at the end of the runway, but all I really remember was turning the corner to the backstage and thanking God that I didn't trip!

Q. How has this experience changed you?
SR: This experience has taught me not to be so reluctant to take chances. I never before thought that I could walk a show, or do a photo shoot, or do the kinds of exercises that I was eventually able to do (after the sessions with Maurice, my personal trainer at Equinox). More importantly, I never would have done those things if I hadn't tried.

Q. What is next for you?
SR: I am still in school, and after that, who knows? I hope to have a career in which I will best utilize that skills that I have and contribute positively to something.
As far as fashion goes, if I were given the opportunity to walk the show again, I certainly would not hesitate to take it! Fashion is an art form, and I was proud to help showcase the talent of Chicago designers. I would be honored to do it again.

Q. Reflecting your experience from cast call to runway, what is your favorite memory?
SR: My favorite memory was making the journey with Josalyn, Kelly, Noelle, and Ursula. This experience would not have been nearly as fun without them. What is not immediately apparent from their beautiful photos is that these girls have so much inner beauty and intelligence. There was a strong sense of solidarity between us, and we supported one another. That was something that I didn't necessarily expect, and made the experience so rewarding.

KELLY 10.17.08

Q. How does it feel? To have walked the runway?
KK: Participating in Fashion Focus Chicago was a blast and I am really looking forward to future shows. The stage-thrill is very much like that of dance with everyone enthusiastically buzzing pre-show, a settling calm just before the start, and a shared rush of achievement with the team afterwards. I'm proud to have been involved with the city's growing fashion prominence.

Q. How has this experience changed you?
KK: I have certainly developed a strong proclivity towards heels in the past two months.

Q. What is next for you?
KK: "I'm going to Disney World!" Really though, I plan to continue researching and balancing that nerdiness through my fashion involvement as a model.

Q. Reflecting your experience from casting call to runway, what is your favorite memory?
KK: My favorite memories are simply from hanging out with the other girls each week. We're all so different but our personalities really mesh well and I'm happy to have shared the experiences of this event with them.

JOSALYN 10.17.08

Q. How does it feel? To have walked the runway?
JM: It feels great! I would have never guessed that I had so much confident and grace like the rest of the girls on the runway.

Q. How has this experience changed you?
JM: I have to say with all the glam and glitter of this experience I felt right at home. I loved the spotlight and support from everyone around me.

Q. What is next for you?
JM: Right now, finishing up school but if an opportunity approaches with modeling, I'd have to take it and use the opportunity to the fullest.

Q. Reflecting your experience from cast call to runway, what is your favorite memory?
JM: My favorite memory would have to be the runway show. I couldn't believe that it took so many people to make a great show. I would do a runway show everyday if I could, that's how great of an experience it was.

URSULA 09.12.08

Q: How comfortable have you become with your image and camera presence?
UD: At first I was pretty nervous while filming, I've never done anything like it before! But everyone was really nice and i ended up laughing a lot and having a good time, so the jitters went away and i became pretty comfortable. I didnt get to see anything they filmed! I'll probably be embarassed when i see the commercial air, but I really enjoyed the experience.

Q: What is your favorite experience so far?
UD: Filming the commercial! It took a long time, I started to get blisters from my heels! But it was so much fun. I think we all felt pretty special. It was the first time i actually felt like a model.

Q: Do you feel a sense of “celebrity” status? How does it feel?
UD: During the commercial i did! People were looking up at us in the salon wondering whats going on, watching us shoot. Afterwards we went into the mall and began filming on the escalators and people were watching us and making comments. Later we went outside to film on Michigan Avenue, and a lot of people would gather and watch us runway walking down the street. Some people from the stores would take little breaks and watch us. I think a tourist took a picture of me actually! It was really funny because we're just starting out, and I was like "I really hope she didnt just take a picture of me- Im nobody!" haha. But it only made the experience even more fun, and it got us really pumped. That was the only time other than when they announced my name as a finalist, and all these camera bulbs were flashing and I spoke with people from Ford and the Tribune, that I felt I had any "celeb status".

KELLY 09.12.08

Q: How comfortable have you become with your image and camera presence?
KK: Working in front of the camera was surprisingly cool, in part thanks to the CBS team, I'm sure. Their job is super creative, which really shows through in their fun personalities, lightening the set's atmosphere. While filming, you repeat lines multiple times during each scene, which could seem monotonous. But really, everyone involved is just trying to get a variety of the best qualty clips to work with for composing the final video. The team coached us on inflection, suggested different angles, and even varied the location for B-roll footage. With all of their creativity and each of our personalities showing behind the lens, I'm sure the set of commercials will rock.

Q: What is your favorite experience so far?
KK: Clichéd as it sounds, I've most enjoyed meeting everyone in the past month, especially the other girls. It's fun to see them each week, hear about everyone's progress, and just generally have other people with which to share this experience. From the outside, we all seem so different: blonde, brunette, tan, ultra pale in my case, haha... but our personalities mesh so well. Everyone sponsoring this event had better watch out, because we might insist on all of us being flown to Mexico together, haha!

Q: Do you feel a sense of "celebrity" status? How does it feel?
KK: While filming on Michigan Avenue, the five of use certainly towered over the street crowd. 5' 10" plus 3" heels equals pretty huge, haha. And all I could think was, "Well, it's certainly nice to finally have a reason to be so tall and stick out" haha! Seriously though, it's pretty great to be treated so nicely at the salon and gym. But really, each is very well run and caring, as reflected by their employees' interaction with clients. So I'm sure I'd be treated just as well if they didn't know I was an M4 finalist.

STEPHANIE 09.12.08

Q: How comfortable have you become with your image and camera presence?
SR: Well, I think there is a difference between being behind the camera and seeing the resulting product. While being photographed/video-recorded, you cannot see yourself, and because of this, I feel rather comfortable about expressing myself creatively.

However, actually seeing an image/video of myself is still a bit disconcerting and I have to fight the temptation to self-consciously nitpick over perceived flaws. I think that this is a normal reaction for someone not accustomed to photo and commercial shoots. Being in front of the camera is very enjoyable, though, and I believe that I am becoming more comfortable with more experience.

Q: What is your favorite experience so far?
SR: My favorite ongoing experience has been the weekly runway instruction at Ford. It has been such a unique and special opportunity to work with the people at Ford, to meet their new models, and to learn from some amazing professional models. It is unlike anything that I have ever done before. Heading to Ford each week, heels in tow, is one of the best parts of my week!

My favorite singular experience so far has definitely been the taping of the commercial. Everyone that helped make the commercial was affable and easy-going, from the video crew to the lovely people that work at Mario Tricoci downtown, including Mr. Tricoci himself. They created a very comfortable work environment, and as a result, we had a wonderful time, even though we messed up our lines from time to time. The weather was perfect, so the crew took us outside and took some shots along the gorgeous Magnificent Mile. Not only was it enjoyable, it also was very interesting to see all of the work behind-the-scenes that go into creating a commercial.

Q: Do you feel a sense of "celebrity" status? How does it feel?
SR: No, not at all. I'm still in disbelief about being a finalist in the first place, and this feeling is reinforced by the normalcy of day-to-day life. However, I do feel a sense of responsibility as a finalist in this contest and as a representative of Mario Tricoci; therefore, I am intent on living up to that responsibility. While I enjoy my training immensely, I also take it seriously in preparation for the shoot and the show for Chicago Fashion Focus. I suddenly have this new set of concerns as a model in training on top of my usual concerns. In other words, while I do not feel a sense of "celebrity" status, I definitely have this strange new identity as a sort of student-cum-model.