With Fashion Week just around the corner, the otherwise slack-pace city of Berlin is about to be swept with schedule frenzy. For the next four days, a hectic crowd of clock abiding white rabbits will run around the city, a change of high-heels in tow, trying to make it to the next event on time. For the models, the reign of the tight schedule has already begun. I joined Anne Peck, 16 and Anne-Sophie, 17 (Modelwerk) for half a day, only to find out that preparing for castings is tougher than boot camp, and that what I thought was my most comfortable pair of shoes was, in fact, useless.
14:30 Marcel Ostertag, The Hunter store, Prenzlauer Berg
“I usually know right when a girl walks in if I’ll book her or not”, designer Marcel Ostertag tells me. Anne-Sophie walks in a dangerous looking pair of snake skin heels. “Thank you”, he says, smiling kindly to buffer the swift rejection. The whole thing takes less than two minutes. “You can’t let it faze you, otherwise it will affect your energy at the next casting”, Anne-Sophie explains as we run to our next stop.
15:00 Ramirez, IMG offices, Prenzlauer Berg
Apparently, models change shoes an average of 50 times on casting days. “You need to enter the appointment wearing your good pair”, Anne tells me as they take off their comfortable flats while we wait for the elevator. The shoe strategy seems to work; Anne is asked to try something on and disappears for almost an hour. In the meantime, Anne-Sophie pulls out her schedule and map, and with the organizational talent of a military strategist, plans out the rest of our day. I learn that castings have their own logic regarding time efficiency: though some of the addresses are just around the corner, we first have to be somewhere in West Berlin – that is, half an hour ago. Finally, Anne emerges from the changing rooms with a smile. “I got the second outfit from top and the second to the last!”, she tells us as we sprint from the elevator towards the train station.
16:30 Patrick Mohr, ESMOD, Kreuzberg
We finally reach ESMOD, but as soon as we enter we notice something’s wrong. The ESMOD students, initially delighted by the presence of professional models, look disappointed when they realize the girls are here for Patrick Mohr. We’re informed that his casting has been rescheduled for tomorrow. Without blinking, Anne and Anne-Sophie turn around and leave. No time to waste. I, on the other hand, am starting to get grumpy and hungry, and my feet hurt. I realize that part of the reason why models are so young is because they need the stamina of a bull to do this job. We split, and I slowly make my way to the last stop on the girls’ schedule while they squeeze in two more castings.
20:00 Kaviar Gauche, Mitte
Having traveled for an hour to get here, the girls walk for two minutes, only to get rejected again. Without a word of complaint, they change their shoes for the last time today. Amazingly, they still look as fresh as they did at the beginning of the day. I wonder aloud where they get their energy. “Walking the shows, the excitement and the adrenaline rush, that’s what makes days like these worthwhile.” Well, that and getting the jobs. The girls proudly list off their invitations and new schedules are born.
