Written and photographed by Hana Hyman
Bright and early at 8 a.m., models began filing into Eckburg for the last senior fashion critique. Tori Dubray was among them, as Dubray’s first designer was to show her collection at 8:30. Quickly, Dubray dressed for her first look.
The next step was “very clinical,” as Dubray described. “You go stand on a platform and they say, ‘Ok, face the front. Face the back. Face the front. Let’s all walk.’” After the designer communicated her inspiration and concept, a photo was taken of each model in each garment. “It takes not even 10 minutes for the whole thing; for each critique to be over, and then you go back downstairs to wait for your next designer,” explained Dubray.
Dubray ran a gamut of critiques: 8:30, 9:00, 9:30, 10:00, 10:30, and noon, with lunch provided by Bon Apétit in the brief interim.
A slight hiccup occurred when one of Dubray’s designers hadn’t completed her collection and had to spend time pinning each model into her garments. This particular designer had her fabrics laser cut, which caused some delays in her process. “I just wish she had had the time to finish. But, gosh, they make those designers do so much work. Like, it’s absurd. I don’t think I could it,” Dubray said.
On a critique day like this, Dubray and her fellow models are “just a hanger,” she said. “You’re not being judged on your looks or walk. They don’t let us wear makeup so we don’t get makeup on the garments. Really, it doesn’t matter what you look like. You just show up.” However, an issue for Dubray is that she wears glasses and some designers don’t feel that her specs match their style. Since Dubray doesn’t wear contacts, she sometimes has to walk the platform “a little bit blind.”
Over all, it was a calm day. “No one fainted,” laughed Dubray. One might be surprised by how commonplace fainting can be for models during critique. “I fainted last year because it got so hot up there,” she said. She has since learned the signs for being at risk of keeling over. Dubray made a point to say the staff on hand for these critiques tells the models, “make sure you speak up if you’re not feeling well. Your health is really important to us.” Back when Dubray had her fainting incident, the head of the department caught her limp body before Dubray’s head could hit the ground. Luckily, there hasn’t been a repeat this year.
Stay posted for another update on Dubray next Wednesday.
Read this week’s update on fashion senior Taylor Krankowski.
