spotlight: varsity model

Model Charlette Williams is a twenty-two-year-old Queens girl and learning the importance of balancing life and art in the city. Between modeling, part-time jobs, and a major in Media Studies, the beautiful life is a little messy. When she's not on commercial spreads and local fashion shows, Charlette is featured in the likes of fashion blog Refinery29 and Seventeen magazine. Right now, she is taking time off from Hunter College to work on her career and move into her East Village apartment, but she plans on resuming classes in the fall. After all, she says, "You are what you think!"



good.
I think modeling is art. It's almost like acting. When you're shooting you become that character and the photographer has to capture a moment. It's absolutely beautiful; it is art!
[Modeling] is a great networking source. You meet a lot of very, very important people! Since I started, I got invited to these elite parties around New York City and overseas. I remember meeting a few celebrities here and there. A lot of the top-dollar jobs models book are due to their relationships. You are always being watched; it goes deeper than just taking pictures.

bad.
If you're not strong-minded, I suggest you not do it. Girls come into this industry weak-minded and get easily influenced. Only about 2 percent of the girls make it to the top and make it their full-time career. Only do it if it's your greatest passion. If not, you will probably lose your soul! (Haha)

ugly.
Personally, I think the modeling industry is a mess. I'm sick of seeing 14-year-old girls lost in a big city and getting taken advantage of by older men. It's disgusting! There should be some standards against this!

true story.
At a young age, I knew I was to be a model; my mother told me almost every night. So it became second nature for me. Like I said, only do it if you truly enjoy it [and] always have a back-up plan!

drink the young wine

last weekend, my old college roommate invited me to lost&found, an afternoon of "love, life and community" hosted by 88 featuring live art and music from the dc area.

i was most impressed with painter jeremy arn...

the outdoor/indoor party also featured 4traits, a team of artists that collaboratively draw your portrait in four 5-minute sessions. i started off chatting on one end of the "assembly line" with yen, a graphic designer; four dings and twenty minutes later, i was talking mastiffs with brad, a professional dogwalker, while he put the finishing touches on my face. while the concept was more a play on surrealist drawing games than highly innovative, there was something refreshing about sitting for a 4trait - sort of "exquisite corpse" meets speed dating.