The Road to New York Couture Fashion Week

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150321847241079

If you have Facebook, I think you can access the video above that I helped conceive for designer Pilar Macchione as she was invited to show her line at New York Couture Fashion Week for Fall 2011. You've seen my fashion blogs on here with me wearing her designs. I barely met her the first time modeling for her last December - a year ago and I can't believe how things took off for this talented young lady!

She asked for my help a bit knowing I was a professional model but she was a struggling up-and-coming designer and couldn't pay. I decided to waive some paychecks and model for her throughout the spring because I believed in her talent so much. Next thing we knew she was invited to show in New York Couture Fashion Week and needed to raise some serious mula to get there. In lieu of donating money that I don't have to her campaign I just modeled for free, helped with directing a publicity video (think of me as her on-screen coach) and helped out on some fashion show fund-raisers. I wore one particular dress so much the last few months that she actually started calling it the "Elsa Dress".

Many people (models, photographers, stylists and more) donated their time and money to help Pilar get to New York. It was stressful and we weren't sure if it was going to happen at times but it was a wonderful community effort to get a local gal from Solana Beach to New York. Here are some pictures of modeling on some the news and fundraiser shows on the Road to New York Couture Fashion Week. Click on slideshow below:

On the Road to New York Couture Fashion Week

Community Uptown Magazine shoot

I got a call a couple weeks ago from my dear model friend, Feben. She told me her friend's magazine lost a model and needed a Middle Eastern/East Indian model for a cover shoot of her Community Magazine. It was the middle of the week but I was free for a couple hours in the evening - so why not? I've done work before as an East Indian model and Feben, herself, is Ethiopian, so I figured we could pass.

We shot at Bombay Restaurant in Hillcrest - in their stunning Sapphire Room - the big private party room in the back. I loved it - the details and ornamentation were amazing and authentic!

And don't get me started on our authentic saris and jewelry from India! They brought out 10 decked-out saris in different colors and I wanted to try them all on but only tried on 2 before colors were chosen.

Frank Bongiorno was the photographer. Makeup and Hair by the highly esteemed Flora Wade. In the shoot we also had Gloria - a latina dancer and Valentina - a Russian bellydancer from LA who even brought her snake and did some shots with her eating fire, etc.

What a fun shoot! The Community Magazine puts out those free Uptown and Downtown and coastal coupons which, when I had roommates, we used to fight over (not really) since some of those 2-for-1s were highly desirrable! The magazine came out last week and since then I've been getting texts and emails from people all over San Diego asking if that is me that came in the mail. The first to recognize me was one of my nephews in the Kensington area who asked my sister, "Mom - isn't that Aunty Elsa?" To which she replied, "No, I don't think so." HELLOOOO!!! I realize I can clean up well and look different, but I work all the time, so by now my family should know that they only hear and see 1/5th of what I do so if they come across something looking like me - it probable IS!

This shoot was extra special due to my being enamored of the Bollywood culture - I have longed to go to India since I was a teen. It's on our Top 3 list - along with Cuba and Argentina. Plus, I really enjoyed myself shooting once again with my beautiful model-sister and meeting new people.

It was easy money in addition to a gift certificate to the restaurant which my husband and I promptly engorged on the following week after Bikram yoga class.

Not too shabby - - enjoy!

Fashion Plates runway show

In late winter I walked the Fashion Plates runway show benefiting students who take home a backpack of food every weekend from The Food Bank in order to feed them until they get to school where they are fed breakfast and lunch by the State. Oh, yes - - there are starving kids in San Diego. Most of my teens qualify for the free lunches at my district but it was different to see the Caucasian-only contingent participate in the show and program that day. That said, good for the Food Bank!

I unfortunately deleted accidentally the professional photos from the show (drat! drat drat!) but luckily dear mom Teresa to young model Blayke had snapped away and we can see most of the show and enjoy the amazing backdrop set like a 50s diner.

I loved our opening Bettie Page looks - - you know Elsa loves period looks with her curvy hips!

Click on slideshow below!

Fashion Plates Runway Show

Designer Sharon Plache segment

Here is a snippet from the show. I must point out that we did not have our normal rehearsal time allotted (since we weren't being paid, it was a lot to expect of us to be there for 8 hours for free so we only went in for 4) to choreograph the shows we normally do. Plus our spacing was different being a staircase and ballroom instead of a normal catwalk - so what you see here are me and the other models 'winging it' as far as spacing and not walking on top of each other.

Hehehe. Watch me on the bottom of the stairs, all those turns I am doing is me checking out the models to my right, to my left and even to see if there was anyone behind me on the staircase. With the slow jazzy Xmas music playing, too, it made for a whole lot of traffic jams. :)

That said, I enjoyed immensely the designs by Sharon Plache - -

San Diego 10 Best-Dressed Awards - Runway

This show was set up a month ago but with the sad news of an unexpected passing of the only son of 2 of the socialites winning an award it was canceled and then rescheduled and put on a smaller scale last week at the Westgate Hotel in San Diego.

It was decided in accordance with the smaller scale festivities and somber news of the death that the models would donate their paychecks to the charities benefiting.

"Interesting side note: This was also the show that last year (see blog) at the Spreckles Theater I fell off the stage into the orchestra pit - thus injuring myself that a good 3 months of recuperating needed.

I modeled with some younger models (outside of Nadia and Feben in their early 30s, all the rest were 16-19) and was clearly the mother of the show since our normal group of runway girls understandably couldn't make the trip from LA for no paycheck.

The designers for the most part were new for me to model for and wonderfully talented with plans to show their lines in NYC next year. And yes, Leonard, our producer, did put the boys in gold lamet hot pants with fur coats - BAM!

click on slide show below - -

San Diego's 10 Best Dressed runway

San Diego Blood Bank Runway Show

Did I get your attention??? This was a very colorful Under-The-Sea-themed runway show for a big charity party benefitting the San Diego Blood Bank back in June at a mansion in Torrey Pines. All photos courtesy of Gates Photography - gracias!

Feel free to click on the slideshow below for more -

SD Bloodbank Runway show

Runway for a Black Friday

I have not once in my life participated in "Black Friday" - the busiest shopping day (the day after Thanksgiving) of the year. It took being paid and having a job to do it this year - hehehhe.

Gretchen Productions who have hired me to do a number of shows and Bridal shows throughout the past several years booked me and a few fellow models from my agency to help out with their Horton Plaza Mall show featuring clothes from various stores there.

Always an interesting time, I received some pictures from one of the mothers. Another treat - my husband surprised me showing up as well - - and shooting me in black and white film. That said - it will be ages for him to work on and get me my pics so I am putting up these ones from Akiko's mama. Thank you!

Click on slideshow below!

Black Friday Show 2009

BUSTED!!!!!

 Let me preface this by saying I have pretty much my entire life been known to be a goody-goody. And so here I am minding my own business - - eeking out for years a career in the Performing Arts: acting, singing, dancing and modeling - - when all of the sudden today I find out I am - - - BUSTED!!!

Okay, San Diego - - evidently I owe you all a HUGE apology.

In my being booked on a certain job for several hours, I evidently have swindled San Diego tax payers out of several hundred dollars.

And people are MAD about it.

Not only mad, but an article was published with proof of the accompanying photo shoot all the while lambasting my good name in BOLD LETTERS!
I feel badly but is it awful that a teeny weeny part of me also think it's hilarious?? I mean, is this going on my record? When you google me you can find the article. Will this affect future employment???

I AM SORRY, San Diego - so sorry!!!! But pick on girls doing horrible things in our community and truly draining our tax dollars - - don't get mad at me who beat out a hundred or so other models at a legitimate audition to book the job fair-and-squarely. How was I to know it wasn't on the up-and-up between those in charge and paying me (my check came through okay by the way).


I will be writing a retraction to the article soon. Not all the facts presented are correct. (I guarantee you the photographer made more than me - - as he should!) And I think it vastly unfair that mine was the only name mentioned - not the photographer, not the makeup artist, nor my agency. HAHAHAHA - just yours truly. So much for seeing 'my name in lights'. Stay tuned - - either they print up my two cents about it or the next pictures on this blog will be of me in the pokey!!

To 'scoop the poop' click below- -
http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2009/11/11/economics/837airport092909.txt

I wish I could say it's a 'Gag Reel'..

...but it's not. HAHAHHAHA

I am very self-deprecating - gives me some of my charm and sense of humour.. so I thought I'd post this.

I just found a video of myself on youtube that my San Diego modeling agency posted recently of me. I am not thrilled about it. It was for a specific convention client coming into town - and they requested the spokesmodels they liked to be put on film. That said, my agency decided to post it just as a general tape of me for other prospective spokesmodeling clients.

I don't agree with their using this tape as a general audition tape. I obviously had to tone down my spontaneity that I am known for in my commercial acting and modeling for this specific conservative client. Ahhh, well - - - -

Watch the better video of Terrence, my actor friend who really got to "sell" himself in his acting, personality, even doing a runway walk at the end - - much more entertaining! (And why the heck did HE get music in HIS background??)

Macys Runway - part 2

So what the heck are these short videos of runway? They would be the Macys Spring INC Trunk Show back on my 36th bday in May 2008. I barely got them off the camera a couple months ago and am barely getting them on utube. I find them fun as they are not high-fashion but a good lesson in down-to-earth runway walking - meaning playing to the crowd, having a good time, and being able to have personality - Tyra Banks and Americas Next Top Model fans take note: as she got more established she was able to get away with standing out and having personality instead of 'straight modeling'. In San Diego with most of the runway shows we do here they actually like a lot of personality - which is, incidentally, the biggest reason I get work in shows down here - super tall and super skinny and super young: I am NOT, but personality and being able to 'sell the clothes' - I can do...
Click on slideshow below!

Macys Spring Trunk Show

San Diego Union Tribune Fashion Editorial

Watch behind-the-scenes video below!http://www.video.signonsandiego.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=2294161&item_index=1&all=1&sort=NULL

My Aunt Peggy called my parents early this morning to tell them, "Elsa fell out of our paper today"...

Indeed, I am proud to know that our local paper the San Diego Union Tribune lasted long enough to be able to publish the gorgeous Fashion pull-out in today's Sunday paper. Hired along with fellow San Diego Model Management model, the pixie-ish Natalie, we were informed that significant importance was being placed on our pull-out as the paper is going under and they are trying to see if a glossy (not messy ink print) fashion section could help revive it. No pressure, hehehe. :P




With a significant budget allowed on this project we had, not 1, but two UT photographers K.C. Alfred and Chrissy Pascual shooting sometimes simultaneously on the project. Also present was our hair and makeup stylist Emily Holiday from Salon Bordeaux, writer Nina Garin, her editor Michele and various production assistants.

Shot just over a month ago on a sweltering day at the popular boutique Ivy Hotel downtown - we shot in various locations including the rooftop pool bar, the restaurant and the downstairs disco club.

Clothes were all pulled from Bloomingdale's and included Prada, Mahnolo Blanik shoes (my first time modeling those, gay snap to that!) and more. The point was to showcase fashion that can be purchased locally and worn here in beautiful San Diego.

I always appreciate any work and was especially pleased to do an editorial spread as San Diego is a 'print modeling' town more than anything. I either mostly do that or runway.


Many thanks to Nina Garin, from the UT, for her hard work, and for hiring me (and this was before the shoot where we discovered we graduated only a year apart with similar friends back at Bonita Vista High School - go Barons!) and also thanks to my agent Linda Comer - for almost 10 years of managing me here in San Diego - bravi, ladies, bravissimi..

++ The top link is a 3 minute video from the UT online page - where they mentioned Natalie by name but NOT yours truly - poor elsamart hehehe. Hopefully I will be able to scan the actual pictures and publish them here on the blog eventually - I need to find a professional scanning place with a large scanning bed as regular ones won't fit our massive cover and ensuing fashion pictorial...

TIffany's Jewelry Gig

 

This was from the summer, but I am barely getting it posted. That said, I am tickled that in my ever-evolving part-time career in modeling I added a couple fine jewelry clients to my roster.

 

This may mean nothing to you - and it shouldn't really as people are starving and dying in the world - but as amusement I post it because if you know me you know I have no use for expensive things and also I do not have exceptionally beautiful hands to model fine rings. In fact, I have the hands of a child - they are that small - in fact about the size of a 10 year old - not a woman of 36! I also can't afford to get my nails done, and I keep them short anyway for playing the piano. So like I said, I do not have exceptionally beautiful hands or an especially elongated neck to model necklaces. I do have great ears, small and delicate, with good lobes, for earrings, I am told heheheh. Phew!

 

Enough self-deprecation! I must have had something that inspired them to hire me, right? he he he. This particular job was for Tiffany's in Fashion Valley. My gorgeous young accompanying model was Aviva. I must admit that high-end jewelry is the biggest waste of money in the world to me. I do not say it to offend friends and readers who value such things, but I just couldn't spend so much money on baubles when I can help someone through a charity or autistic research.

We had 3 jewelry changes each and I felt nervous wearing things of such monetary value. We also had to have a security guard stand with us the whole time and follow us if we walked around to show the pieces. My last change was a million dollars in total of jewels - that is a whole lotta pesos and pretty insane to comprehend when you have been poor your whole life. I played the part, though - smiling graciously, posing for the pictures and letting admirers and potential rich Mexican clientle touch and ask questions about each piece.

Truly....it's another world that I could never live in. And to be honest, some of it looks no different to my untrained eye than 'fake' jewelry that I buy for less than 50 bucks at some Hillcrest boutique....sigh.

Click on slideshow below for more pics :)

Tiffany's Gig

Day 2 - Death Valley - Photo Shoot

 

Alas, after a superb evening under the stars in our own world, Patrick woke up around 6am to set out once again to take early morning pictures of the racing rocks. The lighting is pristine at sunrise. I, unfortunately, was so tired that I did not join him - I hadn't slept well in the back of P's Honda Element - - I had nightmares all night about crazy inbred people or aliens lurking outside of our car while we were in the middle of nowhere.

An hour later he returned as I was blinking in the sunlight shocked to see that 4 more cars had joined us in the last hour - also full of photographers trying to catch the pinkish morning light. We chatted with an east Indian man who was traveling alone and said he had set off at 4am from the closest campsite within the park to get to the Racetrack Playa on time to get good light for his pictures. Boy, were we glad that we came out the night before and spent the entire night there with the place to ourselves!

 

We fired up our camping stove and made some eggs and hashbrowns, got dressed and did a little impromptu photoshoot (YES, DIANA, those are high heels I have on in the middle of the desert of Death Valley hehehhe). It was extremely bright (in fact, the lighting was too harsh and made my eyes water) but we were intrigued taking some shots in the vast expanse of the cracked Playa terrain and the large Grandstand rock formations as background. As the saying goes, "All the world is a stage!"

 

Click on slideshow below!

Death Valley - Racetrack Playa

"Donna Marsh" Grand Opening

This short runway model with Mexican hips blissfully still finds herself working in her mid 30s at some of San Diego's top fashion events. One of my latest was the Grand Opening of the Donna Marsh store in La Jolla on January 22.


More than 150 'must have' designers are featured in the store including: Badgley Mischka, Trina Turk, Tag Jeans, Marc Bower Glamit, Marissa Bartelli, and a mind boggling spread of unique jewelry, purses and more.
  It rained but it did not damper anyone's spirits. They actually closed the street of Fay Avenue for 1 block and set up a large white tent a la Fashion Week. With great lighting, a great runway, great food and cocktails - a party of 200 invitees was ready to start!
  Already culling a lot of fashionista buzz with her store in Palm Desert, this evening sealed the deal marking Donna Marsh as the 'go to' place to shop for San Diego's well dressed (especially since Saks Fifth Avenue closed in La Jolla).


  I loved the set-up for the evening and was pleased to 'walk' with some fellow model gal friends from my agency. I still do not know how it is that I work, and if you saw me in college at a size 12, with unplucked eyebrows you'd understand more. But I have learned how to walk well and how to present clothes and my biggest compliments at the end of the show was from Donna, herself, who said that I was her husband's favorite model since I danced and had the most fun up there.

  Good times, great store - not that I could afford to shop in it... :P

It Ain't EVER gonna happen..

 

... Mark my words, folks: E will never...ever....get....m -m -ma-mar.... married in a real wedding dress....heh heh heh!

**But I suppose I don't mind modeling them.... one must put food on the table after all....

Hot Mamacitas walk the Runway for Mama's Kitchen

 I have one thing to say: "Chanel! Chanel! Chanel!" whew! This Fall I did a show benefiting the organization Mama's Kitchen (which delivers meals to those affected by AIDS). Staged by the superb fashion guru, Leonard Simpson it was held on a hot, but gorgeous day on the rooftop of the Westgate Hotel in downtown San Diego.  As usual, Leonard got us top of the line designer clothes to wear, as well as great accessories, hats, giant poodles and another breed of dog I can't even pronounce. There was even a trio of ballet dancers from California ballet company. Lots of fun and fabulous - it's hard not to feel great in his shows and benefiting yet another local cause. "Work it out!"

Mama's Kitchen Charity Runway show

Click above on photo album for more photos AND click on link below for a short video clip of the show - - go to "what's Hot playlist", scroll down and click on "Mama's Kitchen" and then click on 'Glimpse of the Fashions' Icon. Can you guess which one is me in black? Hint: the hips, ya'll dem Messican child-bearing hips are a giveaway...
http://www.letsplaydowntown.com/LPD_front_page/Navigation/Link_Nav_San_Diego_frameset.html