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lady-assnali · 2 years ago

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Wherever you are tonight

(Part of the baby model au stories written while listening to Lizzie McAlpine because her work really reminds me of them, this is long overdue!)

Gigi shifts her weight in her heels, her body needing something to do other than fidget with the ends of her hair. She’d just get fussed over again for that, and she’s too preoccupied with her own nerves to let someone else’s anxious fussing fill her space. She watches the other faces find their places in line, nodding at each other politely before finding their own version of zen. From her place here she can see the top of Nicky’s blonde hair at the head of the line, poised and polished. She’s bantering playfully with a woman fussing with the hem of her dress, laughing and patting a hand against her perfect hair. Gigi takes mental notes, wishing her friend’s blasé attitude would transfer over to her for a moment.

She’d nearly passed out upon finding out that she’d be closing the show.

“Gigi, Valentino wants you.” The words come from the phone to her ear clear as day, yet she struggles to process their meaning.

“Shut up.” She bolts from her place on the couch, waving a hand at a suddenly very worried Crystal. She floats to the kitchen, an unintelligible mess of noise and flailing limbs. The voice on the other line chuckles at her disbelief, gives the model a moment to process. When they’d sat down before castings, the ginger had been adamant that Valentino was an ultimate goal. She spoke around the topic with hesitance, using words like someday or ultimately with a hopeful yearning.

On the other end of the phone Raven looks out the window of her high-rise office, watching the steady stream of traffic on the beautiful, sunny day. She’s made four phone calls so far today, two of which ended in disappointed tears. She’d been saving this one for last, waiting to call her favorite client (a fact she’d deny up and down while their rapport said otherwise) with her favorite news.

“It gets better.” She uses a sing-song voice, listening to the shuffling on the other line. There’s muffled conversation, an I’m okay-hold on before Gigi makes a noise urging her to continue.

“They want you to close the show.”

“What?!”

“When I got the call they were absolutely adamant, said you left an incredible impression.”

Gigi’s jaw drops, her heart hammering in her chest. She brings her hand to Crystal’s arm, hitting and squeezing as her dropped jaw turns into an illuminated grin.

“Holy shit,” She breathes. She can barely hear the rest of Raven’s words through the parade going on inside of her head. His runways played over in her head, the cutout photo on the dream board she’d made with her friends suddenly a very tangible reality. The phone goes quiet on the other end and she doesn’t even remember if she’d said goodbye, only that Crystal is standing patiently within her death grip.

“I got Valentino.” She lets go of Crystal’s arm only to be grabbed right back, both of her hands on Gigi’s shoulders. Crystal’s staring at her with so much affection that Gigi has to look away, afraid that her heart will slam even further out of her chest than it already feels like it has.

“Oh my god!” Crystal shakes her, slides her hands down her arms to lace their fingers together.

“Crystal, I’m closing Valentino.”

She squeaks as Crystal pulls her into a tight hug, rocking their bodies back and forth.

“That’s incredible.” She says “I knew you could do it.”

When they pull away Crystal’s eyes are shining and she wipes them fervently, laughing at herself. They celebrate with a movie night and takeout, passing a champagne bottle between them. They’re pressed together, Gigi’s legs over Crystal’s and her head on her shoulder. The brunette can practically feel the excitement radiating off of Gigi, who chatters through the movie with a new kind of lightness to her voice. It’s difficult for Crystal to keep her attention anywhere else, so she doesn’t. She stares back at Gigi with rapt attention, nodding her head and taking it all in.

“I’m so proud of you. You’re going to kill it.”

…

“You’re going to kill it!” Crystal’s voice is bubbling through the phone, which Gigi holds closer to her ear. The bustling of the room distracts from it a bit, and she wants nothing more than to slow things down long enough to stay in this moment for a while. Staring at herself in the mirror, she’s astonished once again. She’s been given the green light to let her natural hair down, and it’s been styled in soft waves down her back. Her makeup is a stunning navy blue, but light.

She’s transformed, but still very much the same. It makes this dream feel even more like an honor. The fact that not only was she asked for specifically but she’s able to be herself. There’s no on the fly haircuts, no wigs over her hair (she refuses to let anyone touch her beloved ginger locks). She’s just Gigi, and it’s absolutely incredible.

“I hope so.” Gigi replies, laughing to herself.

“You will kill it. Because you’re Gigi Good-there’s nobody on this earth like you, that’s why you’re there.”

“Get ready, cheri.” Nicky has left her place in line to shuffle up beside her, lacing their fingers together and squeezing. Heart in her throat, Gigi takes a deep breath into the phone.

“I have to go.” She says, holding the phone a bit closer to her ear.

“Okay-you go. Go out there and show them what you’re made of. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you, I miss you.”

“I miss you too.” Crystal’s voice is hushed, her vibrant tone wrapped in sincerity. “You can do this. I love you.”

“Love you too.” She hangs up and stuffs her phone into her bag under her station, looking back to find Nicky’s smug smile as she’s helped off of the floor.

“Alright, let’s get moving lover girl.” She teases, a hand playfully tapping her butt before walking them both to the line of waiting models. Gigi shuffles into her place, a handler immediately smoothing out her hair and giving her one last look.

“See you on the other side.” Nicky winks. She seems to be in no hurry to get to the front, stopping to laugh with another model a few girls up from herself. She makes her way up the line slowly, and Gigi can’t help but watch her with a bit of jealousy. The blonde has been working a bit longer than her, and it shows; she’d been excited to open, but not throw-up nervous like Gigi. She walks into a venue like she’s been there one million times even if it’s her first, makes friends easily but shows everyone that she can’t be won. Her circle is tight-knit and she’s the most furious defender of them all, the natural born leader.

Nicky turns back to her, wiggling her fingers and poking her tongue out between her lips. It makes her giggle, shaking her head and pretending to sternly point her back to the front of the line. Her nerves are eased, more like a dull tingling anxiety than the stiff blanket over her mind. Suddenly, she’s fearless. With Nicky’s laughter and Crystal’s love through the phone, she’s transformed into runway Gigi.

Runway Gigi can do anything.

She listens to the thrum of the music start, a beat low in volume but deep in the soul mixed gently with some bouncy classical song she’s heard before, modern meeting vintage. The lights dim, shifting from industrial to a hue of warmth that’s just barely there. She watches the girls in front of her waiting for their cues, the way they roll their shoulders back, bounce on their feet. She fiddles with her hands, tries to remember not to touch her gown too much. Nicky comes back before Gigi comes out and the ginger watches her stand to the side to watch everyone else come back, frozen in focus. She claps when a few of the girls come back, pats their shoulders or their heads and blows them kisses.

Then, there’s nobody else but her.

She stares at the space ahead, knowing the route is a simple wraparound. The crowd is full of beautiful people in folding chairs, some with notepads while others hold their phones out eagerly. A few of the faces look incredibly bored, and admittedly Gigi can’t blame them. As much as she loves fashion and is fascinated by it all, this week is long and draining. It’s the most important part of the season, but only just a sliver of the work for most of the industry.

Choosing a point on the walls she holds her head high, wiggles a bit to loosen up before taking her first step.

The cameras are a bit much, but she’s becoming used to the feeling now. The bliss of closing a show is having the eyes that are on you begin their applause; they know this is the showcase piece of the collection, that this is the impression they’re meant to leave with when they write their analytical reviews. She finds herself basking in the applause, her steps becoming rhythmic. She’s feeling the bass in her bones, the electric energy through the room.

Then, at the end of the runway, she stops.

She’s supposed to stop-thank goodness she’s supposed to stop, because she would have just made a fool of herself if she’d seen those gorgeous brown curls any sooner. Her eyes light up, and Crystal Methyd grins back at her wildly, waving one hand while holding her phone in the other. She’s mouthing words Gigi can’t translate, but it doesn’t matter. There’s her best friend, sitting in the audience in Paris watching her walk.

She can’t hide the curve of her lips or the blush on her cheeks. Suddenly, she’s electric. Gigi beams, posing, then turns herself back around with an extra spring in her step. She barely has time to make eye contact with Nicky backstage before they all have to do their last lap, Valentino coming out to address the crowd. There’s so much feeling within her soul that it could burst from her chest in spatters of brilliant light covering the whole city. Between the designer by her side, Nicky downstage, and Crystal on her feet in the audience this is without a doubt the most joy she has felt in her entire life.

She has interviews-because of course she does-and she flies through them without remembering exactly what she’s even saying. It’s a lot of the same things; I’m so lucky to be here, I’m so happy, I’ve loved this clothing for a long time. She supposes she’s given enough by the way the reporters smile so kindly back at her, telling her what a delight she’s been.

It’s very nice, but she’s itching to leave.

When she’s finally relinquished from the pleasantries she rips her phone from her bag, listening to it ring while wriggling into a pair of light blue jeans with one hand.

“Bonjour!” Crystal laughs.

“What the hell?!” Gigi shoves the contents of her counter into her backpack, takes a swig of water and pulls on a lavender crop top with skill. She can see Nicky out of the corner of her eyes and she stops what she’s doing long enough to bounce on her toes.

“Crystal’s here!”

“Yeah.”

“Did you see?”

“Nicky helped me get here.” Crystal says through the phone. Gigi stares back at her blonde friend, who shrugs it off.

“I’ll deal with you later.” She promises, hugging Nicky before fast walking toward the exit of the venue. “Crys, where are you?”

“Uh, sitting on some bench by a fountain. I’m pretty close to the venue. There’s a bunch of really really well dressed people staring at me right now, which I think is uncalled for because I really outdid myself today. I’d say I’m better dressed than them.”

Gigi can’t think to respond, not when she sees her best friend perched casually on a bench, one foot up on the seat and the other on the ground. She’s dressed in a big purple coat, which would have been a beacon on its own if not paired with the floral purple and green shirt she’s put underneath it. She’s staring at the fountain beside her, watching the water spurt and disappear in its own little show.

She’s perfect.

Gigi hangs up the phone, sprinting across the cobblestones to throw herself into Crystal’s lap. She laughs at Crystal’s surprised squeak underneath her, and the brunette grabs her so they don’t topple over on the bench.

“What are you doing here?!”

“You just closed for your favorite designer. During fashion week. What do you mean what am I doing here?”

“Crystal, you’re in Paris!”

“Yeah! I had some money saved up, and then when my mom heard you were closing the show she and my dad helped me out a little bit.”

“I can’t believe it.” She holds Crystal by the shoulders, brings her hands to her cheeks and squeezes them together. “Why didn’t you say anything sooner? How long have you been here?”

“Since this morning. Nicky came and got me from the airport, I’m staying with you both just for two days. Then you’re off again and I’m going back home to my cat.”

“Two days?” Her heart soars, letting the feeling sink in. She has the next two days off, and she’d planned on spending them riding the high of the show and going wherever Nicky dragged her off to, maybe spending a day napping and catching up on a Netflix show. Now, it’s not just two days off-it’s two days with Crystal.

“I don’t have anything super important for that gallery show right now, and Daya needed time with Tic Tac after her breakup,”

“-Again?”

“Again. So until she figures her life out she’s more than happy sit around and play with the cutest little kitten in the whole world.”

“And I have you here for two whole days.” Gigi repeats the fact, disbelieving and so, so happy. Crystal smiles back at her with unmatched, silly charm and the ginger is overcome with excitement.

Gigi sighs, shifting closer. She wraps her arm around Crystal’s middle, squeezing her as she buries her face in her curls. “I’m so lucky to have you-I missed you so fucking much.”

UP-AND-COMING MODEL CLOSES VALENTINO SHOW, DAZZLES WITH NOTEWORTHY SMILE

This week has brought thousands to the city of Paris, bustling with tourists and natives alike eager to witness just one of the week’s incredible showings. Fashion week is a sought-out experience in the modeling community, written down as an ultimate goal for some. Most models work year-round for the opportunity to travel to the hosting cities in hopes to earn their moment in the spotlight and an opportunity to jumpstart their careers.

As a writer who has been lucky enough to cover these events yearly, I had road-mapped each time and place with specific notes for each person set to walk, noting the newer faces and the more experienced, looking forward to the art that would be presented. One thing I noted right away was that a rather new face would be closing designer Valentino’s show this year, an unprecedented honor. Gigi Goode, who had been bestowed the high honor, walked her first shows last year as a brand new face within the community, as seen below buddying up with veteran and Paris native Nicolette Doll. Her career continued on an upward trajectory from that week, where Goode had bookings in London and Tokyo, as well as national campaign with Doll and beloved American icons Symone and Jaida Essence Hall. I have been following her career with a certain curiosity since her first walk in Paris, which I was lucky enough to witness. She carried herself like a professional-a natural-and I was captivated along with the rest of the world. Along with the low-buzzing rumors of a possible romance with Nicolette Doll, Gigi Goode has been keeping the world captive with her own love of designing, her mother’s beautiful sewing, and quick updates on New York life.

As it turns out, the world has not seen nearly all of the range of Gigi Goode. After Valentino’s fabulous show, this is my chance to say what we may all be thinking; this woman is not to be forgotten.

I was in the audience when cameras managed to snap the moment Goode came out in the last look of the evening. The room seemed to let out a collective breath as she stepped onto the runway. The gown itself was stunning, a deep royal blue with a deep scooped neckline. Her natural ginger hair was silk against the color, and that was only the beginning of the demonstration of perfectly pairing a model to a piece of clothing. The gown’s tight fit and careful craftsmanship accentuated Goode, and a long slit allowed her to show her signature legs. She walked with poise and absolute grace onto the runway, carrying the hearts of each spectator along with her. At the end she let her eyes momentarily take in the crowd. Just before she was about to turn, Gigi Goode flashed a brilliant, beautiful, unashamed smile. Photos from the moment capture the absolute radiance of it all, and remind us why we come to Paris…the love of the art, the spectacle of the collections, and the beauty of the moment we are able to see a work brought to life. So often we are met with what feels like a blank canvas; stunning, yes, but professionalism often translates to leaving behind the personality needed to truly sell the works. Surely, Valentino is thanking his gut for placing his trust in a face like Gigi Goode. I’m certainly thanking her for bringing joy back to fashion. Personally, I am so excited to see what’s next for this rising star.

#Crygi #the baby model au #I’m currently traveling so if there’s errors just kindly ignore them pls #Thanks loves

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