Willow Glen Resident
Cover Story
Fundraising show transforms volunteers into top models
By Beth Shapiro
"Shoulders back! Chin up! Walk slower!"
The shouts of modeling coaches Linda Lance and Sheila Barrett echo off the walls of St. Francis Episcopal Church in Willow Glen, where a group of smartly dressed models are training for the big day when 1,500 spectators will watch them on stage.
Vicki Hagberg smiles with confidence as she glides down the center aisle, clad in high heels and a chic business suit. She is among the 75 volunteers that a judging panel of fashion industry professionals has picked to participate in the Junior League of San Jose biennial fashion fundraiser at the Fairmont Hotel on Feb. 29.
Although none of those selected are professional models, the fundraising show has become one of San Jose's most prestigious fashion events, and securing a spot on the catwalk is a competitive process open only to League members and their families. This year's show will include models from throughout the South Bay.
Even Hagberg, who was in for last year's show, says she was a little nervous at the tryouts in front of judges from the fashion industry in October.
"You're never sure if you're going to be selected," says the Willow Glen resident. "Just because you made it one year doesn't necessarily mean you're going to make it this year.
"I think they're looking for people who have some confidence they can work with. They're also looking for diversity so we can have a well-rounded group of women up on stage."
Those who beat out the competition face months of long hours, hard work and sometimes harsh criticism during their evolution from ordinary to poised model--a transformation that is so great that when the models step out on stage, their family members sometimes don't recognize them.
This year's models are preparing for "In Vogue", the League's 15th fashion show in the South Bay. Featured designers include Azadeh, Brooks Brothers, Max Mara, Anne Fontaine and Tiffany & Company.
The Junior League of San Jose is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community. The group, which operates out of Kirk-Farrington House in Willow Glen, contributes about 25,000 hours of volunteer service annually and has given almost $4 million to local educational and charitable programs.
The biennial fashion show, along with Junior League's giant rummage sale on alternate years, are the organization's major community fundraisers. The fashion show has raised more than $2 million for community programs over the past 25 years.
It takes 14 months to put together the fashion show, and a major part of the planning is preparing the volunteer models for the big day.
Hagberg and the others spent more than 30 hours practicing how to walk, turn, pose--and even fall with poise--since the start of this year. Fittings and learning choreography are also part of their training schedule.
Their transformation has been in the hands of professional modeling coaches Barrett and Lance. The duo set up training sessions at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Willow Glen. The church, with its stairs and long center aisle, was an ideal spot for the models to perfect their runway walks during their final training session.
The aisle served as a mock catwalk for the volunteers to rehearse walking in high heels to upbeat music.
Professional training is key, says Dawn Bussey, Junior League president. There's a lot to think about on the runway, and the experience can be intimidating for the models. They have to be prepared for anything, including falling down, she adds.
"It's a big deal to be up on stage in front of 1,500 people," Bussey says.
Hagberg agrees.
"It's scary for anybody to walk out into a room full of people that you don't know," Hagberg says. "It's really hard to walk in heels and be confident, to relax your shoulders and smile--it's a lot harder than it looks. It is a bit nerve-wracking, but because you've been trained so well, it's a lot of fun."
Victoria Brouse, a ballroom dance teacher from the Rose Garden area, has been a Junior League member for seven years and is modeling in the show for the third time. Although Brouse's ballroom dancing experience has helped her, she says that learning the choreography is one of the hardest parts of preparing for the show. Models must be very aware of what the others are doing, she says.
Shanon Resop, who lives in Almaden Valley, has been a member of the Junior League for seven years, but this year's show will be her first time modeling.
"I had no idea that it was so complicated," Resop says.
The models are different ages, shapes and sizes, but they all agree on one thing--they love the clothes.
"They're truly custom pieces made to fit their bodies," says Cambrian neighborhood resident Ann-Marie Meacham, co-chairwoman of this year's show.
The models confess that these clothes aren't something they'd normally wear, and they're excited to step out of their comfort zones to display the latest trends in fashion.
"The evening gowns [by Azadeh] are really fashionable and exotic. ...They are really gorgeous clothes," Brouse says.
While the volunteers have a lot of fun sporting the latest fashions, the most important thing they take away from this experience is their sense of giving back to the community.
"My favorite part is getting to represent the Junior League of San Jose because I think that we make a huge impact in our community," Hagberg says. "To represent them in this major fundraiser is so much fun."
"I'm always excited about the bigger picture with the Junior League," says Resop. "We typically raise over $200,000, and most of that goes back into the community."
Proceeds will go to various community projects of the Junior League, including the Bring Me a Book Foundation, Kids in the Kitchen, and Children's Discovery Museum's Wonder Cabinet.
For more information about the Junior League of San Jose or the "In Vogue" fashion fundraiser, go to www.jlsj.org.
