Blomendahl bursts into fashion

She arrives at the venue greeted by make-up artists and hair dressers as she steps into a designer gown that will be modeled later that evening.

By Marisa McNally

Feature Editor

Immediately fitted into her heels, then heavy powder and thick eye liner are brilliantly painted onto her face while it becomes laced with silvery jewels across her high cheek bones.

She is crowned with a small twinkling tiara extenuated by a long, fluffy orange feather atop her slick, pulled-back blond hair. In between layers of blush and sprits of hair spray, she practices her delicate, swift walk on stage until announced perfect by the choreographers. After six hours of grueling preparation, senior Morgan Blomendahl is set to hit the runway.

Only 17, Blomendahl is pursuing the career of a professional fashion model. After being discovered in a local Bloomingdale’s at 16 by a recruiter for a runway show, Blomendahl officially entered the tightly-knitted world of fashion.

“Fashion is an everyone-knows-everyone business,” Blomendahl said. “Once I was found at Bloomingdale’s, the recruiter for the show knew someone who knew Stacy Sills, who was looking for models.”

Stacy Sills owns a modeling agency where she finds shows and events for her models. Even though Blomendahl is not signed officially with the agency, Blomendahl still considers Sills her manager.

Blomendahl did her first big show last March, opening for French Connection during Fashion Week.

“It was a great representation for me so early on,” Blomendahl said. “It was a big show for my first one. It’s still my favorite because of that initial excitement.”

Settling into the modeling business is not comfortable at first, however. Blomendahl attended a modeling and acting school in hopes of becoming more familiar with the art.

“It was a mistake looking back on it,” Blomendahl said. “My family paid a lot of money for the school and they didn’t really teach me anything. We didn’t even get the photos back that they took of me.”

The school provided limited instruction on runway walking and picture taking but, according to Blomendahl, modeling is not something you can teach; it’s something that comes naturally to you, as it does to her, and experience is the only real instructor.

Blomendahl is limited to the full exposure she knows she can get as a model. Certain limitations apply to models under the age of 18 that restrict them from traveling outside the U.S. and participating in certain shows. However, with her eighteenth birthday coming in August, Blomendahl soon will have those restrictions lifted.

“It would be amazing to walk in a show in Paris,” Blomendahl said.

Though the young model is excited about this promising new career, she still plans on attending college in case modeling does not fulfill her hopes.

“I’m still going to college because modeling is “iffy,” but if it does take off in the right direction, it will be soon,” Blomendahl said.

While awaiting her birthday, she is also searching for an agent to sign with. The agent will secure shows for her and, once 18, will provide traveling experience as well.

She will be fitted for her next show where she aspires to open for NCL Couture in LA Fashion Week March 23. At this event, Blomendahl plans to be introduced to agents and people who will help her climb up the fashion totem pole.

Until then, she is in constant practice at being a model. She must walk and act in real life as she does on the runway to reach her full potential, according to her manager.

As Sill’s said, “Once a model, you’re always a model.”