I Dream of Jeanne!!!

February 18th, 2007

Ring! Ring! Ring! My cell phone goes off at what seems like the crack of dawn to me, but it's already 9:30 am. Norwayne is on the other end, screaming at me to get a pen and paper. " Renee, you've got a very important casting with FQ magazine and they need a beauty girl," he goes on to say. Still wiping the sleep out of my eye, I scurry around for my date book and a pen.

"...so your call time is between 11:00 am to 6:00pm. The address is 134 Peter street, top floor. You are going to see Abel and Bob." Jotting it all down I was kind of shocked to be getting the opportunity to even see these people much less actually be a potential for a beauty shoot. Yikes!!! "oh... and one more thing..." he says, "... they said they don't want to see you but I am sending you anyways."

If I could describe to you what was going through my mind at that point, I was hurt, annoyed, and determined all at the same time. He then went on to explain, " They asked for our best beauty models and girls who have travelled and although a black girl wasn't what they had in mind, I thought you were the best suited for it, so just so you know going into this."

I paused for a very long time, he almost thought I had hung up. LOL!! But after I thought about it for a minute, I figured the worst thing that could happen is they say no and kick me out. The best thing that could happen on the contrary, is they could love me and I get a shoot in one of the biggest North American publications out there. So I said, "Ok, I will be there with bells on."

I made my way downtown for 5:30pm. Working up the nerves to do this takes a long time you know? I marched upstairs in my stilettos, with my portfolio in hand and short black dress to boot. I was determined to make it count.

Abel was there to greet me, a little surprised, I suppose as they were not expecting me, but still very pleasant. He walked me into a room where he sat me down, talked to me about my travels and wondered through my my book over and over. He called Bob into the room and he was also very welcoming but surprised. I explained to them that I knew I wasn't asked to come but that I was excited to be a part of this shoot and that if they picked me I would give them FEVA'!!! (fever).

I guess the deciding factor was that of the infamous Jeanne Becker. I almost cry every time I think of they way she embraced my style of beauty and welcomed me openly to this opportunity. I felt like I was on American Idol, when they all said "Yes!"

Shoot Day: Minus degree weather and dressing in a Budget truck in a Greenhouse parking lot. But it was amazing. I was wearing Yojhi, Stella, Gucci, Valentino... ah huh. I was nervous because Jeanne was on set but she encouraged me all the way. I told her I wanted her job when I retire, and she just laughed.

With a hug she said, " Girl that won't be for a long time. You have got plenty left in there.

That meant the world to me.

Thank you to Bob, Abel and Jeanne for a dream shoot come true!