The Runway Walk-Make it Your Own!

The first thing aspiring male and female models usually say to me is that they want to do Fashion Shows and strut down a catwalk.

When it comes to practicing and developing a solid runway walk, it isn't about imitating exactly on what you see in the professional runway shows. When learning how to do your runway walk, it isn't about copying other people. It is great to refer to videos of fashion shows in order to study the models and the different styles of walks there are. These resources are more for inspiration--not to be copied exactly. You will see many runway models in videos whose walks aren't very good. If you've watched enough of them, you can easily tell which ones have a great strut and which ones are not so good, but good enough to make the cut. Because no two models walk exactly the same, it doesn't make sense to try and copy any of them. Below are some quick reminders as to what should be kept in mind when it comes to developing your own strut: Use Videos for Inspiration Only Watch fashion show videos and experiment with your own walk. This is a great way to figure out which styles of walking you feel comfortable doing and which ones you'd rather not attempt or know you need to practice so you can master them. Your goal when watching these videos isn't just about learning the actual walk but observing them and learning how to command the room with your presence. Take note of their facial expressions, posture, how they pose at the end and top of the runway, how they work with the clothes and incorporate certain aspects of the wardrobe into their walk like dresses with pockets, jackets, capes, scarves, etc. Start off by trying to copy what you've watched but then branch off adding your own style and form your own signature walk. Keep a Handle on Your Creativity Modeling is about going with the flow, being in the moment and adapting. Developing your own style of walking doesn't mean coming up with a way to walk in a fashion show that's never been seen before. Don't blow a kiss and kicking up your heel each time you get to the end of the runway it can be a great idea in the right show but,don't do it! Keep it simple. Subtlety can make a great impact. The more you practice your walk, the more you'll start doing little things that make you feel at your best whenever you're on the runway. Maybe it is adding a touch more sway to your hips (for women) or to shooting a sexy smirk when you pose at the end of the runway. Great models are able to take those subtle movements and incorporate their own brand of body language into their walks that makes them memorable. Practice,Practice, and Practice some more The quickest way to develop your own style of walking is to practice. You should be working on your walk at least a few times a week. For how long? That's up to you. Squeeze it into your schedule as best you can--it's not a hard exercise to accommodate. Even 10-15 minutes a day would be ideal. The more you practice, the more at ease you'll feel about adding things and/or experimenting with the way you walk. Have a full length mirror to practice with. Set it up to be as upright against the wall as possible or mount it to the wall. Work on walking towards it and away from it. Observe yourself from head to toe and tweak things as needed. With practice you'll find yourself walking in a whole new way that will make people remember you.