1: Watch others
This means that you should be glued to your TV when a runway show makes the news. If you are lucky enough to have the Style Network, watch a few different types of shows to see how the models work the clothes that they are wearing. Each show has its own feel. Some are more commercial and happy-smiley. Some shows are couture and require a very sophisticated clean walk. Learn the different types, both how they are alike and what subtle things make them different. Knowing how others walk will help you find your rhythm and style.

2: Walk in a straight line
Contrary to popular belief, models do not cross their feet over one another when walking. That is the quickest way to fall! Instead, put a long piece of masking tape in a straight line on the floor down a hallway. Practice walking on it like you would on a balance beam, with one foot in front of the other. Put a full-length mirror at the end so you can see what you look like to the audience. Once you have that down, then try not looking at the tape when you walk. Eventually when your feet hit their place without you watching, pull up the tape and hit that catwalk.

3: Work on your posture
People, especially women, nowadays have the worst posture that I have ever seen. It is almost like they do not want to be seen. If you are one of these people, you are in the wrong business. A model’s job is to be looked at so get used to it. When you are walking, standing, and anything else you find yourself doing in life keep your shoulders back. This will make you look so much more confident and even taller. Hold your head up while walking. Do not look around or at your feet. Look straight ahead. Pick a spot on the wall in front of you and stare it down. You can have expression, but there is no need to be looking all around. It looks as if you do not know where to go. You can learn to be graceful by watching old movies. The women, like Audrey Hepburn, are so feminine yet powerful that it is no wonder why they are icons.

4: Walk to different music
When you get nervous you speed up. It is as simple as that. Then if you throw some heart pumping music into the mix and add a pair of backless five inch stilettos and a fitted evening gown with a train, you are begging for an ambulance to show up. When you practice, put on fast techno or dance music. Learn to keep a steady beat in your head and not try to walk to the beat of the music. Then switch the music and put on some slow romantic classical music. Slower music is usually used in more formal scenes. You can usually walk slower to this music and take your time turning. Try to keep your speed constant as you go down the runway. Take a deep breath if you start to get nervous and just stare at that point on the back wall. It’s only a runway, not brain surgery!

5: Work on your stops and holds
I hate it when a model gets to the end and decides to hit 100 different poses there. Unless this is a bad high school show that your friends and grandmother are cheering you on and you are five years old, this is a major runway don’t! Go to the end, stop once, hold it for a count of three, turn and leave. It is really not a hard thing here. Practice a pose that flatters your body the best. Whether it is straight on or having a hand on the hip or a thumb in the pocket something will work for you. Practice it, perfect it, and then do it.

6: Practice with props
Sometimes a designer will want you to take off a jacket, hold a purse or walk a dog down their runway. Practice at home with different situations. When taking off a jacket, slide it off your shoulders. The grab it by the collar and fold it together so that the inside lining does not show to the crowd. You can hold it by your side behind you if the jacket is short or over your shoulder if it is a long coat. If you have a dress with a train, like a bridal gown, practice walking in a circle instead of doing a regular pivot turn. If the train is really long you can throw it around as you turn to make it lay flat when you walk again. Bags and clutches should be held in the same hand as the side that you enter from. Most bags will be held by your side so as not to block the audience’s view of the clothes.

7: Practice with partners
When you have your walk down, start to practice with others. Remember that you will not be the only one making up a show. Try to work with other models on how to pass one another, how to walk together and how to work together to take up time on the runway. Learn how to do a double, how to walk as a chevron, and different ways to walk with the opposite sex. You not only need to be comfortable with yourself, but also with the others that you will be working with.

8: Practice in different shoes
If you find yourself freaking out before a show, don’t worry! I have had models call me from backstage so worked up that they were terrified to go out. First, take a deep breath! It’s only a runway. Take it down to the basics. You are just walking in a straight line down, stopping, turning around, and walking straight back. It is nothing to get upset about. Just remember all that you have practiced and you will be fine. After all, the client would not have booked you if they did not think that you had what it took to do the job. Remember, every Gisele and Tyra had a first show.

9: Relax your nerves
If you find yourself freaking out before a show, don’t worry! I have had models call me from backstage so worked up that they were terrified to go out. First, take a deep breath! It’s only a runway. Take it down to the basics. You are just walking in a straight line down, stopping, turning around, and walking straight back. It is nothing to get upset about. Just remember all that you have practiced and you will be fine. After all, the client would not have booked you if they did not think that you had what it took to do the job. Remember, every Gisele and Tyra had a first show.

10: Develop a unique personality
Work on your walk so that it comes naturally to you. You want to be able to turn it on and off at will. Suit your attitude to the feel of the show. You can have a straight strong face for couture and a big brilliant smile for a more commercial show. Above all else, have fun and enjoy the excitement that makes up an event like this. Runway is great because you can feed off the energy that the crowd and that the music generates. The key is practice makes perfect. If you still need help, contact your agency and find out what model books the most runway. Then find out if you can work with them to perfect your walk.

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