How I got a modelling contract
I used to live with this incredibly strange and wonderful roommate. She was the kind of woman who made pasta by hand and dried it on a broom handle. I loved living with her. She was delightfully eccentric. When I first met her she gave me a tour of the yard and showed me the fish pond. She said, "I started digging a grave for myself, but then decided I fancied a fish pond better." She didn't shave any of her body hair- which I found frightening and impressive.
She had 2 house rules:
1. Don't eat the last of the butter
2. Don't use the last of the milk
I'm lactose intolerant. We got along very well.
One night we were drinking wine and joking around. We were flipping through Facebook photos and she was like, "You should do some modelling! You are very photogenic!" And I was like, "Haha! Ya right." Anyways that night in a somewhat foggy-wine-induced-stroke-of-boldness I emailed every modelling agency in Canada lol. And I got into 3 of them including Mode Models which is a pretty huge agency!
I ended up signing a 5 year contract with one of them which was freaking awesome! I've gotten quite a bit of work here and there and was even photographed by Hans Lichtenberg who shot for Vogue magazine. He rocks. We hung out once in Toronto and went fabric shopping together. We bought black leather to make party dresses.
Life is so funny.
Lucky
I have a theory that I have a guardian angel protecting me. Also, I'm pretty sure I am just really really lucky. Here's why:
On my long and somewhat treacherous journey to fashion industry success I have lived in dangerous neighbourhoods in every major fashion city: Los Angeles, London (England), New York. And obviously, I am still alive.
During my second year of school at The Fashion Institute Of Design And Merchandising in Los Angeles I decided I didn't want to live in residence anymore. So, I was back home for the summer and my Mom and I found this cute little bachelor suit beside a park called McArthur park which has a lake. The google images showed a row boat and it was only 2 subway stops from my school so we were like "Rad!" and we sent the guy a cheque. When I arrived at the house the taxi driver said, "Are you sure you want me to let you out here?!" Which I think says everything about the events that followed haha
I rang the doorbell and this burly man with a belly answered. He let me into his suite on the ground floor. It had very high ceilings and long black velvet curtains hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room-which I found strange. He had creepy paintings and introduced his Vietnamese wife whose name was "Porn". Ok then.
He showed me my apartment which honestly was pretty awesome. I was 19 and structurally it was everything I needed. It had a tiny hallway kitchen and a teeny bathroom and just one room which was the livingroom/bedroom. It had a view of a plethora of ghetto stores-laundromat/donut shop, laundromat/noodle house, Mexican grocery store, pawn shop, many many Mexican dollar stores. In the downtown ghetto people seem to like combining food and laundromat stores- there must be some retail magic there. Who knows. It was South facing which was nice. Oh and the lake/park that I saw on google- it was a crack park. I never saw anyone in a rowboat on it like the google pic showed.
I have no problem living with any ethnicity of people. I have dated people of all races and ages. I am very open minded. Los Angeles is interesting because it is different than London. In London it's not so segregated. In Los Angeles it is VERY segregated. Which is dangerous.
Anyways, I befriended this poet who lived in the attic and he started getting super weird and leaving love letters under my door at night. I bought one of those chain locks and would lean my spoons up against the door at night as some kind of "alarm". I also found a cockroach in my bathtub.
The whole time I was telling my parents "It's great! The house is full of artists!" haha because I really liked living on my own and didn't want to go back to living in the dorms.
One day I was walking home and this van full of men was yelling at me. If you are female and live in LA you get used to this. So I was just ignoring them. But then the van pulled up beside me really quick and all the doors opened and the guys started to get out. I have never run so fast in my life. I should have hid behind someone else's house but I was in fight/flight survival mode. I hid behind my house and crouched down by the porch. My heart was beating so loud. I was terrified. I thought I was going to die that day.
And thats when I threw the towel in and moved to Hancock Park which is just outside Beverly Hills. I lived there while I finished my fashion design degree.
Cockroaches-not so bad. Creepy porn director landlord-not so bad. Almost being abducted in a van by a group of men-VERY BAD!
Haha, so, I am lucky.
I'm not really traditionally religious. But someone/something has an eye out for me. Maybe God just finds my life ridiculously hilarious and keeps me around to amuse him. "Oh look what she's done now! HAHA! Crazy girl! I'll keep her around."
On my long and somewhat treacherous journey to fashion industry success I have lived in dangerous neighbourhoods in every major fashion city: Los Angeles, London (England), New York. And obviously, I am still alive.
During my second year of school at The Fashion Institute Of Design And Merchandising in Los Angeles I decided I didn't want to live in residence anymore. So, I was back home for the summer and my Mom and I found this cute little bachelor suit beside a park called McArthur park which has a lake. The google images showed a row boat and it was only 2 subway stops from my school so we were like "Rad!" and we sent the guy a cheque. When I arrived at the house the taxi driver said, "Are you sure you want me to let you out here?!" Which I think says everything about the events that followed haha
I rang the doorbell and this burly man with a belly answered. He let me into his suite on the ground floor. It had very high ceilings and long black velvet curtains hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room-which I found strange. He had creepy paintings and introduced his Vietnamese wife whose name was "Porn". Ok then.
He showed me my apartment which honestly was pretty awesome. I was 19 and structurally it was everything I needed. It had a tiny hallway kitchen and a teeny bathroom and just one room which was the livingroom/bedroom. It had a view of a plethora of ghetto stores-laundromat/donut shop, laundromat/noodle house, Mexican grocery store, pawn shop, many many Mexican dollar stores. In the downtown ghetto people seem to like combining food and laundromat stores- there must be some retail magic there. Who knows. It was South facing which was nice. Oh and the lake/park that I saw on google- it was a crack park. I never saw anyone in a rowboat on it like the google pic showed.
I have no problem living with any ethnicity of people. I have dated people of all races and ages. I am very open minded. Los Angeles is interesting because it is different than London. In London it's not so segregated. In Los Angeles it is VERY segregated. Which is dangerous.
Anyways, I befriended this poet who lived in the attic and he started getting super weird and leaving love letters under my door at night. I bought one of those chain locks and would lean my spoons up against the door at night as some kind of "alarm". I also found a cockroach in my bathtub.
The whole time I was telling my parents "It's great! The house is full of artists!" haha because I really liked living on my own and didn't want to go back to living in the dorms.
One day I was walking home and this van full of men was yelling at me. If you are female and live in LA you get used to this. So I was just ignoring them. But then the van pulled up beside me really quick and all the doors opened and the guys started to get out. I have never run so fast in my life. I should have hid behind someone else's house but I was in fight/flight survival mode. I hid behind my house and crouched down by the porch. My heart was beating so loud. I was terrified. I thought I was going to die that day.
And thats when I threw the towel in and moved to Hancock Park which is just outside Beverly Hills. I lived there while I finished my fashion design degree.
Cockroaches-not so bad. Creepy porn director landlord-not so bad. Almost being abducted in a van by a group of men-VERY BAD!
Haha, so, I am lucky.
I'm not really traditionally religious. But someone/something has an eye out for me. Maybe God just finds my life ridiculously hilarious and keeps me around to amuse him. "Oh look what she's done now! HAHA! Crazy girl! I'll keep her around."
Back in the gym
early morning
walking home from the gym
sun on eyelids
cardio-enduced-endorphiney-insides
sweaty bangs
pink earphones
cute men in suits smiling at me
dancing around the kitchen
listening to Grimes
munching a lettuce leaf
taking back my happiness
walking home from the gym
sun on eyelids
cardio-enduced-endorphiney-insides
sweaty bangs
pink earphones
cute men in suits smiling at me
dancing around the kitchen
listening to Grimes
munching a lettuce leaf
taking back my happiness
Things that happened in Jamaica:
Things that happened in Jamaica:
Saw my sister get married!!!!
Snorkelled in tropical water(bucket list-check!) AND saw a sting ray!!!
Tanned my stomach for the first time in 5 years haha living in London England followed by arcticCalgary prevented this from ever happening lol
Danced in the sand
Danced on a boat
Danced preeeettymuch everywhere haha
Saw my Aunt twerk on a boat. Yes. I meant to type twerk. It was mystical. You should have been there.
Climbed a waterfall
Let a magician cut my ring out of an orange
Someone kissed me ;)
Tried "jerk chicken" for the fist time
My friend almost let someone's goat escape
Swam soooooo much
Smiled
Best. Vacation. Ever.
Pic of my snorkelling below:D.....I found Nemo!!!
Saw my sister get married!!!!
Snorkelled in tropical water(bucket list-check!) AND saw a sting ray!!!
Tanned my stomach for the first time in 5 years haha living in London England followed by arcticCalgary prevented this from ever happening lol
Danced in the sand
Danced on a boat
Danced preeeettymuch everywhere haha
Saw my Aunt twerk on a boat. Yes. I meant to type twerk. It was mystical. You should have been there.
Climbed a waterfall
Let a magician cut my ring out of an orange
Someone kissed me ;)
Tried "jerk chicken" for the fist time
My friend almost let someone's goat escape
Swam soooooo much
Smiled
Best. Vacation. Ever.
Pic of my snorkelling below:D.....I found Nemo!!!
People hiding behind cats
Just noticed a trend....I like painting people hiding behind cats lol
....LOL CATS? ....Pun? ....uhhhh nevermind haha.....for more people hiding behind cats and various other objects check out my website hahaha www.brandymars.com
....LOL CATS? ....Pun? ....uhhhh nevermind haha.....for more people hiding behind cats and various other objects check out my website hahaha www.brandymars.com
Article in The Journal by Scott Kingsmith
Hey! Keep your eyes out for an article in local paper "The Journal" written by the amazing Scott Kingsmith about my painting!
www.brandymars.com
