From campus to catwalks

Daria Orth, Contributor

It’s true that no one can predict what the future holds. Many university students go into their degrees without a plan. Oftentimes, students will pick a degree that appeals to them and will base a career path around what they continue to learn in their major.

However, this was not the case for Madison McClelland, a previous Mount Royal University (MRU) broadcasting student. McClelland’s life took an exciting turn when the opportunity to model internationally in Turkey presented itself. 

McClelland studied at MRU before being called into the modeling industry full-time. She decided she could always return to school after she built up her portfolio— after discussing it with her parents, she decided that working as an international model in Istanbul for three months was the obvious choice.

“Knowing that whatever direction I decide to go in, involves me going to other parts of the world, that’s what’s most exciting for me about modeling,” McClelland said. 

The model however explained that the industry is very glamourized, and many people are unaware of the amount of hard work that comes with it. Like any other profession, modeling is a full day of draining work commitment.

“It’s exhausting on the days where you are in heels for eight to nine hours straight wearing 100 to 200 outfits,” McClelland said. “Sometimes you don’t even have time to change yourself. You literally just go behind a curtain and people will rip off your clothing, put on a new outfit, and you’re back out again.”

And if the fast-paced environment wasn’t challenging enough already, the constant pressure of being sized up can be a lot to handle all on its own. The process of casting comes down to clients talking about what they like and dislike about a model, and with a language barrier, it can be a nerve-wracking experience when waiting to hear about a callback for a shoot. 

Being a model means being able to stay strong throughout these tedious events that go on throughout the day. With the fashion industry continuously expanding, competition among modeling agencies grows with it. 

However, while working in fashion can be very harsh and sometimes discouraging, McClelland emphasizes that it’s also an incredibly rewarding job to have. Being able to be the face of fashion companies and trying on their clothes is a part of the job that she loves.

“I’ve done stuff for some higher-end Turkish brands and stuff for some more consignment things. But most of the names I’ve never really heard of, so it’s been cool because I feel like I get to experience a different normal than my normal.”

Some struggle with homesickness when they are temporarily living in another country but for McClelland, she is too excited with all of the opportunities that came with the trip to feel separation anxiety from her home. 

For McClelland, meeting new people and making friends along the way also makes it harder for her to feel alone. Especially when she’s working with other girls around her age with the same ambitions. As an extrovert, the model enjoys sharing an apartment with the girls and growing her connections with people who work in fashion.

“I almost feel like I’m having the university dorm experience this way because it’s five of us or more,” she said.

Already off to a great start, McClelland hopes to continue flourishing in a world full of designs and styles. Her goal is to one day work with some of the universal designer brands, and walk the runways in different cities around the world. 

With every day being a different schedule, she has no idea what opportunity will present itself next but she is ready to take on what the industry has to offer her. As a young woman who is new to the modeling world, she is excited to see where these experiences will continue to take her. 

Accepting this journey over her studies in broadcasting was a decision she won’t regret as she makes memories that will last a lifetime. It’s different for everyone, but for McClelland, she could not be happier with where this choice has led her.

“I feel like having such fresh eyes coming into an industry like this is definitely doing me well because I get so excited to do even the most mundane tasks and shoots,” she said. “Every day is definitely a blessing, and I feel very lucky to call something like this my job.”