“OFF-STAGE”

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 452, 8 June 1937, Page 3

“OFF-STAGE”

LONDON MANNEQUINS Arduous Job-Hunting The other day someone said to me. ‘ Oh, did you do mannequin work in London? What fun! didn’t you have a marvellous time, Meeting all those exciting people, and wearing all those lovely clothes?” states Joan Taylor in the “Cape Times.” I gathered that the speaker imagin_ ed that a mannequin’s life was one round of glittering entertainments, among other 'things, with a kindhearted “hots” offering her the free access to the best model gowns in his shop. “Modelling” is just a job like any other, and mrannequins are drawn from all walks of life; society girls, nice girls from nine homes, not so nice girls, and singularly unpleasant girls. The society girl, much to the justifiable annoyance of her poorer sisters, is often preferred by some of the better class firms, as she may attract moneyed friends to the shop. Salaries range from £2 to £5 a week, and the better the sJalary offerred the standard demanded in beauty and chic. Good looks are worth paying for, though a perfect figure in much more important than a beautiful flace. I was trained at one of the famous and numerous mannequin schools- in London; I paid ten guineas for my three weeks’ training course, and le'arnt how to walk gracefully; 'to dispose of my arms and hands; to

put on and take off a coat while walking; to wear a fur, a shawl, to use a fan, and to on. It wbs extraordinary how clumsy i felt at firs'!, but at the end of my training I was a competent mannequin, so, armed with a few addresses of possible temporary and permanent employers, I prepared to eaam back my ten guineus. I discovered, very soon, howiver, that 1 was minus an important es-sential-—previous experience. Nothing daunted, I went from shop to shop and -this it a sample of what I heard: “Where were you before? . . . Oh,

from the mannequin school? No; I’m afraid we couldn’t trust -an inexperienced girl to wear our new models’”

After many setbacks 1 obtained some temporary work. A parade, given on three afternoons, and, luckily for me, they didn’t bother to ask about experience. Each parade start-

€d about three o’clock in the afternoon, and ended a’t five. There was also a rehearsal, and for about -ten hours’ work we (there were seven of us) were paid 3’i guineas elach. Do you, in the audience watching a fashion parade, ever imagine the scene behind the curtains? You l see the chic damsels, &o calm and unhurried, appear on the dials and stroll elegantly down ’the platform; but when she disappears again . . . She tears frantically at the fastenings of her dress, flings her hat awlay, noisily exhorts her dresser to find her another hat, a bag, her gloves; collid'es with another manneguin about to step on to the platform; is shouted at by the manageress, who asks her in acid tones if she isn’t relady y-et; scrambles to get her place In the queue—and at last steps on to the platform again, calm . . . unhurried.

Given the choice, I would rather work for a man than a womu.n. Men seem to be more considerate; they understand that one does not wish to do overtime every night without extra pay, and that one’s legs do ache sometimes.

I came across one or two dishonest -firms in my hunt for jobs; one place ladvertising “permanent employment, andi £4 per week,” had a constantly-changing. stream of employees, who were taken on one week and dismissed the next; all promised £4 per week, and who all found only £3 in their pay envelopes. I wondered how the girls felt who left steady employment for that mythical £4. (Putting on and taking off the same clothes day after day is monotonqus, and the only excitements are the celebrities who come to see the clothes, the gradual arrival from the workroom of the spring and autumn collections, and then, tire preparations for the bi-seasonal paitades.

The Press show comes firet, then two or three public ones, complete with cocktails and sandwiches.

Many people think that modelling has no future, but a business-like girl can carve out a career for herself. Many mannequins become saleswomen. Selfidge’s famous girls, Gloria and Dawn, have opened a mannequin school; some become photographic models, or go on the stage or screen.