Since the runway’s this last September here in NYC, I’ve been running into a very familiar situation on the road. Doing hair in the heat and humidity followed with embarrassment in the lobby of the hotel after work. Let me explain.
In the last month or so I’ve been in Sedona, AZ, 123 degree F., Charleston, SC, 90-100 degree F, with 95% humidity, and Palm Spring, CA, 104 degree F. Charleston we were shooting outside the entire 3 day’s on a wharf, sail boat and land. All that matters is the models look amazing, not what the crew looks like. So of course with 5am call times and going some times tell 10 pm you can imagine how the crew looks at the end of the day walking into the hotel? Let me give you a description of the make up artist and myself walking in the 1st night to the Charleston Place Hotel (four star hotel, with old Southern Flair).
We came into the grand marble lobby at around 11pm, her hair she put up in a bun trying to make it presentable but for lack of a good word it was a ratty, salty mess. Stains of dirt and ocean sand along with gosh knows what all over are shorts and my white tank top a nice shade of grey. Both of us in flip flops my hair a grease salty mess with our hair and make up kits, (90 pound luggage’s) in tow. Entering the lobby we both saw a slew of distinguished southern men. Slakes, tucked in silk and rayon button up shirts, shoe’s shined and cigars in hand. Accompanied by elite southern women with hair and make up all primped and textures and sparkles intertwined into all their outfits. Like only a southern woman can get away with wearing. We left our bags at the bottom of the two steps leading into the grand bar. No joke the entire bar stops talking, looks over at us and whispers floating in the air of the way we looked start floating around us. Except for one southern lady who clearly had quite a few drinks already, she continues her loud conversation with a gentleman. The make up artist and myself quickly order our drinks to take up to our room were our showers were waiting to wipe us clean of our day. Dashing drinks and kits in hand we get into an elevator. Right behind us the few drinks to many southern lady and her friends stepped in before the elevator door’s shut. She looks at the makeup artists and say’s “ You two where ever your from have checking in down. With your drinks in hand to your room.” We explain to her that our luggage is our work kits and that we just got off work. She reply’s, “ well you defiantly were outside all day hope your shoot goes great.” 
This has happened to me in my career more times than I can remember. Still to this day it is awkward for me and the others of every crew. I was telling this story to the model “ Cintia “ just three day’s ago on set in Palm Springs in 104 degree weather after a 10 hour day in the van on the way back to the Parker Hotel (The famous Johnathan Adler interior design hotel, in Palm Springs) .We laughed and she said,” It happens to me all the time I hate it, everyone stares at me.” .We all get out of the van by the enormous double orange doors of the Parker Hotel. Cintia and I find out the crew’s dinner reservation time for the tonight and we are the first of the 11 of our crew to walk through the orange enormous doors into the lobby. Immediately as we walk in, myself looking exactly like or worse than I did in the Charleston hotel and Cintia make up washed off and hair still coiffed in short jeans and a dirty little blue tee. We run into the entire lobby packed all 2,000 plus square feet of it, completely crammed. Young men to older all dressed in slakes button up shirts clean cut even some in ties and blazers. The women and girls sporting Mossino, Tory Birch sundress lavish shoes, with full make up on. Our plan was to grab a drink and go straight to the showers. Cintia giggles and make’s a grown, “No not again!” she says. We put our heads down and as quick as possible by pass the over crowded bar and squeeze through the sea of people who frightfully move out of the way for us. Probably scared that some of my dirt will scrap upon their outfits. Of course for the men they are goking at Cintia, which is her number one thing she tolled me she hates about doing this. Later I find out our crew and a few more guest all check out tomorrow and the hotel is taken over by one of the richest and lavish wedding’s the hotel has every seen by some couple in Austin Texas.
Just another day on location in a hot weather place. The thing that makes me proud while walking into these situations. Is knowing these same people who we try to avoid in the lobby or hotel when we look thrashed from our day of work. Are the same consumers that what we are shooting pictures to sell their clothes or shoes or whatever product where their for. At the end of the day it’s all about your hair and your work not the way you look after a long day. At least with what I do.
