For the past nine weeks we have been bringing you the story of Ali Turner, courtesy of her mother Patty (tFS user modelmom). Ali’s journal has chronicled the beginning of her modeling career in Paris at 15 years old (which was in 2002).
This segment of ‘Becoming a Model’ is from the perspective of Patty Turner, detailing Ali’s experiences as a young model in New York City.
Read Part 7 here
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Sunday Jan. 12th
I noticed a list by the phone for the girls to write down the breakfast items they would like the house mother Kimberly to pick up. FOR FREE! I guess the idea is to get your day started in a positive way…by eating. Asta and Anica came in really late and they slept till 2:00 p.m. Ali spent most of the day watching TV and sleeping and I read a book. Asta took us up on the roof tonight where all the models go to smoke. You could see all of NY…it takes your breath away, it is so beautiful from up here.
Monday Jan. 13th
We screwed up again this morning but in a BIG way! Ali’s agent told me her Teen Vogue shoot was for 10.00 am but the call time was really 9:00am. We were on our way when her agent called to say, “Where the hell are you, Ali”? She told us everyone was freaking out because she wasn’t there! Needless to say Ali was a wreck when we finally arrived. I left her there and went back to pick her up at 8:00pm.
I ask her how it went. She said they were still putting makeup on the other models when she arrived and no one made a big deal about her being late. I think maybe that was just their way of putting her at ease. The other models’ names were Caroline Trentini and Jessica Stam. Ali said the shoot was mostly for face and eye shots. Ali was so tired she went straight to bed back at the apartment.
Tuesday Jan. 14th
Ali went to the agency to pick up her castings and to get polaroids taken for her show card. I met her to go on castings. While Ali was at a casting for Glamour magazine, her agent called to tell her she was confirmed for the job in Honduras with Alban Christ….on the beach with horses!
Ali will be gone a week and her agent tried to talk me into letting her go by herself. She wants me to go home and come back for the shows in February. She thinks Ali is getting used to going on castings without me and the housemother will be back at the apartment by the time I leave.
I talked to Ali’s agent this afternoon to let her know that I was leaving Ali in NY till after her trip to Honduras. She told me that Ali was booked for a job for Vogue for Thursday and Friday. She said everyone at the agency was so pleased about the response Ali was getting by some big clients. Ali is going to a party tonight with Asta and Anica. It is an Anniversary party for Gotham Magazine. Ali’s agent promised me that she would be at the party. I went downstairs to see them off and a white limo pulled up to pick them up.
By 11:00 p.m. Ali’s wasn’t back…by 12:00 a.m. I was freaking out. Her cell phone was off. I tried her agents phone, but it was off too. How in the hell can I go home now with my 16-year-old out partying till all hours? I was up and waiting at 1:30 a.m. when they walked in the door.
When I am really mad I cry…the other girls took off to their room and I read Ali the riot act. She said she was sorry, her phone was dead and she couldn’t get the other girls to leave. I’m not buying that one.
Wednesday Jan.15th
Ali left for her job to go on her castings and I called the agency to let them know I had changed my mind about leaving Ali alone in NY. I told her agent what had happened the previous evening and how upset I was about the whole deal. She ask us to come into the agency and talk things over with the “Ford Group”.
They video taped her ‘walk’ and I filled out some papers she needed for her trip to Honduras. We found out later that Ali’s agent had called Asta and Anica and cussed them out for keeping Ali out so late…..great, now I’ve managed to upset the only two friends that Ali has in NY. I talked to Asta when we went back to the apartment and she understood how I felt but the other model stayed pissed at me for the rest of the week.
Thursday Jan. 16th
Ali left to go to her job but they only used her for a day because the photographer wanted someone whose legs were a little longer and slimmer. They cancelled her job for the next day but told her she would be paid for both days. Her agent called to ask what happened and gave her some more castings for the afternoon.
She booked another job tomorrow as a stand-in for a Victoria Secret Model (Latisha Casta) in a photo shoot by photographer Michael Angelo.
Part 10 coming soon!
