Photo: Steven Meisel for Italian Vogue

Day 2

It’s almost 7am and I’m the first one here, along with a few assistants setting up. We have to be here an hour earlier because of an early fitting. Steven wanted more options to chose from.

Everyone’s here now and the trying on begins! The furs and lingerie are endless. Literally. Bags filled with clothing are delivered one after the other. While the other girls are still trying on more outfits, I duck out to find some breakfast.

As I walk towards the kitchen I think about what we’ll be doing today. I consider the thought that Steven himself may not even know. Watching him work is really so fascinating. He leads you around the room until he feels inspired by something. You have no idea what’s going on in his head until he politely requests something of you.

I reach the kitchen. Breakfast is beautifully laid out again. Huevos rancheros! My favorite.

The girls join me with their breakfast. I ask Candice if she’s bummed about missing her vacation for this shoot. She looks at me with a blank stare for a moment. “Are you kidding me!?!” she laughs. That was a stupid question to ask considering every one of us would have given up just about anything to be able to have this experience. Tara mentions that this is such an historic moment. Never before have four curvier girls been in a spread shot by Steven Meisel with no specific purpose at all. No size issue, no color issue. Just beautiful, normal Italian Vogue. I can’t help but smile.

Sandy, Guido’s assistant, comes and grabs us. Time to get started!

I sit back in Erin’s chair. Pat McGrath walks in, filling the room with her booming personality and incredible perfume (she really does smell amazing). She tells her girls to look at the Polaroids taken the day before and to do the exact same face they did yesterday. Erin grabs the photos, flips through and says “Done!” I’m really impressed by the relationships Pat and Guido have with their assistants. They’re like the parents of a big family.

Erin takes out the Naomi kit and gets started. First my base and then my brows. I’m very impressed by how perfectly Erin sculpts my brows and I make her teach me. Hair didn’t take nearly as long today. We were told not to wash it considering there are extensions glued in.

Tara’s ready first! She heads out to Edward. Robyn and I are getting antsy a little too early on. Candice gets called almost immediately after. Doubles I’d imagine.

Robyn and I are ready to shoot. Now we just have to wait to be summoned.

Robyn’s called next, still no sign of Tara or Candice. TRIPLES!!!!!!! Now I’m really dying with anticipation. I would do anything to be in that room with them now. I sit wishing, waiting, wondering.

Lunch time.

After lunch we get touched up. I think I’ll lose it if I’m not up next. Erin senses my anxiety. She assures me I’m next.

She’s right. I can breath again.

Once she’s done with me I go straight to Edward. He’s waiting for me with black tights, a Gucci skirt, and a La Perla bra. I can already tell the shoots gone in a different direction than the way it seemed the first day. Much sexier.

I get dressed and Will, Edwards assistant puts some Manolos (two sizes too small) on my feet. Edward reveals the coat–a beautiful cropped black fur. Next the jewelry. Two gold and diamond bracelets with a massive emerald necklace. Needless to say, I feel expensive.

I walk out with an entourage following closely behind. Stevens waiting in the big room. He sees me and decides my outfit is not right for this room. The two of us walk to the next room. He tells me to lie comfortably on the bed. I do. He snaps a few shots. He decides something’s not right. He tells me to take the fur off and to put it next to me. I do. Few more snaps. Still not feeling it. He asks someone to ask me if I would be comfortable taking my top off. I am. I do. He asks me to get on the dresser and to get on my hands and knees. I do. More test shots. Nope, something’s still not right.

Steven says he’s not at all inspired by the clothing and to bring me back in something amazing.

Things seem to be getting a little frantic now. Edward is scrambling to find the perfect outfit. He refers to the white board and comes to a navy blue swimsuit. It’s a classic 1950′s halter top bikini and the bottoms are high waisted. I get a pair of shiny black patent leather kitten heels and a massive floor length gray fur coat. And, of course, new jewelry. A gigantic gold and diamond necklace and several bracelets.

As I walk down the hall, entourage still following quickly behind, I notice Steven is back in the big room. As I enter the room Steven tells me to stop at the door. I do. He asks everyone to clear from the background. He tells an assistant to cast a shadow on me using a light and a plant. Genius. The shadow casts such a dramatic affect. Steven gives me a few directions and snaps away. He seems pleased. He says he wants more. He asks someone if I’m comfortable getting naked. None of my front will be showing, just my back side. I think for a moment. Not about the nudity. That doesn’t bother me. I think about how this particular experience is the epitome of what I’ve always imagined these shoots to be like. The progression to this absolutely perfect shot and how the previous photos were amazing but this, THIS is why he was always so unsatisfied. He knows there is something far greater that can be achieved. I duck behind the door, strip down and cover myself with the massive fur. I step out, back side for the world to see. Pat starts covering me with oily body spray. I feel like a shiny Barbie. She adds a black cat like mask to my face. The photo has completely transformed again. An animalistic surge runs through me. A few more clicks of the camera. We got it.

Steven says he wants me in my next outfit.

Edward grabs me and we run to the wardrobe room. His assistants are ready and waiting for me. I hand them the fur and the jewelry. They hand me a super tiny bandage dress and a vibrant red bra. I put them on along with patent leather pumps and a few bracelets. We run back to the big room.

Steven asks me to get on the table on my hands and knees and reach for the food tray in front of me. Click-click. Someone hands me a cigarette to hold, but not smoke. Click-click some more. He asks me back up a little and make myself as big as possible. I back up, bum in the air. Few more clicks and we go it!

Steven wants another outfit. When I get back to the wardrobe room I see Candice dressed. Doubles!

I meet Candice and Steven in the big room. She has a skirt on that’s only held together by pins and black bra. I’m wearing tights with high waisted lingerie and no top. Steven asks Candice to take off her top too. We sit on the couch together. I’m handed another cigarette and asked to smoke it this time. Steve snaps away. A man brings out a tray of the most perfect looking petit fours and places them on the table. While he does that Guido slicks my hair back into a tight bun. Pat puts a mask on my face.

Steven asks everyone to clear the set. He snaps some more. I lean forward, Candice leans back. Steven asks us to with our backs to each other. He doesn’t like it, back to our original positioning. I’m handed another cigarette. More shots taken and we’ve got it!

Time for Tara now. As I walk back to the set I feel confident about that last burst of shots we did. I can’t wait to see these photos!

Erin jumps on me again when I enter the room. She wants details. She said she managed to take a peek quickly and loved what she saw.

The end of the day is rapidly approaching. I don’t ever want it to stop.

Just as I start wondering if this is the last shot Edward calls for me. We walk to the big room where Tara is laying on the floor in a black silk robe with champagne perfectly placed beside her. I’m asked to disrobe and given another mask. He asks me to walk towards the door a few times. Nope. Next I sit on the couch “like a dude” says one of Steven’s assistants. I’m handed another cigarette. Several more shots are taken. Tara’s champagne is rearranged, the big table replaced with a small table and I’m asked to sit in another chair whilst smoking. A few more shots and we’ve got it!

Back in our robes and to the makeup room to see what’s next! Erin touches up my makeup just in case I’m needed for another shot. But right as she starts putting my lipstick on Stephen comes in and says thank you very much to all of us. I can’t believe it’s actually over! I want more! This whole experience was such a rush! I can’t possibly be over.

We all head back to the wardrobe room and put on our boring normal real people clothing on. One of Stephens assistants opens a crisp white box in front of us. In his hands he holds the prints from the past two days. He quickly flips through them giving us a little teaser. I melt. It’s all so beautiful I can’t believe I was a part in creating this story. We kiss Steven, Pat, and Guido goodbye. I can’t help but feel like I’ll he seeing them again.

This experience has surpassed anything I could have ever imagined. In fact, I’m at a loss for words. All I can think about is….WOW, I am blessed!!! Oh yeah, and wouldn’t more shoots like this be amazing!!! ;-)

Xx-M.

A closer look at the finished product:
**All photos by Steven Meisel for Italian Vogue. See the full spread here.