Naima Mora, winner of Cycle 4 of America’s Next Top Model, gave aspiring local models and designers a peek into the world of top fashion Tuesday afternoon as part of Sacramento’s Fashion Week.
Naima and Gerry Simpson, local artist, photographer, and past model himself, offered advice through a one hour presentation and follow on Q&A session at the International Academy of Design and Technology.
Naima recently published her first book, entitled Model Behavior, and was available after the lecture for book signing. Tracy Saville, Naima’s publisher was on hand to help promote the book.
Naima and Gerry suggest that aspiring models and designers follow their dreams and passion in the pursuit of success in the fashion industry. Topics such as the evolution of a model’s career and how to handle rejection were discussed. Both were clear that fashion modeling is a competitive industry and that one must be prepared to accept different roles within the fashion industry if one expects a long and successful career.
An impromptu runway session was conducted after the lecture with attendees strutting their stuff.
A highlight of the runway session was Naima making her way down the ‘catwalk’ at IADT showing off her famous form and personality.
An aspiring model/designer gets her book signed by Naima.
The tone of the afternoon was relaxed, warm, and interactive, all mirroring Naima’s personality and wit. Attendees shared in the warm camaraderie that was a constant part of the afternoon.
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