Dana Smith (‘21) was Deputy Head of School at Langley, a boarder and a star in the Langley Football Academy (LFA). Since leaving school, she has walked the catwalk for the most iconic fanshion houses from Chloe to Celine to Chanel. Today, she talks us through a day in the life of a model including shooting on location in beautiful spots in Ibiza and Florence, early mornings, and sunsets to end long but fruitful days.

With GCSE Textile Design a new and exciting addition to our Year 10 curriculum, it is a pleasure to hear from Dana who is taking the fashion industry by storm at the highest heights. We have no doubt she will inspire many.

"One of my favourite things about my job is its unpredictability. Each day is unique and you never know when your next flight is, where it’s going to or what you’ll be dressed in when you get there - so you can see why I was left scratching my head when I was asked to outline a typical day as a model. 

I’ve decided to spare you the boring details of indoor studio shoots but location shoots, although rarer, are far more exciting. Some of my most recent have been in the sunny coves of Ibiza, the white cliffs of Devon and the cobbled streets of Florence. 

Some brands require fittings before a shoot - a few hours of trying on the clothes so they can be measured and tailored to fit perfectly. This usually means landing the night before but, if not, then it is a flight at the crack of dawn and straight to set. 

To make the most of the daylight, call times are often as early as 05:30 AM. More yawns come out of people’s mouths than words and the queue for caffeine might be likened to the loo roll aisle during the pandemic. After a couple of hours in hair and make up, the photographer has planned out the exact backdrops and angles they want to capture and we’re ready to go. 

We’ll generally shoot between 10 and 20 outfits, each one steamed, tweaked and adjusted to look its best. Sunset usually announces the end of the day and we make the most of the orange glow before I’m rushed straight to the airport to catch my next flight. 

It is incredibly exciting to hear about the reopening of the textiles department at Langley. In fashion, practical experience is arguably most valuable and I can’t wait to meet fellow future Icenians taking the industry by storm!"