Lucan Gillespie, 20, London
Shows walked this season: Dior, Anna Sui, Michael Kors, Rodarte, Miu Miu
Beauty product hacks
“I use Sudocrem on any red area of my skin. It works so well. My mum told me about it, and it’s so good. It relieves any kind of irritation. It’s my secret weapon!”
Keep friends close
“I’m staying in an Airbnb with a few other models, which is actually really nice. Everyone understands what the other person is going through as all of our schedules are crazy. It’s really relaxing to just hang out and not have to explain anything.”
Keep a dog closer
“The apartment came with a dog – a chocolate labrador, called Memphis. He’s the best. He’s like our fashion support dog.”
Varsha Thapa, 27, Nepal
Shows walked this season: Prabal Gurung, Courrèges, Bottega Veneta, Sally LaPointe
Find comfort in clothes
“Every time someone from Nepal comes to the States, they bring me a pashmina or sweater from my mum. It sounds a little dramatic, but wearing them makes me feel like I’m wearing the soil of my country. And that’s so comforting. Even though it’s just a pashmina, it’s warm and it makes me feel safe.”
Meditation and mantras
“I’ve lived in both the East and the West. Even when I was young, my mum would take me to temples to see the beauty and tradition of our culture. My grandmother was this typical Hindu grandma – super religious. She used to read to me from the Bhagavad Gita. Now, every morning, I meditate for 10 minutes, just to centre myself. I chant a Ganesh mantra 13 times – 13 is my lucky number. It means a lot to me and empowers me because it’s been passed down to me from my mother and grandmother.”
Binx Walton, 22, Tennessee
Shows walked this season: YSL, Dior, Versace, Prada, Fendi, Tom Ford
Believe the La Mer hype
“I was never really that into skincare, even though I’m a model – but this year, I don’t know, it’s started feeling amazing. It has become a way to relax, so now I’m getting kind of obsessed with it. I like Biologique [Recherche]; and my friend Lexi [Boling] got me some La Mer water spray from the airport. Now, it comes with me everywhere. If you’re flying a lot, you need to stay hydrated. Even if you’re drinking a lot of water, you still need to moisturise.”
Make time to eat
“If I don’t eat, I get really cranky. Even if I’m a little late because I’m getting some food, it’s best for everyone! When we go to another city for a shoot, or before fashion weeks, we actually allow an extra day in our schedule so that we can go to the grocery store when we arrive.”
Cook, cook, and cook some more
“I like to cook all my own food – pasta and bakes, mostly, and casseroles with different veggies. Anything that lasts more than a day, so you have stuff to eat if you come home and you’re too tired to cook. When I do cook, even though it’s pretty simple stuff, I love it. I find it really therapeutic.”
Fran Summers, 19, Yorkshire
Shows walked this season: Dior, Prada, Victoria Beckham, Burberry, Marc Jacobs
Zone out to YouTube
“When I need to zone out and rest, I will watch YouTube videos until I fall asleep. I really like the videos where people just sit down and talk about something. I think hearing people’s voices sends me to sleep – that’s my ASMR [Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response]. My favourite person to watch on YouTube is Jenna Marbles. She is insane. Her little dog Kermit is everything. Sometimes I’ll just scroll through memes of Jenna Marbles and her dogs for like, an hour. It’s the best way to chill out, even though it sometimes makes me miss my dogs at home.”
Just say no
“I wish this were just ‘common sense’ rather than ‘self-care’, but I’ve learnt that at the end of a really long fashion season, it’s OK to take a break. You don’t have to pose for every photographer backstage. You can even put headphones on and take a few minutes to yourself. Sometimes you just have to put yourself first.”
Have empathy
“I understand why photographers chase us around outside after every show. They’re working just like we are. They need a pay cheque. They have to buy food. They have to support their families. That’s cool, and sometimes when they’re swarming us, I have to take a second and remember that we’re all just ‘going to work’. But it would be great if they could say, ‘Hey, Fran!’ instead of, ‘Hey, you!’ when they want a photograph. It’s really appreciated when a photographer knows our name. And I’d like to know their name. Backstage, when people introduce themselves and say, ‘Hi, this is my name,’ it makes us all nicer to each other. We should aim for that.”
Adut Akech, 19, South Sudan and Australia
Shows walked this season: Dries Van Noten, Lanvin, Moschino, Prada, MaxMara, Marc Jacobs
Get some sleep
“When I’m exhausted I go home to New York City, I lock my apartment and I stay inside and sleep for like, four days straight. During the shows, I’ll crawl under a table and sleep for 30 minutes if I need to. I’m one of those people who can sleep for an entire day if I need the rest – I’ll do 14 hours if I can. To me, the sign of a good sleep is when you wake up and you see marks from the blanket and the sheets on your skin. That’s when you’ve really put in the time.”
Put your trainers on
“We wear heels for four weeks straight, so whenever I can, I put on a pair of sneakers. I don’t care if I’m supposed to look chic, because being comfortable and being able to move around in your own body is chic. My favourite sneakers are by Nike – I buy a lot of Air Force Ones. My other go-tos are Vans. I like to rotate, I buy Converse, too. You want a big selection, depending on your mood.”
Take a long soak
“I like to take really long showers. Often that’s where all your problems melt away – sometimes you just have to cry it all out in the shower. The best is when I have time for a bath, though. I find bath bombs so relaxing and also kind of fascinating, because you get to watch them dissolve and fizz in the water. My favourites are the fruity ones that smell like grapefruit or citrus. They give you amazing energy.”
Stop watching TV
“I stopped about a year ago. It gives me so much more time. I don’t miss it, but sometimes my sisters will talk about a show and they’ll make me watch with them. They’re addicted to [Australian teen TV show] Dance Academy, so every time I go home, they force me to watch it with them, even though I saw it the first time. It makes me kind of crazy.”
