NYASHA

A MODEL’S PROGRESS

IN FEBRUARY, WRITER MATTHEW SCHNEIER AND PHOTOGRAPHER JOCELYN BAIN HOGG SPENT SIX DAYS IN THE STUDIO WITH DESIGNER JOSEPH ALTUZARRA TO TAKE IN FIRSTHAND THE EXHILARATING, OCCASIONALLY FRANTIC PROCESS OF CREATING A RUNWAY SHOW. THE RESULTING PROFILE OF ALTUZARRA AND HIS BAND OF COLLABORATORS, "THE BREAKOUT," APPEARS IN THE SECOND ISSUE OF STYLE.COM/PRINT.

AT THE SAME TIME AS THEY TRACED ALTUZARRA'S PROGRESS FROM START TO EXECUTION, THEY FOLLOWED THE PARALLEL TRACK OF ONE OF JOSEPH'S FAVORITE MODELS, 17-YEAR-OLD NYASHA MATONHODZE, AS SHE NEGOTIATED NEW YORK AND A MAZE OF CASTINGS, FITTINGS, SHOWS, AND PRESENTATIONS.

MATONHODZE NAVIGATES THE CITY AFTER ARRIVING FROM HER HOMETOWN OF LONDON. FASHION WEEK HAS JUST BEGUN, AND SHE'S ALREADY WALKED HER FIRST SHOW: RICHARD CHAI. "IT WAS THE FIRST SHOW OF THE SEASON, SO YOU REALIZE IT REALLY IS FASHION WEEK. YOU DON'T NOTICE UNTIL YOU'RE COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY THE CAMERAS, AND THE MAKEUP, AND EVERYTHING."

MATONHODZE ARRIVES AT ALTUZARRA'S CHINATOWN STUDIO FOR HER CASTING.

"...IT'S AROUND THAT TIME WHEN JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING STARTS TO GET BUSY NOW BECAUSE SHOWS HAVE STARTED, SO EVERYONE JUST TRIES TO GET ALL THE GIRLS AT ONCE. IT'S JUST BUSY, BUT I GUESS BUSY IS A GOOD THING.  YOU WANT TO BE BUSY, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE NOT, THEN YOU'RE JUST LIKE, 'OH, AM I NOT GOOD ENOUGH?' "

WHY DID YOU WANT TO BE A MODEL? "AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL. I KNOW IT'S COMPLETELY NOT WHAT MODELING IS ABOUT NOW THAT I'M HERE, BUT…"

"ELITE SAID YES, WHICH WAS MY FIRST CHOICE, BECAUSE THEY WIN A CONTRACT FROM ELITE ON AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL—THAT'S ALL I KNEW. SO I WENT IN THERE AND I WAS LIKE, PLEASE, PLEASE, AND NEVER EXPECTED TO GET THROUGH. I'M NOT GOING TO LIE TO YOU—I WENT IN THERE EXPECTING REJECTION FULL ON, SO WHEN THEY SAID YES, I WAS SHOCKED." MATONHODZE WOULD EVENTUALLY BE TAKEN ON BY MARILYN MODEL MANAGEMENT IN NEW YORK AS WELL.

CONGRATULATING THE DESIGNER AT HIS AFTER-PARTY.