Riding high on the catwalk
Ireland’s only international supermodel Catriona Balfe has
just finished the Fall 2006 Dolce and Gabanna campaign with notorious
fashion photographer Steven Meisel. Here the Monaghan beauty chats to
alison o’reilly about being plucked from obscurity and having to
get used to life in the fast lane.
 By Alison O’reilly
Every supermodel has a tale of being plucked from obscurity and Catriona
Balfe’s is no different.
The 26-year-old was discovered collecting for charity in a Tescos back
in Dublin seven years ago. She’s now Ireland’s only international
supermodel.
The beauty from the small town of Tydavnet in Co. Monaghan has spent the
last few years appearing at many of the leading fashion shows at Milan,
Paris, New York and London.
Last year she had an exclusive shoot with Italy’s premier fashion
house Dolce & Gabbana.
And the Irish stunner has recently shot the Fall 2006 Dolce and Gabanna
Campaign with world famous American fashion photographer Steven Meisel.
“I’m really delighted,” she enthuses. “Dolce and
Gabanna really know how to look after their models. I was treated so well
by them whilst working in Milan last year and I always look forward to
our next project together. Not all fashion designers are nice to work
for.”
Catriona is living the dream — staying in plush hotels
all over the world and rumour has it she can command up to £10,000
per job.
She laughs: “Money is not what it used to be. The rates have definitely
gone down. Although it’s still a great paying job.
“After you’ve worked a certain amount of years you can negotiate
your price. But it depends on whether it’s catalogue work or if
it’s an advertisement.
“I’m trying to be sensible with my money. I’m building
a house back home in Ireland but I’m renting in New York.”
In her first season alone Catriona acquired high-profile campaigns for
Moschino and Costume National.
A designer’s dream, she has inspired some of the fashion industry’s
most notable players such as Narciso Rodriguez and Marc Jacobs.
The fourth of seven children Catriona was plucked from obscurity when
she was just 19.
Fortunately for her and for the Assets Agency the scout Derek
Daniels spotted her in Tescos in Rathmines in south Dublin. Within months
she had made her international modelling debut within a short period of
time spent on Irish catwalks.
She says: “I was in college in D.I.T Rathmines studying acting and
me and a few of the girls were asked to collect money for Multiple Sclerosis
by packing shopping bags in Tescos.
“Derek Daniels from Assets modeling agency was doing his shopping
at the time and he gave me his card. So that’s how I first got started.
“All the girls on the check-outs were pointing and staring. I was
mortified and to be honest I wasn’t really that interested because
I wanted to be an actor but I started thinking how I could make a few
bucks out of it and so I gave it a shot.”
But unlike most models starting out Catriona wasn’t earning
£50 per week on small jobs.
She says: “I have to admit I was very lucky. From the minute I started
with Assets I did really well.
“I didn’t make a lot of money at the start but when I finished
my first year at college I started working full-time with Assets and that’s
when the money started coming in.”
But it wasn’t long before Catriona was spotted by a scout
from Ford modelling agency in Paris.
She says: “I met with her once and I was in Paris a week later.
I was there for about a year. Then I moved to London and that’s
when I started to get really busy. Ever since then it’s been hectic.’
From London to the Big Apple Catriona hit the big time.
She says; “I met Richard my booker from Elite Modelling Agency in
New York and I moved to the US. It feels like only yesterday but that
was five years ago now.”
Catriona is now at the height of her career working alongside
the likes of Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and Gisele.
She says: “I’m not very close to Naomi or Kate; I suppose
they are a little older than me. When I first started those girls were
well established. I always find them very professional to work with.”
Speaking about Kate Moss’s turbulent year following allegations
she took cocaine in a London recording studio with her on/off boyfriend
Pete Doherty, Catriona says she’s happy Kate is turning her life
around.
“Kate’s had a rough time of late. She seems to have gotten
herself back into work after her time in rehab.
“It’s like anything, there’s that aspect to the modelling
industry too. It’s all about excess and luxury and all the horrible
things that come along with having too much money and too much time on
your hands.
“All my friends are clean and healthy people, this is a job and
we live like normal people. But there is a seedy side to the industry
of course just like there is with acting, media and journalism.”
Catriona feels things have changed enormously in the modelling world with
zero tolerance given to any girl or guy who turns up to work ‘out
of it’.
“I’m a younger model coming up and there’s more guidance
now. When Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell started there was a different type
of protocol in the industry.
“The whole idea of money being thrown at models doesn’t exist
anymore. People are expected to look good and be on time and be professional.
When those girls started out it wasn’t as strict.
“Late night drug taking and parties just don’t happen anymore.
That sort of behaviour is unacceptable and agencies have a reputation
to uphold too. No one wants to work with someone who is out of it all
the time.”
The pressures on models to be stick-thin and the affect that
has on young girls around the world is also of huge concern to parents.
Catriona says: “Anyone who becomes anorexic it isn’t because
they’re looking at a model; it’s generally to do with their
self-esteem issues. You can’t blame someone from a picture in a
magazine.
“I am just naturally thin. My mum and dad are tall and thin. I don’t
have to watch what I eat too much — but of course I try to be healthy
so I run twice a week. But it just depends on what your natural body type
is.”
Is behind the scenes at fashion shows as hectic as they are
made out?
“It’s organised chaos. The last show I did with D&G there
were 100 girls, 30 make-up artists, 100 dressers plus all the people who
work with D&G such as journalists and photographers. People grab you
to get your hair and make-up done. It’s crazy.”
What’s a typical working day like for a fashion model?
“Most times if you’re doing a show everything is already prepared
for you when you get there but you could start at 6am having to drag yourself
from bed to get there.
“It’s a job at the end of the day and after the first year
or two the excitement kind of goes a little. You are very rarely working
under a schedule. But I get great opportunities to travel and make great
friends. But like anything it can get very annoying too.”
Catriona’s immediate success, however, forced her to abandon her
drama studies.
“I hope to resume college at some point in the future,” she
says admitting that theatre remains her real passion.
“I still take lessons here in New York.”
For the moment she’s concentrating on developing her growing reputation
as one of Ireland’s first true supermodels.
Catriona also provides a model answer when asked what the downside of
such a glamorous lifestyle is.
She laughs: “Nothing really apart from living almost permanently
out of a suitcase and not being able to see my boyfriend.”
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