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Looking like a million bucks doesn’t come easy — or cheap.
New York Fashion Week models might be natural beauties — but they still splash serious cash to make themselves runway-ready.
“It’s not just showing up and walking, it’s constant upkeep,” model Natalie DeMarco, 25, told The Post, saying she’ll typically spend roughly $2,000 in the weeks leading up to a show.
“From skincare, hair, treatments, gym memberships and castings, you’re constantly investing in yourself before you ever see a paycheck,” the 5′ 11″ stunner stated. “What looks effortless on the runway is actually a lot of behind-the-scenes maintenance.”
Maintenance — and money.
Starting with skin: DeMarco’s dewy complexion is enhanced by luxe treatments before taking to the runway.
While the model typically uses Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser ($26) and Stratia Interface Peptide Cream ($29) on a regular basis, she ramps up her routine ahead of NYFW, indulging in two facials per week, priced around $200 each.
“That’s up to $800 without tip, so it gets pricey,” she admitted of the fortnight ahead of NYFW.
To hone her fabulous physique, DeMarco is a regular at Natural Pilates in SoHo, where a 12-class-per-month membership runs at $450, per their website.
“I try to do at least three reformer classes a week in the week or two leading up to NYFW,” she dished.
To look extra fit, the fashionista adds two Barry’s bootcamp classes to her schedule, at approximately $43 per session.
During NYFW itself, the model is schlepping across the city and strutting down the runway, meaning she gets a different — and cheaper — kind of exercise.
“Just hitting 10,000 steps a day is my main priority, which, thankfully, is free,” she quipped.
What’s not free? Grooming.
Before a runway appearance, DeMarco usually spends $150 for a manicure and up to $500 for a cut and color — although she said she went without the latter for this season’s shows.
The beauty told The Post she also pays between $100 and $200 on new clothes for castings, and forks out around $100 for make-up to look her best at afterparties and other NYFW events.
DeMarco also locks in on her diet, eating expensive fresh produce and high-quality proteins. She estimates her weekly grocery bill at Whole Foods tops out at $200 before a show.
DeMarco isn’t alone.
Gwendolyn Carson, a 24-year-old high-fashion model with a nine-year career in the industry, also forks out for fitness classes and beauty treatments.
The brunette loves Sui Yoga in SoHo, where a basic membership will run you $240 a month.
Meanwhile, her skincare routine consists of a Tretinoin prescription, Laneige Water Bank moisturizer ($38), and a $300 red light therapy mask she gifted herself for Christmas.
She also splashes out on a fresh haircut a month before castings.
Unfortunately, these sorts of heavy investments are not often recouped by doing the runway shows themselves.
Rachel Willingham, a former commercial and runway model turned fashion designer, told The Post she never made more than $500 from a runway show — and never heard of a model making more than $1,000 for one.
“It’s definitely more for the exposure, considering you don’t really break even when you consider everything you do to get ready for shows — unless you’re highly sought after and walking from multiple designers throughout the week,” Willingham told The Post.
“It’s really only the top echelon of models — a.k.a., the ones you see regularly in editorials for Vogue and in huge campaigns — that can achieve that,” she continued.
However, for many NYFW models who spend big, going into the red is not the new black.
Many models leverage their strong social media presence to get treatments, classes, and products for free or at heavily-discounted prices.
DeMarco uses creator-driven platforms like Neon Coat, BeautyPass and OTH Network that allow models to book beauty services, workouts and even restaurants in exchange for virtual content.
“A lot of these places just want models in their space because it adds to the atmosphere,” DeMarco detailed. “They’re getting visibility and content, and I’m getting services I would normally be paying for out of pocket. It makes it more realistic to stay on top of everything without shelling out thousands in one week.”
Carson also told The Post that such platforms also help her to save serious money.
“If I wanted, I could go almost every day not spending money on food around this time with the apps [like Neon Coat],” she stated.
Still, for those who pay out of pocket, the expense is worth the exposure.
“NYFW is one of those weeks where so much can happen for a model’s career so fast,” DeMarco told The Post. “You never really know who you’re going to meet or what conversation could turn into something bigger.”
“For me, ‘locking in’ just means being prepared by looking and feeling my best so I can walk in every room confident and ready,” she continued. “A lot can happen in a week, and I’d rather show up fully than feel like I missed out on any opportunities.”
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