For the past three seasons, models in search of the calm before the fashion month storm have found it courtesy of the CFDA Foundation and Equinox Coalition for Health as Beauty program, which promotes wellness in the industry through actionable events and discussions. To kick off New York Fashion Week, a slew of 50 rising models gathered at the Project by Equinox incubator space in Manhattan for an energy-boosting breakfast and guided meditation, as well as a panel moderated by Vogue’s Lauren Mechling with veteran supermodel Carolyn Murphy, Equinox Tier X coach and sleep specialist Matt Delaney, and yoga expert Michael Gervais.
For Murphy, imparting her career wisdom, as well as her tips and tricks for recharging during Fashion Week, is a game-changer. Mainly because these kinds of initiatives, which encourage clean eating and mindfulness, didn’t exist when she first burst onto the scene in the early ’90s. “The whole industry has come together to provide and nurture [each other] with these forums where models can get guidance as well as healthy food and juices,” she says. “It’s very different from my day, when you’d get back to the hotel at 4 a.m. and it was coffee, cigarettes, and Champagne from the night before.”
Still, Murphy recognizes that in the age of social media, there’s a whole new set of hurdles. “[Now] there’s this pressure for models to invite a lot of strangers into their worlds because they’re getting told to keep their numbers up,” says Murphy. “But if they’re not comfortable with it, yet it’s their livelihood, it’s a really strange and dangerous dichotomy.” To protect oneself, she cautions up-and-comers to set boundaries, to unplug as much as possible, and to try not to fall into the Instagram perfection trap.
On the flip side, Murphy acknowledges that public platforms give models a voice like never before—especially amid political turmoil. “It’s not just about how you look anymore, but [also] what you stand for,” she says, admitting she’s been reticent and euphemistic in the past because she was afraid of social backlash. “But once you understand that fashion is a community, you can really rise.” Twenty-five years into her career, take it from someone who knows.