Top 3 Tips for Runway Models

Whether you’re an aspiring model or a pro looking to brush up on the basics of runway modelling, understanding the fundamentals of runway is important to achieving success in the industry. From posture to pacing and presence, these are my top 3 tips for runway walks that you need to know. 

How Runway Models Get the Right Posture 

Runway modelling is all about posture and presentation. Watching runways in fashion weeks around the world, it becomes very obvious that there are similarities in the way models maintain their posture and the way they physically use their bodies to present clothing. 

But, what does ‘posture’ really mean? 

Posture is the position and carriage of the body, including the position of your limbs, spine, and muscles. The way that runway models present clothing relies a lot on a model’s awareness of their body and the way in which they move through a space. 

The standard posture in runway modelling involves coordinating different aspects of your body to work together to produce an aesthetically pleasing result. It’s a lot like how dancers use their physicality to create a certain elongated ‘look’. For runway models, especially beginners, your focus should be having a straight back (no slouching - this isn’t a rendition of The Hunchback of Notre Dame!), your shoulders should be pulled back and your chest should be open. This will create long, sleek lines to showcase the garments you’ll wear, and really, runway is about the garments and our job as models is to make them look good. 

Here’s an example of what good posture for runway modelling looks like.

Find the Right Pacing for Runway Modelling

Pacing in runway modelling is the rhythm, speed, and coordination of your movements. A lot of models - especially new models - struggle with pacing in runway modelling. Often, runways will feature music, and it can be really tempting to walk to the beat during the runway. But this is a big no-no! Why? Well, if you’re walking to the pace of the music and all of a sudden it stops, slows down, or speeds up, this is going to throw off your walk. 

Your walk should have its own beat. It should be natural and confident. Importantly, your walk should also match the speed of the other models on the runway. Too slow and you stand out for the wrong reasons, but walking too fast will make you look nervous and like you’re speeding to get off the runway.

The main thing with pacing is that a lot of new models struggle with walking too fast. Whether that’s nerves or being excited to be there, it’s important to remember that people need to see the garments, and we can’t see them if you speed right past us and we don’t have time to see what you’re wearing. It’s also important to take choreography and direction into account. If a designer asks you to do a specific walk style on the runway, then make sure you incorporate this style into your walk. 

Fashion week shows are full of great examples of runway modelling that sets its own pace, looks natural, and exudes confidence. 

How to Improve Your Runway Modelling Presence

Runway modelling isn’t just about how you stand and how fast you walk, it’s also about the ‘presence’ that you radiate. Just like actors, dancers and other types of performers, runway models have to have some degree of ‘stage presence’. No one wants to watch a bored or scared model walk a runway. Not only is it unsettling for the audience to see, it also distracts from the garments. This is why ‘stage presence’ can be important in runway modelling. 

Having good stage presence as a runway model includes facial expression, confident control of movements, and staying present in the moment. This means not letting fear or nerves overtake what you’re here to do, remaining focused (i.e., not thinking about things that aren’t important at that moment, such as what you’ll do after the show or what you’ll eat for dinner that night!) Showing a sense of purpose, having appropriate facial expressions (only smile if you’re told to by the designer), and maintaining good posture and pacing will create a powerful runway walk that will ensure that your presence on the runway is not only seen, but felt. 

Got modelling castings coming up? I also have a guide on what to wear to put your best foot forward, here!