THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 12, 1996 TAG: 9604110108
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAWSON MILLS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
MICHELLE GRIFFITH, 16, a perky teenager and a junior at Catholic High, is embarking upon something many girls dream of: a modeling career.
It all started with the 1995 Seventeen/JCPenney Cover-Model contest, launched locally at the Hampton Roads Woman's Show. Griffith was one of eight entrants out of more than 35,000 nationwide selected to go to New York as a finalist. Although she wasn't the top winner, her life hasn't been the same since.
Her pictures and biographical information were prominently displayed throughout the October 1995 issue of Seventeen magazine.
``After the contest,'' she recalled, ``Kathie Strauss (the local special events coordinator for JCPenney) suggested contacting several local agencies. I looked into them and selected Norma Fox of Glamour Limited as my agent. I also took classes, runway classes.''
Michelle graduated from modeling class and early this year had pictures taken for ``comp cards,'' essential tools of the trade for models, containing three pictures, her vital statistics and contact information.
The cards, she explained, are sent to New York agencies. She also started her portfolio, a big book resembling a photo album that models use to help secure assignments.
She had a lot happen in a short time, but the level-headed young person has kept her wits about her. She is thinking about college, where she hopes to major in advertising. It's there that her long-term career goals lie, but in the meantime she's content to see where modeling may take her. Among the colleges she's considering are New York University and Pepperdine in California.
``If I went to NYU,'' she pointed out, ``I could do some modeling on the side.''
She has done some fashion shows in Richmond, making guest appearances with the winners in the Seventeen/JCPenney contest there, and she made a special guest appearance at the fashion show kicking off the contest at the 1996 woman's show earlier this year.
It all began, according to Michelle, in 1994. A friend talked her into entering the contest that year by sending off some pictures that her father had taken.
``I won some prizes the first time I did it,'' she recalled. ``Free shirts, clothes, little things.''
She liked the experience so she decided to enter again last year. Once again dad took the pictures. She won for Military Circle Shopping Mall and went on through the different levels.
A call from New York brought more good news. ``They said, `You made one of the national finalists and we're sending you to New York for a week.' I was freaking out,'' she said.
She went alone, flying up to the Big Apple, where she was met in the terminal by a contest official. Her parents, Richard and Veronica Griffith, were a little nervous, but gave her no special advice or instructions.
``Just the average parent stuff,'' she said.
``I was just really happy that I'd made it as far as I did,'' Michelle added. ``I was really intimidated; all the others had modeling experience and had sent in professional photos. They all already had local agencies.''
Her experiences have been good, said Michelle. ``The people with Seventeen and JCPenney are really supportive. They aren't pushy at all.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by DAWSON MILLS
Michelle Griffith, 16, a junior at Catholic High, hopes to major in
advertising in college while working in modeling on the side.
by CNB