Let Runway Newcomer Shaughnessy Brown Tell You What It’s Like to Walk the Gucci Show
In keeping with the youthful spirit of Alessandro Michele’s vision for Gucci, casting directors Barbara Nicoli and Leila Ananna went with a fittingly fresh cast of house favorites and new discoveries for the label’s New York Resort show. Among them was Shaughnessy Brown, a Florida native who made her runway debut at Gucci this season. For Brown, her appearance at Gucci represented a culmination of years of hard work and the start of an exciting new chapter in her career. Sitting down with Style.com, she shares firsthand what it’s like to strut down the Gucci catwalk.
How did you feel when you heard you were confirmed for Gucci?
I was ecstatic. I wasn’t sure if I would be selected. I was at a go-see when my booker called and let me know the good news. I couldn’t believe it, I was practically screaming when I heard.
What did you know about Gucci before you had the chance to walk their show?
Gucci in my mind was very high-end. I mean, it is a luxury brand and one of the most well known from Italy. When you think about Italian design, it’s all about quality—some of the best clothing, the best stitching, the best materials. I’ve always liked Gucci. I mean, who would’ve guessed that one day I’d be cast in the show?
Since this was your very first runway show ever, what surprised you about the experience?
I didn’t realize how much goes into a fashion show. You don’t really see that when it’s all put together and you’re on the outskirts, but being in the show, you really get to see every single thing. Everyone’s working really hard: You have makeup, you have hair, touch-ups, styling…People are really, really working together to make the final product perfect.
What was working with Alessandro Michele like?
He’s very friendly and he knows what he wants when he sees it. He would go straight to the bow and fix it how he wants. He knows his whole setup in his mind. The rings were placed just so. I think he has a really good eye for the details and an understanding of exactly how to make things look the way he wants them to—for a creator, it’s necessary to have that vision.
What was the vibe like backstage?
It was really fun. I woke up and got there at 5 a.m., and I got straight into hair and makeup, and had a little bit of breakfast, and then did nails, hair, and makeup, did a fitting and a practice walk around the grounds. Then after five hours, we finally hit the ground running. It was at 10 a.m., the show. The venue was very European in a way, tons of rugs, wood, very nice Parisian chairs. I liked having the mix of boys and girls backstage—everyone was floating around, talking to people. There was no cattiness, nothing, it was good. It was totally relaxed the whole time, yet really busy.
What would you say was the best part of the whole experience?
The best part of the whole experience was probably when it was go-time. Leading up to it, everyone’s going crazy, but when it’s finally your turn to go and walk and really present the brand, it’s an incredible feeling. What’s cool about modeling, too, is that you get to meet so many different kinds of people. You have this opportunity to grow and learn from some of the best, so working with the team—Alessandro, Pat McGrath—was amazing.
Now that you’ve had your first show, what’s next?
I think what’s super-exciting now is that the ball is finally rolling. I mean, it takes so long to really get going. You can put your foot in, but when you actually start getting momentum and speed, that’s when you can start running and you can start reaching those levels with the big dogs, working for even more brands, or creating something for yourself. I’m just able to really dive into it now because things are pulling in all different directions for me. So it’s really just about doing as much as you can while there is time.
