The stack of fashion magazines in 16-year-old Amanda’s bedroom is only the first clue that this teen has a passion for fashion and an eye for design. She loves the way she feels when sporting the perfect new outfit, and she knows all the big-name supermodels and dreams of someday following their footsteps down the catwalk.
Amanda’s fascination with the world of modeling gave her a pleasant distraction during her treatments for leukemia. And after seeing so many photo spreads featuring her favorite models in magazines, she knew that she had what it took to pose for the camera too. With the help of wish granters from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of San Diego, she got her ticket to supermodel stardom.
The California girl and her mom set out for one of the fashion capitals of the world: New York City. A limo was waiting to take the budding model to Industria Studios, an unassuming brick warehouse that could easily be missed by NYC tourists wandering through Greenwich Village.However, some of the fashion industry’s most famous faces are often seen passing through the doors of this humble exterior – including celebrity photographer and “America’s Next Top Model” star, Nigel Barker, and fashion magazine editor and commentator Mary Alice Stephenson.
Nigel and Mary Alice were waiting to greet Amanda and get her day-in-the-life-of-a-supermodel off to a glamorous start. Mary Alice had a huge wardrobe selection for her to choose from and offered her some expert stylist advice. Professional make-up artists and hairstylists were on hand to make Amanda look like a star. And Nigel had his lights and camera at the ready and helped Amanda strike dozens of poses in a photo shoot set to her favorite music.
As an added surprise, Nigel and Mary Alice arranged for a visit from one of the world-famous supermodels whose shoes Amanda dreamed of filling. Amanda got the chance to learn tricks of the trade and pose along side a professional cover girl.
Because all good models have to keep up with the latest fashion trends, the Make-A-Wish Foundation treated Amanda to a shopping trip down Fifth Avenue. She also got to sport some of her fashion at some of New York’s hottest restaurants.
When Amanda’s wish trip came to a close, she had a suitcase full of new fashion and perfect photos to take home.It was the perfect way to end a chic week full of modeling magic.
You can read more about Nigel Barker here.

