Tuesday Topic with Christine Rutter

IT WAS the greatest miracle since water was turned to wine.

With the flick of a blusher brush and the flash of a camera this ugly duckling was transformed into an elegant catwalk swan.

And, for someone who sports a toothy grin like something from a Wallace and Gromit adventure whenever a lens is pointed in her direction, that was some achievement.

The model agency was more like my mum's living room than a swanky studio. It instantly made me feel at home.

But I soon realised that my time spent in front of the mirror, contorting my face into mischievous grins, sexy pouts and sultry glances, had been wasted. The other models at this agency were naturals in front of the lens.

"She isn't a model. She is just a student," make-up artist Becky Hodgkinson was quick to point out as I looked at an attractive picture.

"I really hate it when a model's looks are blanked out and then painted on with make-up. I want people to recognise themselves. I just enhance what God has given them. Everybody has some feature to show off." She reassured me that mine was my eyes, before whipping my locks into shape with a hot-brush. And when I finally caught sight of my sleek bob and painted expression I did detect a hint of my former self.

I slid off the make-up chair and, barefoot, craned my neck towards a skyscraper model, who entered the room.

"Are you the one for the make-over?" she asked with more than a hint of disbelief in her voice as she peered down at my 5ft 2in frame.

This was Rose Quinn, who started modelling at 16. Now she is a talent-spotter who primes models for stunning shots taken by her photographer sister Lezli.

The Glaswegian pair have teamed up with Blackburn sisters Gaynor McCusker, a designer clothes expert, and Karen Hughes, a talented photographic saleswoman, to create an East Lancashire model agency. And models are not in short supply.

Demand has been nothing short of phenomenal since the agency, Faith, opened its doors above Gaynor's designer clothes shop Dress Up and Go, in Preston New Road, Blackburn.

Karen said: "East Lancashire is an undiscovered area when it comes to models.

"The region has a Lowry image of cloth cap and clogs, yet there are many kids with sparkle and adults with the looks to make a career out of modelling.

"They have slipped through the net over the years because of having to travel to find an agency or hearing horror stories of model exploitation.

"We want to change that."

The team are always searching for that elusive supermodel quality among their customers.

Rose said: "We always look for that X factor.

"We know it when we see it. You can't put your finger on it." Faith caters for all - from young hunks with their eye on the big time to those who simply want a portfolio, portrait or catwalk training.

The agency is soon to stage a catwalk extravaganza featuring 100 models to raise cash for SuperScan.

I was whisked to the changing room, where the team waded through the mountain of clothes I'd carted along for the shoot.

They plumped for a striped sports dress with denim jacket and a ball gown I snapped up at a charity shop for a fiver.

Now it was time for my tete-a-tete with the lens.

My vision was an electric fan blowing my hair into the distance while I frolicked in front of the camera clutching a variety of props like babies and brollies

But, apart from a dainty chair and a bale of hay, I flew solo.

I had never understood why glamour girls complain about the rigours of of the catwalk. But after the shoot I understand why they complain. "Do this. It looks more sexy," urged Lezli, scrunching up her eyes and summoning her lips into a pout.

I consented and felt I was going cross-eyed at one point as I leaned back on a gold painted chair, gritting my teeth behind painted lips as my aching legs were thrust in abnormal directions.

Every few seconds, the house lights were up and Becky would dash towards me dabbing more lipstick and blusher or twisting my hair for a different pose.

"Sit back, lean forward, smile, don't smile, close your lips, open them, look right, look left . . ."

The instructions were bewildering and by home time I was exhausted.

But the day was a scream with the happy-go-lucky team and a real eye-opener regarding the world of modelling.

And the results? If nothing else, I will be able to use the shots to pretend to any future grandchildren that their granny was once a catwalk chick!

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.