Alyssa Buckley took a chance last spring and aimed for something big. Not only did it pay off for her, but she was kind enough to take SUNY Fredonia along for the ride.
Currently a sophomore childhood education major, she entered a modeling contest sponsored by Maurice’s department stores. Against many odds, the women’s fashion store with more than 750 stores in 44 states chose her as one of 12 winners across the U.S.
Maurice's is headquartered in Duluth, Minn., and has a location in the D&F Plaza locally. It is owned by the Ascena Retail Group, which also counts Justice and Dressbarn among its brands.
With Maurice's customers being primarily ‘twenty-something’ fashion- and cost-conscious women, it created the “Main Street Model” contest as an opportunity to showcase not only their affordable clothes, but also their particular ideals about the fashion industry.
“It’s not just about being a model, but a role model,” organizers explained. They created the contest not to discover aspiring models looking to get a foot in the door of the fashion industry, but instead to find ordinary, small-town young women who would portray a healthy, positive image to their peers.
Online voters helped to trim the list of 550 applicants down to 50, and Maurice’s judges narrowed that down to 20 finalists. Alyssa made the top 20, and was flown to Minneapolis for a casting call and photo shoot.
"It felt great to make top 50, and when I made top 20, I froze," Ms. Buckley said.
Alyssa was the youngest of the 12 winners, all of whom received $1,500 in clothing, the chance to model Maurice’s clothing during a professional photo shoot (the results of which would be displayed in every Maurice’s store across the nation), and $7,500 to donate to charities of her choice. Alyssa chose to donate $4,500 to Chautauqua County Rural Ministries, an organization that provides food, clothing, shelter and assistance to those in crisis situations. The remaining $3,000 was donated to Circle of Love, a group which provides wigs and other assistance to cancer patients going through treatments.
In addition, she was able to choose where to have her winning photo shoot, and she decided to include several on-campus locations among her selections, because SUNY Fredonia has been such a large part of her life. Not only did Alyssa’s mother, Angela, attend, but her sister, Aleah, is currently a senior biochemistry major. Plus, it was her aunt, Shannon Moore — a member of the SUNY Fredonia Facilities Planning Department — who first brought the contest to Alyssa’s attention.
“I chose campus because I thought it would make some interesting shots and because, in this small town, the college is very important,” Alyssa explained.
With its distinctive architecture, the photographers were thrilled to have such a unique backdrop. “They agreed it was a good place to take shots because it is a big part of my life and my future. They really wanted us girls to show the public about ourselves and our lives.”
Additional photos of Alyssa can be found in the Maurice’s catalogue and on its website (www.maurices.com), and they will remain on display inside the Maurice’s in the D&F Plaza through the end of September.
