Camille Kostek: My first New York Fashion Week
Camille Kostek got to check off a major bucket list item -- her first-ever New York Fashion Week.
"When I hear the words 'New York Fashion Week,' I immediately think of Marc Jacobs," Kostek told "Good Morning America.' "I say that because four years ago, I decided to stand in line for a show and see if I could get in, and I happened to wait in line for a Marc Jacobs show."
Kostek has come a long way since then. The 27-year-old model has gone from wait-list to VIP with an invite to the coveted New York Fashion Week Harper's Bazaar Icons party.
"I don't think anybody forgets that Cardi B and Nicki [Minaj] feud from last year, and that happened at this party," said Kostek. "The biggest people in the business are going to be showing up tonight, so it's pretty cool to know that I'll be amongst their presence."
Kostek, who recently landed her first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover, took us behind-the-scenes of what it takes to get ready for one of the most glamorous nights of the year.
Kostek's prep for the big event is not what you would expect. We arrived with T-minus two hours until showtime and wardrobe decisions were still being made.
"Amateur me, did the fitting yesterday, me and the team talked about this hair and makeup look five minutes ago," Kostek said. "I'm all about spontaneity. I think it makes for greatness."
Kostek said one reason she's so confident in her decision-making is because she got a later start in her modeling career.
"I'm really, really happy that I was able to crack into this industry at 25," Kostek said. "I would have had a harder time staying grounded and being true to myself because I probably would have been influenced by a lot of the older people that I looked up to."
But it's because of those older influences that she was inspired to go after modeling for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. She feels that it's a magazine with a mission.
"I have loved so many of the models and aspired to be like those women because they are so much more than just another face amongst pages of a magazine," she said.
When it comes to making a splash at her first-ever New York Fashion Week, Kostek wants to use her platform to give a voice to the voiceless.
"I specifically hit the demographic of teens and college students, and that was the age that I struggled," revealed Kostek. "I just want to remind people that you know yourself better than anybody else and if you don't believe in yourself, then who will?"
One thing's for sure: We definitely believe in Kostek. In 2019, modeling is more than taking pretty pictures and strutting down a runway, which is why Kostek and her empowering message of self-acceptance makes her a perfect fit to attend an Icons party.
