Mirror, Mirror: Wyndmoor native walks the walk at Fashion Weeks

Julia Fleming's New York Fashion Week got off to a slow start: Three days into the spring collections, the 19-year-old freshman model from Wyndmoor hadn't yet walked a show.

But on the morning of Sept. 13 - the fourth day of the spring 2016 presentations - things began to pick up.

Quickly.

Fleming made her first high-fashion appearance for Spice Girl-turned-celebrity-designer Victoria Beckham. (Not bad.)

That evening, she glided down Prabal Gurung's runway in an orange dress like a sunset. (Actress Sarah Paulson wore an off-the-shoulder Gurung gown at Sunday's Emmys - again, not bad.)

The next day, Fleming dazzled in a metallic racerback sheath for Vera Wang.

"It was like wearing a crystal ball," Fleming said, giggling.

And not only did she wear two looks at Rag & Bone's athletic-inspired show, she served as the spring 2016 muse for the brand's designers, David Neville and Marcus Wainwright.

"My face was actually printed out and posted on all the walls backstage as the model for the show's makeup look," Fleming said, a hint of disbelief in her voice.

By week's end, Fleming had walked in nine of the American fashion industry's top designer shows, including Coach's highly anticipated runway debut; Narciso Rodriguez, for whom she opened (the most important slot a model can get); and Calvin Klein.

"She hit a grand slam, an absolute home run," gushed Jason Valenta, director of scouting for Next Model Management in New York. The company has placed rising supermodels Binx Walton and Grace Hartzel as the face of Alexander Wang and Calvin Klein campaigns, respectively.

He was surprised Fleming was virtually unknown but still had landed premier gigs.

"She's not had a single editorial and she's appeared in the top shows and has met with all of the top casting agents," Valenta said.

Last weekend, Fleming walked eight London Fashion Week runways for a roster of brands that included Paul Smith, Topshop, and Antonio Berardi - for whom she opened and closed. She's already seen casting agents for spring collections starting Wednesday in Milan. She will undoubtedly close out the spring 2016 season in Paris.

"It's been so amazing. I mean, absolutely surreal," Fleming said. "I'm so happy."

Fleming joins Stella Lucia of DNA Models; Hyun Ji Shin of IMG Models; and her colleagues at Next, Lineisy Montero and Olivia Jansing, as the latest crop of models to wow New York and international runways. (Fleming, Montero, and Jansing were practically inseparable during the New York collections - at least according to their Instagram accounts.)

Like their slightly older counterparts Cara Delevingne and Karlie Kloss, these young women boast angular facial features and lankly limbs. But their vibe is a hint more androgynous, perfect for cargo pants in midriff tops, the hallmark of the young and edgy designers' athletic looks. They also can easily slip into sheaths with longer hemlines inspired by the very feminine 1930s era.

"There is something very cool but also aristocratic about her face," Valenta said, describing Fleming's look. "She looks expensive and street. She straddles a fine line."

Fleming, who stands 5-foot-11, has always been tall, so the idea of walking runways has been in the back of her mind since she was a young teen. But between lacrosse games at Penn Charter, a year at Ursinus College, and parents who wanted to preserve her childhood, the fierce life had to take a backseat.

"It's a funny world, not an easy one," said her mother, Tricia Fleming, who with husband Toby owns Twisters Wellness Centers in Ambler and Erdenheim. "But she's grown up into a pretty mature girl, so we decided it was OK for her to take some pictures and send them into Reinhard last year."

Fleming worked for a time with Reinhard Model & Talent in Philadelphia, but agency director Jenna Adams urged her to go New York because her look was more high fashion.

In late June, Fleming's parents ran into a friend who was chatting at Starbucks in Flourtown with Ron Gerard, director of Next in Miami. (Gerard started his career at a modeling agency outside Philadelphia.)

Her mother emailed pictures to Gerard, who passed the photos on to Valenta in the New York offices. By early July, Fleming was signed with Next, posing for test shots, and practicing her walk.

Fleming is taking her success day by day. A natural planner, she said she had to get used to not knowing her next move. "Sometimes you don't get a call until a few hours before a show," she said.

Walking in high heels on the runway is tough, too: "Shoes on a really slippery surface are intimidating." Hair and makeup, by far, are the most fun. "I love all the different looks."

She has no idea whether supermodel status is in her future, but she hopes to use her platform as a way to raise money for children suffering from progeria, which causes premature aging. Fleming has grown close to two siblings in her neighborhood who have the disease.

"My biggest goal when I started modeling was to find a way to help them," Fleming said. "I want to use my talent to do something big."

ewellington@phillynews.com

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