Robert Verdi - Behind the Judges' Table

Future Articles Have A New Location

TVLTheLink — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:35:47 GMT

Robert Verdi's Episode 4 (Season Two) article can be found at "Not In It To Win." You can find the location of articles for Episodes 5-8 on the SGTL Blog Landing Page.

Message Edited by TVLTheLink on 07-07-2009 12:14 PM

Age Has No Limits

Robert_Verdi — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:04:41 GMT

Picking 10 amazing women from a sea of beauty is difficult at best. Every day I walk past women on the streets of New York City, and I think to myself, "SHE'S got the look." And I wonder if she'll walk through the door of the open call next year, and maybe even win the competition.

This show is unpredictable -- from the contestants to the challenges through the eliminations, it's a roller coaster. She's Got the Look is redefining beauty for women over the age of 35. By bringing together a group of unique women who all share the same dream but have different experiences, different opinions and different appeal, we celebrate the diversity of beauty in the world.

As for Laurie, who's a big question mark for all of you, she really is a beautiful woman (much like Joan of Arc and Oprah), who gets in her own way. Working with all of these women on a daily basis, it's difficult to not develop feelings for all of them, so I'll let you know now, j'adore Dolores. She's polished, progressive, stylish, sexy, and over 70! She's living proof that when it comes to beauty, age is not a boundary.

The Search Is Over – For Now (Season One)

Robert_Verdi — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:02:32 GMT

Tanya's win wasn't just about challenges that she endured on She's Got the Look. Her win is the sum total of every moment of her life. As the competition ...

Don’t Give up Hope (Season One)

Robert_Verdi — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:14:44 GMT

Just a taste makes us want more -- more opportunity, more success, more fame, more money. More, more, more.

Savoring the moment, being in the moment, and owning the moment will bring you more than you ever hoped for. Let's face it: none of the final five would steal a role from Meryl Streep, but at the judges’ table, when we all weighed in, there was controversy.

This competition brought about the reality that we had to start looking at the big picture for each of the ladies. Their versatility, their likeability, their beauty, their poise. And most important, their ability to pull themselves together and be focused in an instant. For any number of reasons, Beverly, Sean and I at different moments liked certain ones more. We wanted Hope to blow us away. We know that she's radiant and funny, honest and dedicated. But in the heat of the competition, our expectations for her weren’t met and we had to send her home.

However, I was lucky enough to see Hope recently and catch up. She's back at work and doing incredibly well in her everyday life -- although as you could all predict, she's become a star on the streets of New York. Everybody loves Hope.

Here's what I know: Hope is full of optimism, and she’s refocused her goals. There are a million possibilities for her, and who knows -- you may just turn the page of a magazine or catalog and see her sparkling smile sometime soon.

I also learned this from Hope: Don't call her when the show is on -- even though she's not on She’s Got the Look anymore, she tunes in to see how her friends are doing.

Message Edited by TVLTheLink on 06-11-2009 11:49 AM

Gems in the Rough (Season One)

Robert_Verdi — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:30:04 GMT

Could the ladies have picked better emotions for themselves in the Episode 4 challenge? Longing, excitement, fear, confidence, surprise, passion and anger are just a few of the emotions we've all experienced. Some of them we know better than others – and some of them are our emotional signature. Trying to tap into our emotional history and recreate a deep rooted feeling – all while flying on a trapeze -- takes great skill and is incredibly challenging for a group of women, who, not too many days or hours before, were each experiencing all the feelings that they picked individually.

It was an emotional stew for all of them to sort through and capture one feeling... powerfully, provocatively and accurately. At the end of the trapeze competition, each of the judges had a different favorite. Mine was Karin. The idea of longing is one that is so hard to communicate and yet Karin was able to pour herself into the moment and channel it from a higher place. Beverly was completely taken by Tanya's photo of confidence, while Sean favored Hope's excitement. We were all equally enthralled with Bahia -- and completely disappointed that she was unable to resolve her fear of heights although she did deliver anger, the anger she felt at herself.

The jewelry photos were another opportunity to sparkle and once they were done, the judges were all over the place.

Was Bahia's fabulous jewelry shot enough to allow her to stay? Would Roxanne's awful trapeze shot be a reason to take her off the board? At the judges’ table, we were angry at Bahia. We were longing for Karin to see herself as a model. And we were surprised Hope had become so consistent in the competitions. Roxanne seemed to have lost her passion. For Melissa, fear had taken over. Tanya was feeling confident that she might take the lead, but Celeste had become a frontrunner... surprise!

--Robert Verdi

Message Edited by TVLTheLink on 06-11-2009 11:49 AM

Don't judge a woman until you walk a mile in her heels (Season One)

Robert_Verdi — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 02:14:30 GMT

Walking: It's something we do every day and don't think twice about. But on the runway, walking is a model's signature and can make or break her career. In life, as on the runway, sometimes you walk into an opportunity -- and sometimes you walk past one.

Such is the case with our contestants.

Celeste came into this competition with the confidence of an old pro and pulled through unscarred. Hope was, well, hopeful; Tanya was polished; and Melissa was bouncy. All of them walked right into the next phase of the competition. Roxanne slinked and Bahia sauntered; they also made it through. Karin is eccentric, and she looked much like a broken wind-up toy toddling down the runway. However, she made her awkwardness her strength and celebrated during with her robotic parade.

All the judges were ever hopeful that Paula was a fierce competitor and would give all the ladies a run for their money. Instead, she ran and hid behind herself. The reality that she doesn't wear heels isn't a problem in the real world, but it is a problem on the runway.

What we wanted to see Paula do was conquer this phobia quickly or uniquely. Instead, she surrendered her inability to adapt, and the consequence was that she walked down the runway for the last time. By learning a little more about the trials and tribulations of these ladies’ lives, we're learning how textured and interesting and fascinating these women are.

I was happy to see Beverly take the seat as pseudo-therapist and learn a lot more about these beautiful women. This particular catwalk competition was a perfect platform to learn more about each contestant, and it brings to mind an old cliché: Don't judge a woman until you walk a mile in her heels.

--Robert Verdi

June 18, 2008

Message Edited by TVLTheLink on 06-11-2009 11:50 AM

Goodbye, Kathy and Chickie (Season One)

Robert_Verdi — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:20:52 GMT

I wish all of these women could stay on the board. I was very sad to see Kathy and Sharon go.

Kathy made the decision for herself over the judges' desires to see her move forward. She’s a natural beauty, easy to talk to, smart, warm… the typical girl next door. She needed to be home with her kids -- she missed them and they missed her.

In the end, Kathy put her family first and got a chance to live a piece of her lifelong dream, but quickly learned that all dreams aren't what they are cracked up to be. Sometimes in life you learn that you already have everything you could have hoped for.

Sharon "Chickie” Davis has stayed with me in both my mind and heart since the day we met her in L.A. However, Sharon’s competition results were disappointing to all of the judges. While she's a strong front runner when photographed alone, an important piece fades away when she's in a crowd. In the group shot, unfortunately, Sharon's magic disappeared.

Sharon is an inspiring, gentle, vibrant and loving person, in constant transformation and evolution, learning more about herself and people around her every minute she breathes. I miss seeing her face every day, but I know that there are lots of people that get to enjoy her smile, her warmth and her wisdom on the show. As she said, "I'm 63 years young… I won't stop pursuing opportunities that may be presented to me as a mature woman, and I'm OK."

We love you, Chickie Davis!

--Robert Verdi

June 11, 2008

Message Edited by TVLTheLink on 06-11-2009 11:50 AM

Know Thy Measurements, Know Thyself (Season One)

Robert_Verdi — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 02:18:31 GMT

Life offers two incredibly unique challenges: getting to know yourself and learning how to get along with others. Interviews bring out insecurity, and competition brings out craziness. The good news is that you can learn from both, grow from both and get to know yourself a little bit better from both.

Style is really important when you walk into a room full of strangers. Tanya, one of the strongest contestants in the competition, made an incredibly bad choice in clothing. Her three-piece lace ensemble harkened back to the ‘80s style of Crystal Carrington -- it was too much. So much, in fact, that it buried her.

Classic and simple is the way to go in any interview, especially in the world of modeling; the whole reason for a go-see is to allow a designer, editor or ad exec to see an honest, unaffected real beauty. The best thing to wear in an interview is confidence and a smile, and that's why Roxanne won the Leg Up Challenge.

What’s most surprising to me was how little these women knew themselves. My theory is, if you don't know what size you are, it’s indicative of how little you know who you are. While your measurements aren’t the truest measure of who you are, knowing them is important if you want to model.

Getting naked in front of a camera is a challenge any of us would find difficult. Doing it in a group multiplies that feeling exponentially -- everyone comes with a different comfort level, a different insecurity about some physical feature, but ultimately, you have to play the hand you’re dealt.

Paula had a difficult time understanding why The Blue Team lost. She felt guilty, but it wasn't her fault -- it was the team's fault. They didn't communicate well. Instead they fell apart, leaving The Pink Team miles ahead of them. This challenge had nothing to do with prettiest face, best body or any other superficial quality. It was simply a test to reveal how well everyone could strategize and how much they were able to inspire their teammates. The Pink Team rose to the occasion and ultimately won the prize, leaving The Blue Team in a place where its members had to reflect on their part in the failure. Paula didn't lose the competition; the team did.

--Robert Verdi

June 11, 2008

Message Edited by TVLTheLink on 06-11-2009 11:51 AM

And Then There Were 10 (Season One)

Robert_Verdi — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:29:45 GMT

When Sean, Beverly and I sat at the judges’ table for the first time, it was clear to me why we were all there. Sean runs one of the most powerful modeling agencies in the world and knows exactly what clients are looking for. Beverly Johnson is more than a model -- she's an icon. I bring a viewpoint from the front row, as a fashion pundit and stylist who understands what types of beauties are missing on the pages of magazines and on the runways. Who knows exactly how each of the contestants felt standing in front of a panel of people who were "judging" them? Looking back, the beauty that all of our Top 20 contestants have is what's missing in the world. Any of these women would be a welcome breath of fresh air to the world of beauty campaigns, fashion runways and magazine editorials.

What was clear at the judges table was that Sean, Beverly and I were all on a mission to find a timeless beauty, but not one that was ageless.

People often times think they know how they look best, but many times what they see in the mirror isn't what everyone else sees. Being beautiful is more than the right haircut, the right weight, the right height. It's more about how you make what people think is wrong not only look right, but celebrate what's imperfect and unique. Beauty is just another word for originality.

I was torn about so many of these women. Looking at the Top 20 finalists, I wish that it had played out differently for Pamela, Sandra and Alana. These three women are all powerful beauties who just barely missed the opportunity to be in the Top 10. While they’re all beautiful, and would probably work as models, each one was missing the smallest piece of panache that would have catapulted them into the next round.

I’m sure people who watched the show didn’t expect Karin and Paula to be in the Top 10, but from the get-go, these two women were frontrunners -- not because of any pre-existing idea we have about beauty but because of the new standard of beauty that they make possible. Karin is a diamond in the rough and Paula is edgy, tough and emotional – all qualities that belie being a beauty, but are incredibly important to being one.

For each of our Top 10 women, there’s a single moment where it’s understandable why they’re in this competition. Tanya is in complete transformation, which we saw when a lifetime of trying to be perfect cracked and tears started streaming down her face. At 35, Hope is as exuberant and vibrant as any 17-year-old model and simply comes alive in front of the camera. Celeste is shockingly youthful, looks incredible and is a lesson to all women that 50 is fabulous.

As for next week: Put on your seat belts, kids, and get ready for a bumpy ride.

--Robert Verdi

June 4, 2008

Message Edited by TVLTheLink on 06-11-2009 11:51 AM

Behind the Judges' Table: The Beginning (Season One)

Robert_Verdi — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:13:03 GMT

I remember the day that I was asked to be a judge on She’s Got the Look. I was busy running around pulling together wardrobes for clients: I had an armful of couture dresses for the gorgeous Eva Longoria and I was on a mission to find three-piece suits for the dashing Terrence Howard. The phone rang and I got the good news -- from the second I heard about this show I knew I wanted to be on it.

I am constantly surrounded by beautiful women over the age of 35, and I myself am a ripe 39-year-old. What I knew right away, and loved most about this show, is that it would be about second chances in life. The reality is that by the time you hit 35, you’re in the groove of your life… you’ve got the kids, the career, the husband. She’s Got The Look inspires women to look at their lives and reflect on what pieces of themselves they may have given up, and what spark might still be burning inside -- what dream might still be awakened and what possibilities life holds at 35 and long after. This series is about making decisions about your life and giving yourself a second chance to believe in yourself, in your beauty and the possibility that maybe, just maybe you’ve got the look.

Thousands and thousands of women showed up for open casting calls for She’s Got The Look. I was completely shocked by the turnout. I quickly began to realize that there is an absence of beauty images in our culture for women over the age of 35. From that moment forward I began tuning in to the daily beauty assault that all women face, from young perfect bodies on billboards to flawless faces on the covers of magazines to shiny, happy young celebrities on the red carpet. I thought to myself, what an intimidating experience for women to be constantly reminded of getting older and becoming less perfect. But are they?

One by one a stream of fabulous women filed through our open call, each one more interesting than the next, each one more beautiful -- and all of them were over the age of 35. The truth is that beauty doesn’t fade; beauty magnifies. Life experience coupled with knowing yourself better allows a radiance to come through that isn’t present in your youth. Beauty isn’t defined simply by age, but rather by the texture of a person’s life. The good, the bad, the emotional roller coaster: It’s your journey that defines beauty.

We met so many extraordinary women. Mothers, wives, sisters and daughters -- each with a beautiful story to tell. Tanya, a 45-year-old former Miss California, battles her desire to be perfect. Chicky (a.k.a. Sharon) reinvents herself in her 60s. And then there’s Karin, a shy Swedish bass player who’s finally finding herself at 40. Please join these women on their journey. I know you will love them as much as I do, and you will enjoy meeting them as much as we all did. You will find pieces of yourself, your sister, your mom and your best friends in each of these women. Tune in to TV Land on June 4 at 10 p.m. for the premiere of She’s Got The Look.

--Robert Verdi

May 28. 2008

Message Edited by Robert_Verdi on 05-28-2008 12:15 PM

Message Edited by TVLTheLink on 06-11-2009 11:49 AM