Miss J. Alexander on Teaching Models How to Walk the Runway

Introduced to fashion by his mother while growing up in the Bronx, Miss J. Alexander’s career as a runway coach all started when he began training his roommate and friend. Back then, Miss J. had been modeling for Jean Paul Gaultier and would watch the shows in Paris, giving “free catwalk advice after the shows,” he told Teen Vogue. Eventually meeting powerhouse model Tyra Banks at a show backstage, she ultimately became his student, too, which eventually led to his major role on popular television show America’s Next Top Model. Serving as a catwalk coach and then a judge, Miss J. now spends much of his time coaching fashion students at Savannah College of Art and Design on how to put some pep in their step.

Teen Vogue sat down with Miss J. to talk about his experiences coaching models in the 1990s, being on ANTM, and why he enjoys working with SCAD students.

TV: What was it like giving Tyra Banks catwalk lessons?
MJ: I first met Tyra Banks backstage and I started giving her tips on her walk. After I gave her “Catwalk Tricks,” she came into the modeling world with a walk and a purpose. It was an honor to have her name me the “Queen of the Catwalk.”

TV: What other iconic models have you worked with?
MJ: It was all in the early 90's when it started and those models have gone on to be mothers, authors, actresses, and businesswomen: Catriona Balfe, Susan Holmes-Mckagan, Claudia Mason, Emma Sjoberg Wiklund, Patricia Hartmann, etc., just to name a few. When my career shifted from being a judge on Top Model for 13 years, I realized I couldn’t do both. Now, I bestow my experience and knowledge upon the ever talented group of students at SCAD, and have been coaching models for their renowned runway shows for 16 years.

TV: How was being a coach and judge on America's Next Top Model? What was your favorite part of doing televised shows?
MJ: Being a judge on the show was an experience because you’re dealing with models competing with each other for exposure every day, from morning to night. So, I think the focus is different when you’re dealing with models that are competing on a televised modeling contest versus those who are not.

TV: When and why did you begin working with university students?
MJ: I started at SCAD in 2003 when Vogue Editor at Large, André Leon Talley, suggested I come down and train the students to move with a catwalk model spirit and voila, The Miss J Alexander and SCAD marriage bloomed. Every year, I am blown away by the talent that SCAD’s award-winning fashion degree program displays on the runways. If you didn’t know better, you’d think you were at New York Fashion Week watching designers who have shown for decades. SCAD truly offers an elevated approach to studying fashion design, fibers, accessory design and so much more.

TV: What has your experience been working with SCAD fashion students?
MJ: The experience has been illuminating. SCAD has such a culturally diverse pool of creative and talented students from all around the globe. The university cultivates creative harmony from fashion, film, fibers, architecture, beauty and fragrance, interior design, and more. It’s all there.

I spend a lot of time traveling globally; so, when you see SCAD fashion seniors’ collections on the runways, you will notice a truly collaborative and innovative approach to fashion that touches many of its leading degree programs. This is something that I’ve noticed that sets SCAD apart across the globe.

This interview has been edited and condensed

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue