To the attendees of Coach’s Spring 2022 Show at New York Fashion Week, little is known about Jade Huber, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’24, beyond the fact that she is Look 26 of 48. 

Maraschino cherry-red sunglasses obscure her eyes and reveal only her expression of careful placidity as she takes long, purposeful strides down an undefined path. Alongside drummers, skateboarders and her fellow models, Huber threads in and out of a sea of bodies in a finale that transforms Pier 76 into a crowded subway during rush hour. The choreography is executed with the sort of effortlessness that almost makes the models seem like they belong to another world entirely — one more glamorous than our own.

Huber is by no means a stranger to this world. Having signed with Ford Models at just 8 years old, shoots for commercial magazines, e-commerce sites and editorials pervaded much of her childhood. She later took a brief hiatus from modeling to focus on school and college applications.

However, it wasn’t long before Huber found herself back in the modeling industry after being scouted on Instagram, only this time with a greater say in the direction her path would lead.

Among the agencies to offer her contracts were industry leaders IMG Models, Elite Model Management and Ford Models, under whom the likes of Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber are represented. Ultimately, Huber chose a smaller management agency, The Society, and has remained content in her decision since signing with them in January of this year.

“They all gave me contracts, but I picked The Society because it’s more of a boutique agency,” she explained. “They don’t take lots of girls, but I wanted something where they would focus on me and work around my school schedule too.”

But juggling schoolwork and her quickly growing career is an ordeal that demands sacrifice, and Huber, who is currently on FCLC’s theatre performance track, makes an active effort to attend class even when presented with opportunities from some of the biggest names in fashion.

She recalled a recent instance when Ralph Lauren himself extended a request to see her after watching her Coach runway debut. “They requested to see me on Tuesday and they were like, you have a request casting at 10 a.m.,” Huber said. “And I’m like, ‘No, I have French at 10 a.m., can we move it?’” 

Huber’s stance on deciding whether an opportunity is right for her is pragmatic and straightforward: “If they can’t move it, then I don’t do it.” 

While the glitz and glamour of the modeling world is indisputable, the life of a model extends far beyond jetting off for shows across the globe or taking home next season’s “it” bag. The industry, which Huber describes as “cutthroat,” is not exempt from having its fair share of downsides — the most prominent of which is having one’s appearance be equated to their own value.

For an industry where entire looks can be dropped from a show without so much as a second thought and hearing back from a casting may take as long as half a year, adopting a “que será, será” attitude is essential.

Standing at 5’9,” Huber describes herself as “short for a runway model,” thinking back to instances when she failed to get booked for just barely missing the height requirement.

“You have to meet specific requirements. And sometimes, your look is just not right for this show,” she said, explaining the process by which models are cut or considered. “It’s nothing personal. Like you can be beautiful and just not be right for Versace.”

The sting of rejection and overt criticism coming from everyone from casting directors to makeup artists have both been things Huber anticipated as part of the industry. The pressure of having to eat “like a model” (or, as Huber puts it, “like a bird”) is also an issue she has conditioned herself to ignore. Yet, in spite of this, she recognizes their merits in allowing her to thicken her skin and cultivate her sense of patience, which she believes to be a necessity when navigating the modeling world.

“Patience is a huge thing in this industry, and also just knowing when it’s your time. It wasn’t my time last year,” said Huber, referring to when the tightening of U.S. travel restrictions kept her from participating in a Prada show in Milan. “It was my time this year. It was my time I walked the Coach show.” 

For an industry where entire looks can be dropped from a show without so much as a second thought and hearing back from a casting may take as long as half a year, adopting a “que será, será” attitude is essential. 

This is something that especially resonates with Huber, who shared the meaning behind a tattoo she got just prior to walking for Coach. The inked angel number 222 — representing faith and patience — is inconspicuous and hidden behind her right ear, but its presence is symbolic of a mantra Huber finds herself holding close: “Whatever’s meant to be will be, and whatever’s in your path is coming towards you.”