Answering the casting call
If faking it as a fashion stylist
doesn’t work out, Kristyl Meyerhoefer can always return
to her real career in drycleaning. Meyerhoefer, a sales manager
for Long & Star Cleaners, Inc. in Miamisburg, OH, started
on her “fake” career track when she saw the
headline, “Woman Dry Cleaner Wanted For TV Show,”
in the October 17 edition of IFI’s Hot Press. After
responding to the request for consideration, she was named a
finalist for The Learning Channel’s show Faking It.
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In November, the 21-year-old Ohioan was
headed to New York City for a month of mentoring by a fashion
expert, leaving behind Long & Star Cleaners, her husband,
and a little boy. Her goal is to fake out the show’s
judges, convincing them of her expertise in her new vocation as
a fashion stylist.
Meyerhoefer’s boss, Larry Long, a
partner with Long & Star Cleaners, described Meyerhoefer,
as an adorable, very photographable “Meg Ryan” type
who is very resourceful and essential to Long &
Star’s operations. “She’s got great focus and
fortitude — a real ‘go-to’ person.” She
started working for Long while still in school five years ago
and now manages four stores.
Long described Meyerhoefer’s month
of training under the show’s tutelage as a “quantum
leap.”
“Everybody’s thrilled for her
and pitching in [to fill in during her absence],” Long
said. “She leaves a void, no doubt about it. But if she
took it as a career, I wouldn’t stand in her
way.”
Meyerhoefer completed her month of
training last week. Long said he’s heard the show should
air sometime in March.
Long is one of many IFI members who have
signed up to receive Hot Press, the free e-mail newsletter that
IFI has been sending for the past six months to all members for
whom IFI has an e-mail address. The unofficial motto for the
newsletter is “For news too good to wait.” That
proved true in this case. Given the timing, IFI would not have
been able to include the announcement of TLC’s star
search in the monthly Fabricare magazine, because it would have
been too late by the time the November issue reached readers.
“Because you posted our information,
you reached people I may have never even known about —
and one of those people was Larry Long — who contacted
us” about Meyerhoefer, said Annette Grundy, casting
producer for Faking It.
IFI said members who are not receiving Hot
Press can sign up by calling the IFI Membership Department,
(800) 638-2627, to register an e-mail address. The bi-weekly
e-newsletter, which also comes with a problem garment alert
e-mail, is a free member benefit.
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