CatWalk Deborah Gregory

Catwalk by Gregory, DeborahCatwalk Greogory is the author of the Cheetah Girl books, who got screwed by Disney. Pashmina Purrstein is a junior at Fashion International high school in NYC. Each year the school holds a Catwalk competition. Five houses will compete and the winning team will get money to start their own label, an overseas trip and other prizes. Pashmina is a future model and entrepreneur. She garners enough votes and the House of Pashmina is born.

There's a lot to like about this book. Pashmina is smart (3.5 gpa is a competition requirement)and goes after what she wants, not allowing her situation to stop her. She can't afford designer labels, so what she'll get together with her girls and make it work Tim Gunn style. There is no back stabbing in Catwalk, everyone is merely trying to do their best.
Though it was a little much with the cat lingo. Pashmina's and her crew are cat lover's. The names played into this as well Purrstein, Ms Lynx the principal, and Felinez one of Pashmina crew. Thanks to all the cat talk my brain played word association with Felinez turning it into Feline. The catvocab distracted from a great story, others may find it cute I did not. I must admit to loving the Catwalk Credo. A list of do's and don't for the House of Pashmina

"Rulers are for those who rule with purrcision"
"The true measure of my success will be not how I slope the terrain to fame but my ability to align my tasks and tantrums with those of my crew. I must always remember that grandiosity could land me in the half price sale bin like Goliath who was toppled by a tiny but well targeted rock."

Gregory redeems herself with The Catwalk Competition Blog. I loved this aspect of the story. Students in the Catwalk competition are free to write whatever on the blog for the school to read. Greogory uses this to teach us a little bit about the history of fashion as well as contestants fears and aspirations.

"And thanks to my black supermodels from Pat Cleveland Billie Blair, Beverly Johnson and Iman to Veronica Webb, Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell, I have grown up with the opportunity to do more than sit on the sidelines watching fashion shows. And little brown skinned girls growing up now don't have to steal blond barbie dolls anymore. We can steal brown ones.

Catwalk is a fun read with the right about of drama. A teen who loves fashion will enjoy Catwalk.