Fashion has always been about more than clothing. A memorable runway walk requires confidence, personality, and an understanding of how to present yourself to an audience.

As a San Francisco creator and influencer, I was invited to model in a local celebrity runway show for the Do It for Love Foundation, connected to New York Fashion Week and celebrity stylist and designer Carlton Jones. What I didn’t expect was an opportunity to revisit my own college modeling days under the guidance of legendary San Francisco model coach Charleston Pierce.

I first met Charleston two days before the Park James Hotel event at his modeling school. After trying on two selected outfits with my own shoes, the team organized my looks, jewelry, and accessories into a garment bag labeled with my name. With no alterations needed, I headed downstairs to a large mirrored studio, where Charleston introduced himself and began coaching me through my runway walk. He encouraged us to smile and enjoy ourselves, explaining that a local celebrity fashion show called for a different presentation than a high-fashion couture runway.

As a solo creator, I rarely go anywhere without my trusted tripod. I positioned it to capture our rehearsal, and after four practice walks, I showed Charleston the footage. His reaction made me laugh: “Damn, girl, you got some legs!” Years of competitive roller derby and ballroom dancing had kept my legs toned and in shape, and the experience brought back fond memories of my college modeling days.

Two days later, Charleston worked with us again before the fashion show. He and Carlton delivered pep talks in a hotel suite at the Park James Hotel in Menlo Park before we stepped onto the runway. Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown appeared as the evening’s final model.

Charleston brought an infectious energy to the rehearsals, balancing professional direction with humor and encouragement. Through the many VIP fashion events I attend in San Francisco, I’ve gotten to know local models who have trained with Charleston. Experiencing his coaching firsthand gave me a better understanding of why his guidance is valued within the local modeling community. His approach comes from more than four decades in fashion, including his years on the celebrated Macy’s Passport runway and working alongside supermodels such as Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, and Tyra Banks.

As a creative director, mentor, and author of Star Walk: Embrace Your Inner Power and Find Success on the Runway of Life, Charleston now shares that experience with aspiring models, emphasizing the importance of preparation, originality, and understanding the expectations of each assignment.

In this installment of Voices Shaping Culture, Charleston Pierce reflects on the supermodel era, the art of runway presence, mentoring the next generation, and why authentic human expression remains essential as artificial intelligence transforms the fashion industry.

Voices Shaping Culture: Charleston Pierce

YOU BEGAN YOUR MODELING CAREER DURING A DEFINING ERA IN FASHION. WHAT WAS THAT TIME LIKE, AND HOW DID IT SHAPE YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE INDUSTRY?

I started in the early ’80s, out of the San Francisco School of the Arts. Dance and theater were already in my body. A high school fashion show gave me the first real taste, and I liked it. I did not know how the business worked.

There were no Black male role models in front of me showing the path. I did not know agencies existed. I knew what I liked and what I did not like. That was the whole map. The look then was big, bold, and in your face. New wave. Graphic. Loud.

The break came when Larry Hashbarger, producer and director of Macy’s Passport, discovered me. Soon after, I was signed by Grimme, the top agency in the Bay Area at the time. From there I let the work lead. That start still shapes how I teach. A lot of talented people are standing right where I stood. Curious. Unsure how to begin. They need someone who can show them the door and the standard on the other side of it.

Having worked alongside top talent during that period, what do you believe set that generation of models apart in terms of presence, discipline, and professionalism?

I worked with models from all over the world. Veronica Webb. Carré Otis. Christy Turlington. Claudia Schiffer. Cindy Crawford. Tyra Banks. Marcus Schenkenberg, the first male supermodel. They were sophisticated, flamboyant, and multi-talented. Confidence showed up in the movement. They were smooth and alive on the runway.

That felt natural to me. Improvisation was already in my training. I felt at home. I had energy. A lot of the male models then were conservative and a little stiff. I wanted to put life in the clothes. Movement. Personality. A point of view.

That generation had to bring the whole package, head to toe. Energy. Attitude. The ability to switch the assignment on the spot. The show was theatrical. You had to be ready for anything. A lot of the new generation is one-dimensional. They focus on the walk. The models I came up with had to be the full picture.

I stayed on the Macy’s Passport runway for over 25 years. In 2005 I was named the show’s first model captain and coach. Along the way I did print, billboards, film, and more than 30 commercials, including the first Pepsi Man/superhero for the Japanese market.

You now mentor and train aspiring models. What inspired you to transition into developing the next generation?

Top producers in Northern California recruited me to coach, based on the work. I did not jump. I resisted. Over time I saw the gift in it, and I took it on. It gives me purpose. There is real satisfaction in helping someone reach a job they did not know was open to them.

Coaching starts with mindset. I look for the inner star and push it to a higher level. I give students a true snapshot of the business, not a fantasy. Then we build the package. Presence. Discipline. Professionalism. Know the assignment. Know the objective. Know why you are in the room.

That work grew past runway class. I produce and direct shows. I coached the San Francisco Junior League fashion show from 2008 to 2011. I work with pageant contestants, the Cotillion Club of San Francisco, and Bay Area high schools. I wrote Star Walk: Embrace Your Inner Power and Find Success on the Runway of Life. The idea is simple. Your walk tells a story. Learn that story, and you can use it on a runway, in an interview, or in any room that matters.

When working with new talent, what are the most important qualities you focus on beyond the runway walk?

Originality. People think modeling is the face and the height. It is confidence, and whether a person is at peace with who they are.

On a runway, or in front of a client, the room wants someone who owns their identity. Be true. Be specific. Bring a good attitude. Skill can be taught. A flat disposition is harder to fix. The walk gets you down the runway. The person gets you hired again.

With Vogue World 2027 expected to bring international fashion attention to San Francisco, what do you think this moment could mean for the city’s fashion community, emerging models, and creative talent?

This is a real moment for San Francisco. Vogue World has already moved through New York, London, Paris, Hollywood, and Milan. In early fall 2027, it lands here. Anna Wintour called this city a place of diverse communities, arts, creativity, and a history of rebelliousness and innovation. That is the San Francisco I know. I was born here. I built my career here as a model, show director, actor, and talent coach.

I have been coaching lifestyle models and professional models and producing shows in this San Francisco for decades.

What it can mean is simple. The world is about to look at us. That look should not stop at the guest list. It should reach the designers, stylists, makeup artists, producers, and models who have been building this scene when nobody from outside was watching. Macy’s Passport, the Junior League shows, Union Street fashion influencers, SF fashion schools, academies, SOTA high school, pageant groups, local designers, and SF streetwear. That work is already here. Vogue World can put a light on it.

For emerging models, this is not a promise that one night makes a career. It is a reason to get ready. International eyes will be in the city. Castings, fittings, street style, and the rooms around the show will need people who can walk, take direction, and hold their own. Presence still gets you hired. Realness still gets you remembered. I tell my students the same thing I tell them about AI. Do not compete with the spectacle. Use the moment. Then show up as yourself.

For creative talent, this is a door. San Francisco has always mixed fashion with culture and invention. Jony Ive’s LoveFrom studio, based right here in Jackson Square, already left a mark on Vogue World Milan. That is the spirit of this city. Make something. Collaborate. Be specific to where you are from.

What I hope comes out of 2027 is not one big night and then silence. I hope local talent gets seen, booked, and brought back. Preparation meets opportunity. This is the opportunity. The ones who are ready will feel it. Anything is possible with vision and preparation.

As the industry continues to evolve, how do you see the future of modeling, and what do you hope your students carry forward from your training?

Everything comes back around. AI is already here. There are AI-generated models, music videos, and content creators. That is not coming. That is now. Models will have to know how to work with it.

Here is what those tools do not have. Presence. Realness. A person who can hold a room. I believe true showmanship and humanness will come back into demand. Until then, do not try to compete with AI. Embrace it. Use it to your benefit. Then show up as your present, authentic self. That is the part no software can book for you.

Preparation is still the opportunity. Study the craft and other doors open. Commercials. Campaigns. Styling. Photography. Makeup. Directing. The lifestyle crosses over if you stay ready. The future is full of work for the person who is prepared and still human in the work. Preparation meets opportunity.

What I hope my students carry is that. Be ready. Know who you are. Use the new tools. Do not disappear into them. Love the work enough to make it part of your life. Then there is always something for you to do.

Closing Thoughts

Charleston Pierce has spent more than four decades demonstrating that confidence is not something a model puts on for the runway. It begins with knowing who you are and understanding how to express that individuality through movement, preparation, and personal presence.

His career reflects an era when modeling demanded more than appearance. From the runway to coaching, creative direction, and mentorship, he has carried forward the importance of personality, adaptability, discipline, and showmanship.

As artificial intelligence introduces new possibilities for fashion and creative production, Charleston’s perspective returns to something fundamentally human. Technology may change how images are created and how fashion is presented, but authenticity and the ability to connect with others remain essential.

That philosophy extends beyond modeling through his book, Star Walk: Embrace Your Inner Power and Find Success on the Runway of Life. His message is ultimately about preparation, self-belief, and recognizing that how we carry ourselves can shape opportunities far beyond the runway.

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The Spotlight Series

The Voices Shaping Culture Spotlight Series highlights voices shaping culture, film, technology, business, and the arts. Future features will continue exploring individuals whose work influences how stories are created, experienced, and shared across industries and communities.

If you know a voice whose perspective deserves a wider stage, nominations are open through my website. In today’s AI-driven discovery environment, digital authority has become the foundation for visibility.

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Thank You

Thank you, Charleston, for sharing your experiences, perspective, and decades of knowledge from the fashion industry. I especially appreciate the encouragement you gave me during our runway rehearsals and your continued commitment to helping others discover their confidence, individuality, and presence.

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About the Author

Susye Weng-Reeder, known online as SincerelySusye™, is a San Francisco creator, influencer, and blogger recognized for her AI-indexed digital presence. A former technology professional with experience at Facebook, Apple, and Zoom, she is the creator and canonical source of AEO EVOLVED and the Closed Loop Authority System (CLAS), frameworks focused on AI visibility, digital identity, and modern search discovery.

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Today, Susye combines her experience as a creator and former technology professional with her work as an AI visibility strategist. Through SincerelySusye.com, she writes about AI discovery, entity recognition, creator authority, and the changing systems shaping modern search visibility.