What. A. Month. Probably my favorite this year. I kicked off October strutting down the runway for the first ever Los Angeles Equality Fashion Week show. I met the designer, Lior Boroda, two days prior at his apartment/studio which isn’t far from mine. He and I almost immediately had a strong connection. His designs are so beautiful and he is beyond talented, I couldn’t help but feel honored to be wearing his designs.

The show was everything I could have hoped for and more. Kicking off LA’s Fashion Week was a show produced by, hair and makeup done by, models walked by, and event staff of almost all LGBTQ+ community members; it was gorgeous.

Besides a music festival, I haven't felt so much genuine love, companionship, and creativity in one day. The 12 and a half hour day was filled with sharing personal transition stories with one another, talking about being a minority, along with talking everyday topics, doing impromptu photoshoots, and it was just, again, beautiful.

I’m not going to lie right before I went out to walk I was shaking, my heart was racing, I felt so out of breath. The second I stepped out into the half blinding spot lights though, I fed off the energy from the incredibly supportive crowd and strutted down that runway like I’d been preparing for since I was in elementary school. Even the scarily quick outfit change and “will I make it in time… nope, fuck, going to just mess the line up right now, my heart is racing” was fun. With the adrenaline of changing, boom - I'm back on the runway staring at the flashing camera lenses and riled up crowd. I don’t think I’ve ever felt hotter than that second walk on the runway. I felt in that moment, like the most important person in the universe (and it didn't hurt that my two close friends CJ Sparxx and Chloe Bower were in the front row screaming their heads off for me!)

Like I said in my Instagram post about the event; “Words can’t express how grateful I am for last night. Being with all community members in a safe space like the Montrose West Hollywood was indescribable. The hotel staff, event crew, designers, models, entertainers, and even the crowd, it was all love. No competition, no bad attitudes, only a lot of sass and hot ass. Thank you to NiK Kacy for producing a fabulous first equality fashion week show, Nikki Dyani for submitting me, and the incredibly talented Lior Boroda for having me in his designs. Here’s to many more years of love. xxCR”

Equality Fashion Week was another moment in my life where my persistent hard work and positive thinking showed itself to me. The entire day and night was filled with an overwhelming feeling of love. When you’re with your community and sharing stories, knowing there is no judgement and only admiration and support,  it's something you have to encounter in order to understand it fully. I want to walk the runway forever and ever and ever. I feel very much so like this show was the start to my career in a new way, a way I can’t even describe or put my finger on yet. What I do know is that Lior and I now have a beautiful relationship that has stemmed from this event, sort of like Kim K being the muse to Balmain… so there will be many more collaborations with us to look forward to!

This month was filled with a lot of other exciting stuff too! I had a photoshoot with an amazing photographer, Josh Spencer, that I've decide to hold off on posting the photos from, and pair my writing with the photos for an editorial in a publication that's to be determined.

My best friend from college, Vanessa, finally moved to LA in the beginning of the month! This is the second friend from school within three months to move here, and I finally feel like I have a great base of friends I can rely on and have new fun adventures with.

Speaking of close friends, my friend Whitney is pregnant and I finally know what it means to love a child before it’s even born. Whit is my first close friend having a baby and her shower was perfect. There weren’t typical shower games, just a station to make personal onesies and baby toys. There was a bar and catered food and a candy station and it was beautifully done. I cried twice. Seeing my friend so happy, surrounded by love, knowing this baby too would be surrounded by that love, it made me cry. The party was filled with members of the LGBTQ+ community, adding an extra sense of love to the day. Later that night sitting with Whitney and rubbing her belly, my bonding time with baby H, looking at her being so beautiful, it just made me cry again. I cannot wait to watch him grow and be his Auntie Corey.

My friend Jeff visited LA again (his first time was for LA pride) and we of course got into some crazy shenanigans. Vanessa actually introduced me to Jeff,  and we all reunited with our other various friends who had moved out here. One of my college friends, Rich, moved here with his boyfriend in August and works for Sony Pictures. He gave Jeff and I a personal tour of the lot and it was so. much. fun. During Jeff’s stay we filmed a fun YouTube video in Santa Monica (when it airs on his channel I will let you all know,)  we rode scooters by the beach, and did impromptu photo shoots.

While Jeff was busy filming a chicken tender challenge, a high school friend of mine contacted me to be a part of a music video for a huge singer that she was directing. I can’t say much more about it, but it’s all about female empowerment and I can't wait to share the video with all of you very sooooon!

With all the friend time I had this month it made me miss home way less and made me feel way more at home here in LA.

Vanessa has been taking me to different types workout classes within this month and it’s made me realize that although I can kick ass and am somewhat strong, I am not as strong as I thought. I  love going to classes and working on my form and learning new moves to do at home with my at home workouts that I do pretty much every day, so maybe I’ll invest in something like Class Pass… anyone have any suggestions?

The second fashion show I did this month was for Toni & Guy, the leading hair school here in LA. They put on a fundraiser hair show for Susan B. Komen (which I booked because of the Equality fashion show). I saw familiar faces there, tried new edgier hairstyles, did a photoshoot, (where this cover photo came from,) and again affirmed my love for fashion, the runway, and serving my best model looks.

This month I accomplished two new interviews for the LGBTQ+ Profiles section to this site. The first on my friend from college, Greg Mania, who was the first gender-bender I had ever met, and the second on my first duo, Alex & Jesse, two musicians changing music for the queerer.

The month ended on the highest note, Halloween, which is my all time favorite holiday. Needless to say it was a BLAST, and will definitely be hard to beat. Being with old and new friends for “Halloweekend” and actual Halloween made for the be perfect ending to a perfect month.

Like I said, a month has never started so incredible for me, not since my surgery at least, and this was way less painful.  I have never felt more myself than I do now and it's solidified the fact that being myself is my best skill, and nothing will get me further than believing in that. My biggest takeaway from this month is this: If you can think, it you can do it.

I have exciting projects happening in the first few weeks of November, including speaking a the first ever trans march in LA, and being a guest on the dating podcast, We Met at Acme. More to come, as always!

xxCR