Follow the Model : Miss J's Guide to Unleashing Presence, Poise, and Power

AN EMPOWERING, NO-NONSENSE GUIDE TO LIVING THE MISS J WAY—FULLY AND FABULOUSLY!

HOW does a six-foot-four, Bronx-born black gay male become Queen of the Catwalk? In one word: attitude. Beloved by millions of fans for his outrageous wit and irrepressible flair, J. Alexander has primed hundreds of wannabe models on America’s Next Top Model and coached such supermodels as Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, and Kimora Lee with inspiring advice that applies far beyond the catwalk.

AS witheringly funny in print as he is in person, Miss J recounts a remarkable career in high fashion that began with creating couture knockoffs on his grandmother’s sewing machine. He reveals his secrets to succeeding at what you love most, shares life lessons and colorful (to say the least) anecdotes, provides a multitude of invaluable grooming and style tips, dishes on the celebrities he’s worked with so intimately, and offers a glimpse into the world of ANTM. Not everyone is born to be a supermodel, but every woman can acquire confidence, self-esteem, and the determination to realize her dreams. You’ve got to want it, work it, and walk it—and Miss J will show you how.

Born in the Bronx, J. Alexander (known also as Miss J) originally trained to become an accountant.  But a chance encounter at sixteen—while dressed in drag—with the impressed President of Elite Model Management got him signed to the agency and off to walk runway for designer Jean Paul Gaultier. There he met fresh model Tyra Banks and began to give her walking lessons. Banks coined his title Queen of the Catwalk. His accidental career as a backstage runway coach took off—coaching such future supermodels as Naomi Campbell and Kimora Lee (Simmons)—and led him around the world casting and coaching models for countless top-name designers. Now J. Alexander is a television personality, well known for his work as the runway coach and a judge on America’s Next Top Model. He currently lives in Paris.