Penn women get a TV `makeover'

In their free lunch hour between Navy drills, physical training and classes, roommates Casey Monahan and Jess Maillou make time to watch A Makeover Story on The Learning Channel. When they heard the show was coming to Philadelphia, they jumped at the chance -- especially since the makeover would be just in time for the Navy Spring Ball. "We just thought it would be fun," Maillou said. Monahan and Maillou, Nursing sophomores and members of the Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps at Penn, filled out an online application and -- to their surprise -- were chosen out of an applicant pool of thousands to appear on the show. A Makeover Story documents the transformation of real-life people from their old, everyday "before" look to a new and glamourous "after" look. Producer Marianne Vogel said the application staff chose Monahan and Maillou for their unique situation. "Because they're in ROTC, they were always in sweats and T-shirts," Vogel said. "It's a dramatic change, and they were open and willing." Although Monahan and Maillou were not fashion disasters, their schedules left little time for dressing up, and they wanted to surprise their fellow ROTC members at the dance. "Being in the ROTC puts restrictions on what we can wear in front of other people in the unit," Monahan said, explaining that they are usually in either workout clothes or uniforms. The shooting for A Makeover Story began last Wednesday, when the film crew followed the two to their early morning Navy drills, their apartment, their microbiology lab and their physical training. The next day, the crew took Monahan and Maillou shopping separately for dresses, shoes and accessories. And on Saturday, the two spent over eight hours getting made over at Pierre and Carlo, a salon and spa at Broad and Walnut streets. "The makeover was the best part," Monahan said. Both were treated to manicures, pedicures, hairstyling and facials, all while talking to the camera. Filming was no problem for Monahan and Maillou. "The camera crew was so cool that it wasn't like talking to a camera," Casey said. "They never put words in our mouth. It was all our own thoughts." Their new hairdos were the most dramatic results of the process. "I used to be a blonde," said Maillou, grinning. Her short, curly hair is now red. Hairstylist Sonny del Grande added layers and highlights to Monahan's shoulder-length brown hair, which she had normally pulled into a ponytail. "We gave her a new, edgy look, the latest from Paris," del Grande said. "Because Philadelphia's not really a fashionable town, per se." After their makeovers, Monahan and Maillou modeled for the camera. "Vamping got old after 30 seconds," Maillou said. "You can only hold a smile for so long." Saturday evening, the two made a grand entrance at the dance, where the crew taped their friends' reactions. "They thought we looked awesome," Maillou said. Monahan agreed, saying "The response was good, better than we expected." "I thought they looked great," said College sophomore Kate Florenz, a friend and fellow ROTC member. "I can't wait to see the show when it comes out." Vogel said the show, scheduled to air in early October, went well. "It was a pretty smooth shoot," Vogel said. "The girls are happy. I'm happy." So, will Monahan and Maillou keep up their new look? "I love the length of my hair," Monahan said. "I'll probably go back to Pierre and Carlo to maintain it." "I love the color of my hair, but I don't know if I can keep it up financially," Maillou said. "But they said we'd get discounts." In any case, the two had a good time taking a break from their usual strenuous schedules to get pampered -- the entire makeover is estimated to have cost over $700 each, plus the cost of transportation and food. "We were treated like queens," Monahan said.