. >> audrey smaltz has long been a vital part of the fashion industry. >> i came up with the name theround crew, because i heard the reverend dr. martin luther king talk about, those big jet planes can't get off the ground without a ground crew. >> in paris, i always say, where's audrey smaltz with the ground crew. it makes everything run smoothly. >> reporter: the path to the fashion world began with audrey's own modelling career. >> i was born, bread, toasted, jellied, jammed and honeyed in harlem. i always enjoyed fashion, art, culture. because it always seems i was always 6'0" tall even at 16, i started with a modelling agency. >> reporter: modelling would take her to bloomingdale's where she became one of the first african-american models. >> someone said i want to see audrey smaltz. they pointed me out. oh, no that can't be her. because of the color of my skin, she said you don't want this job. i said, yes, i want this job. >> reporter: she landed a pivotal position as commentator and coordinator of the ebony fashion fair. >> an entrepreneur is a person who takes risks. i mean,