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Friday, 31 December 2010
There are three main ways to contact a modelling agency:
- By post
- By email
- In person
Many model agencies specify which method they usually prefer, but note that when you’re starting out and shopping for agencies, cold-calling is a no-no. The odds of being signed to any agency are slim, but bugging an agency with calls isn’t the way to even out those odds. The key to getting seen is to play the hiring game by their rules. If the model agency you’re after prefers emails, send an email. If another agency holds Open Days, turn up on that day ready to dazzle. Persistence is a valuable asset when starting out in modelling, but use it intelligently and channel that determination.
The first step in contacting any model agency is to prepare some photos. This doesn’t mean spending hundreds, even thousands, on a portfolio. All you need at this stage are a couple of recently-taken photos, one head-shot (head and shoulders, facing the camera) and a full body shot (head-to-toe, again facing the camera). Some agencies also like a profile shot to see how your face copes with different angles - it’s worthwhile checking their websites as they will list exactly what they want.
The key to getting good photos is to keep it simple. Your background should be well-lit and uncluttered – standing up against a plain wall is perfect. In terms of posing, resist the temptation to show off your killer impression of Anna Jagodzinska: for these photos, try to keep your face in a neutral expression – this means no pouting or smiling. It’s harder than it looks and it might be worth practising in the mirror beforehand to know how your face settles naturally and what looks best.
Think of the process as a chance to present yourself as someone who could handle lots of different looks. With this in mind, think about what you wear whilst taking these shots. A simple t-shirt or vest with jeans is ideal: you’re looking to market yourself as that perfect blank canvas, ready to be signed.
In terms of grooming, simplicity is the key: over-working your skin and hair is a rookie mistake. A busy agent doesn’t want to have to spend time scrutinising a photo of someone who’s covered in make-up to see what’s underneath. Keep the skin clean and fresh – no make-up is preferable but a little dab of concealer here and there is fine. With hair, swept back off the face to show your bone structure works well, and it will also demonstrate how light hits your face. These photos are very important, and the temptation to hide behind a comfort blanket of make-up and hair product is immense, but any good agent will be able to tell if you have potential from a couple of simple shots. Once you are armed with a set of photos you are happy with, here’s how you go about approaching an agency.
By post
Contacting an agency by post is fairly straightforward. Send your photos, along with a SAE and brief covering letter (outlining any previous experience and your vital statistics), to the model agency marking it for the attention of their ‘New Faces Division’ (every agency has one).
Your vital statistics will be the following:
- Height
- Chest / bust size
- Waist & hip measurements
- Age
- Hair and eye colour
- Dress and shoe size
When compiling your statistics, it is crucial to be honest. Not only is it good modelling karma, but adding an inch or two to your height, or shaving an imaginary inch off your waist would be a terrible mistake. If you write off to a modelling agency, stating that you are 5’9” when you’re in fact 5’6”, the agent will not thank you for wasting their time when they agree to meet you in person. If you hover between measurements, always state your exact size. There’s no shame in being 5’8” ½, but saying your waist is 24 inches when it’s closer to 25 can make a difference. You want to start your relationship with any agency off on the right foot, and being absolutely honest is the best way to start.
By email
Rapidly becoming the most common method of contacting a modelling agency, many agencies now have their own dedicated page for people who want to be considered for their New Faces Division. If your chosen agency has a page like this, you can directly upload your photos directly onto their website. Many of these agencies will also have an online form you can fill out, adding your contact info and vital statistics. Bear in mind that if the agency likes your photos, you could well be asked to meet with them in person: padding your CV or spinning your stats so they look more attractive to an agency doesn’t work in real life. Modelling is one of the few professions where starting with zero experience isn’t a problem. If you have potential to work in the modelling industry, someone will spot it.
In person
Some agencies have regular ‘open castings’, which anyone can attend and meet with agents to see if they have modelling potential. Usually, if this is an option, it will be listed on an agency’s website with dates and times.
Take this as gospel: if an agency has an Open Day and wants would-be models to attend the agency on Tuesday at 10am, turn up on Tuesday at 10am. Do not assume that the agents will have hours at their disposal to spend looking at new faces; many times the ‘Open Day’ is little more than a couple of hours at most, because time spent away from existing clients and models has the potential to lose the agency valuable income. Therefore, take their time seriously and be punctual. It’s also good training for when you become a model, as time-keeping is as important as having a decent runway walk. If you know you’re one of those people who’s at least 10 minutes late for everything, plan and organise your day accordingly. Adjust the time on your phone so it’s running 10 minutes fast if you have to, and work to that.
If you’re able to get to an open casting, present yourself the way you did during your photos. Think clean, modern and polished. Presenting yourself in this way not only flags up to an agent that you’re someone who’s done their research, but also someone who’s serious about committing to a career in modelling. Don’t forget to bring a copy of your original photos along with you as well, so the agent can see how your features translate on film.
Whatever way you decide to approach an agency, listen to any advice and constructive criticism that’s offered. If an agent suggests you may not be right for a sector of the industry because of your height, don’t automatically give up. If you’re aged 16 or under, it might be worth waiting 6 months before trying again, as you may grow that extra couple of inches which might make all the difference.
However, if you’re about as grown as you’re likely to get, and the issue is that your look won’t fit in a particular section of the industry, you may have to accept that you’re getting advice from someone who knows what they’re talking about. If you’re 5’5” and want to break into high-fashion where 5’9” is the norm, you will have to face the fact that the odds of succeeding are stacked against you. There are always exceptions, especially in high-fashion where tastes and trends change so quickly, but in order to break through those barriers you will have to be truly exceptional.
When you are contacting modelling agencies, accept that rejection is part of the whole experience, and be flexible and open-minded when it comes to looking out for opportunities. If an agent suggests you might be better off exploring another area of the industry, don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations on where to go next. They will know who will be best placed to help you in that search. Don’t give up too easily: it’s a big modelling world out there – if you’re not quite right for one agency, you could well be a perfect fit somewhere else.
HELEN TOPE
Sunday, 28 November 2010
This may seem like an obvious question, with an even more obvious answer, but on closer inspection, determining which agency you want to aim for says a lot about the kind of model you want to become.
Most people think of modelling purely in terms of high-fashion. But the faces you see, such as Liu Wen (pictured), in editorials for W or Marie Claire, are only one small section of the modelling industry. If you take even a brief look around you (billboards, promotional events, even television adverts), it suddenly becomes clear that modelling is a much larger industry than you may have first thought. This is ultimately good news, as when you assess your weaknesses and strengths as a model, you may find you’re suited to more than one style of modelling, or even belong in an entirely different category than you might have first imagined yourself in.
Being flexible about your career aspirations is the key to being a great model. Being realistic about where you can place yourself in the industry will save you a lot of heartache and rejection, and may even get you started sooner than you think.
Fashion / editorial
Has a well-deserved reputation as the toughest section of the industry to crack. If you’ve even watched one episode of any ‘Top Model’ series, it becomes self-evident that the requirements to get even a foothold in this sector are often exacting and complex.
It sounds strange, but being beautiful isn’t an automatic right of admission. This corner of the market is notoriously competitive, and agencies are always looking for the next face that will become the darling of high-fashion. If you’ve watched ‘Top Model’, you will know that the ‘cheerleader’ contestant – the girl who turns heads in real life – isn’t always guaranteed success. It’s a harsh truth that conventional good looks do not always translate well in the world of high-fashion. Many models prosper when their look offers something a little off the beaten track. Having features that photograph well is a must, along with height (usually at least 5’ 9” although exceptions are sometimes made), and a body that’s slim and evenly proportioned (the famous ‘clothes hanger’ body type).
Having a body that’s born to wear haute couture is a definite plus, but with model agencies looking for high-fashion faces, it’s all in the x-factor; that indefinable quality that makes someone memorable.
This can be an advantage if you’re quirky rather than pretty and tastes change so fast in editorial fashion that you can quite literally be ‘wrong’ one week and the absolute ‘face of the moment’ the next. It goes some way to explaining how a catwalk model can work for months, sometimes years, and suddenly become the girl everyone wants to work with.
However, rejection is a guarantee when trying to break into fashion modelling. The spots available are limited, as editorial is so specific in what it asks of new models. This is the sharp end of the business, and it’s not unusual to find yourself retiring before the age of 25.
But if you really think you have what it takes (and be brutally honest with yourself), you could end up working with some of the best photographers, stylists and editors in the world. Your time in the limelight may not last long, but a good career specialising in editorial could provide opportunities you never thought possible.
Catalogue / commercial
Once considered the poor cousin to editorial, commercial modelling is rapidly becoming one of the success stories of the industry. If you have good, photographable features but think you’re too old / short / girl or boy next door to get into high-fashion, this could well be the best option for you.
This type of modelling spills over from print ads into TV work and you don’t have to be an expert to figure out that there’s a lot more work to go round. Think of the number of adverts you see in any one day: toothpaste, lingerie, sportswear, hair-care – each one requires a face to sell that product and that person could be you.
The requirements listed by any commercial agency are similar to high-fashion, but with one crucial difference: you must have a look that is photogenic, warm and accessible. A great smile could quite literally make your fortune.
Having the basics – good skin, hair, teeth and nails will help you get through the door of an agency, but personality and flexibility is what could get you signed on the spot.
Just as with high-fashion, the client rules. What they want, you have to deliver. Being a good listener, and more crucially, able to work quickly and effectively with a creative team is an essential for this type of modelling. It’s a misnomer that ‘catalogue’ is for models that weren’t good enough for high-fashion. You need many of the same skills, and pressures of time and budget are just as high. Getting the right look on camera is a non-negotiable, and the only difference is that you could be modelling catalogue rather than couture. But making cheaper fabrics look just as good on film as their pricier counterparts is all about attitude. Wear catalogue with the same panache you’d reserve for Chanel, and your career will soar.
The key difference with commercial modelling is the work, or rather the amount of it. If you’re a success you will definitely know about it, because you will be working around the clock.
As I said earlier, catalogue has been one of the most resilient sectors of the modelling industry when it comes to bucking the economic downturn. In order to buy a product, we have to know about it in the first place, and the smarter companies have kept their advertising budget the same or even increased it during the recession.
Commercial modelling may have suffered from a self-image crisis in the past, but with commercial models finding themselves in constant demand, this area of the industry has finally had its Cinderella moment.
The good news for any budding commercial model is that your career could indeed have healthier long-term prospects than your editorial counterpart. Look at many of the big-brand beauty ads and they’ve been in the habit of using models that are a similar age to the consumers who will use the product. Gone are the days when an 18-year-old would advertise anti-ageing face cream. Everyone’s more media-savvy these days and that includes us, the consumers.
Advertisers have latched onto this, and it is now not uncommon to see models in their thirties, forties and beyond fronting campaigns for names like L’Oreal, Revlon and Nivea. Want to work in an ever-expanding industry? Commercial modelling may well be your best option to that most elusive thing in modelling: longevity.
Body parts modelling
One of the newest sectors of the industry, this is exactly what it says it is. Watch any advert for washing-up liquid and you’ll instantly spot a pair of perfectly-manicured hands. These will almost certainly not belong to the commercial model fronting the ad, but will belong to a model that specialises in body-part modelling.
Hands, legs and feet are usually the most in-demand and if you have hands that get regularly complimented, there might well be a career in it.
The work can range from the kitchen sink to beauty editorials or accessory shoots (very often a hand-model is drafted in to assist with fashion shoots where close-ups are required and the main model’s hands may not be up to such scrutiny).
This type of modelling can be extremely lucrative, but it requires a lot of patience on your part as it can involve repetitive, sometimes uncomfortable, awkward poses. If you’re low on patience and your tolerance for discomfort is set at zero, this might not be the best modelling option for you.
The downside to this kind of career is that you have to be extra vigilant when it comes to knocks, scrapes, bruises and falls. If you fell and bruised your hand, the worst case scenario would be no work, no bookings or even go-sees until it had fully healed. Some established body-part models even have separate insurance policies taken out in case of even more serious or prolonged injuries which can seriously impact on their ability to make a living.
The good news is that this kind of modelling provides regular work, and just with normal modelling, if you work well with creative teams and deliver results that clients are happy with, you can make a name for yourself and a very comfortable living into the bargain.
Finding your niche in modelling can take a while, but doing some preparation and groundwork is never a waste of time, in fact, quite the opposite. Whether you want to aim for the giddy heights of high-fashion, or want to opt for a more commercial angle, knowing your strengths in relation to what an agency is looking for is crucial if you want a career with a game plan. In the world of modelling, a little well-aimed self-promotion goes a long way.
HELEN TOPE
Sunday, 31 October 2010
When it comes to securing a foothold in the modelling industry, the truth is that having the wrong attitude, or worse still, a bad one, can old you back even more than a dodgy runway walk.
If you’re interested in being a model, let alone a successful one like Arlenis Sosa (pictured), it’s easy to overlook this aspect of Modelling 101. We’re told with some regularity about the physical requirements the modelling industry demand of its new recruits.
Modelling is all about perseverance, but patience, discipline and self-confidence are the qualities that can turn your career into the stuff that dreams are made of. Modelling is for tough cookies, and if you’re not fully equipped to deal with the rejections that come with the territory, the climb to success will be made that much longer.
Patience
You’ve all heard that patience is a virtue, but nowhere is this more applicable than in the modelling industry.
Having ambition – and plenty of it – is certainly no crime, but it is important to realise that there’s no such thing as an overnight sensation in modelling. Fashion moves fast, but the process by which a newcomer becomes established is somewhat slower.
Think about your favourite models and research their back stories. The one thing they have in common is that virtually all of them started their careers from humble beginnings, and that’s no bad thing. Learning the ropes in a smaller, less pressurised environment can often be the making of a model’s career. Getting to be comfortable in front of a camera or walking down a runway takes time, no matter how much of a knack you might have for posing and strutting. It all takes time to learn the basics, and once you’ve mastered those, doing the trickier stuff will seem that little bit easier.
When working on the smaller jobs, it’s crucial to treat every booking with the same elation you’d normally reserve for Italian Vogue. Treat every assignment – and client- with respect because that’s how one booking leads to two, and two lead to four, and you get the picture. If you’re a delight to work with, word will spread. The world of modelling is smaller than you think, and people do talk. Do yourself a favour, and wow every client because great things can come from those humble bookings.
Ambition is a great tool to have: knowing where you want to be in five years is brilliant for keeping you focused, but if it gets in the way of how you perform in the here and now, you may have a problem. Reel it in a little, apply some smile and charm, and watch those bookings roll in.
Self-confidence
This may seem like an obvious point, but bear with me on this one. Being self-confident is pretty much a non-negotiable when starting out. You may not be convinced your walk rivals Carmen Kass, but having a solid grounding in the basics of projecting self-confidence is a must.
Head up, shoulders back: if you walk into a casting and get a case of wobbly knees, faking good confidence really does work. Look at how a confident person walks and stands: good posture, relaxed shoulders and plenty of eye contact. Making that first impression only takes seconds, so if you have to, grit your teeth and go for the Oscar in pretending to be self-confident, because it’s worth it.
If you find the call of the wobbly knees too much to ignore, however, just switch off that inner voice that tells you you’re never going to get this booking in a million years, and pay attention to what’s going on around you. If you’re asked to show your portfolio to a client, being able to have something to say (eg: a favourite photo, why you liked working with that photographer), will fill that awkward void. Listen and participate: if a client wants you to walk and you’re not sure what type of walk they want, don’t be afraid to ask. Asking questions isn’t a sign of weakness – far from it. It will show that you’re paying attention to what’s going on around you. Also when you’re paying attention, your quaking knees soon get forgotten. See how that works?
Projecting confidence is crucial. Don’t listen to that little voice in your head: if you’ve booked a casting, let alone a job, you’re there for a reason. You’re in with a shot and it’s up to you to make the most of it. Rejection will happen, of course, it does to everyone. You may receive knock-backs for jobs you thought you were perfect for, and by the same token, you could get booked for a job you assumed you’d never get. The key to accepting rejection is to not see it as a personal slight against you. Casting directors often have very specific criteria and you may meet 10% of the brief, or 90%. If it’s not 100%, it’s unlikely you’re getting the job. It seems unfair, but it shows that rejection boils down to box-ticking rather than your hair being the ‘wrong’ colour. There is no ‘right look’ in modelling anymore: don’t fall into the trap of thinking that your failure to scoop a job is because you don’t fit in. Modelling is a game of numbers: if you have what it takes, sooner or later, you’ll find yourself at the right casting at the right time.
Not the most thrilling of topics, but discipline is probably the most important quality a model can possess. Those who succeed don’t do so through random flashes of brilliance; they win contracts and editorials because of consistency. Again, not a word that gets the pulse racing, but in a business where time is money, being reliable is music to a client’s ears. They want someone who turns up on time, ready to work. Someone who turns up late, bleary-eyed, grumpy and none too co-operative will not get a second chance with that particular client.
Modelling can often involve long hours (unsociable too: some of the best light for outdoor shoots is at the crack of dawn). To survive travelling, long demanding shoots and endless go-sees requires you to be in peak physical and psychological condition. To get to the top, some sacrifices have to be made. Foregoing a wild night out before a major casting or shoot = good idea. Getting wasted and hoping breath mints and Touche Eclat will hide the evidence? Not so good.
The first mantra a model learns is to be on time. If you know you’re someone who always arrives 10 minutes late, adjust your watch back 15 minutes and go by that. Being constantly late isn’t cute when you’re representing not only yourself but your agency. If you’re going to unfamiliar locations, get yourself a smart phone and download navigation applications. Make that first impression a good one, by respecting that the client’s time is precious.
If you’re lucky enough to become a little more established in the industry, don’t fall into the trap of becoming complacent. Top model Kate Moss nearly lost her entire career when her partying became a problem. As big a name as Kate was, winning back clients still took her a long time, because restoring a damaged reputation is a lot harder than building a good one.
Discipline, however dry it sounds, is probably the thing that separates a good model from a great one. If you’re serious about not only making it in modelling but sticking around, this is the quality it pays to master. Don’t be fooled into thinking that modelling is the soft option: it may take discipline to make it to the top, but it takes even more to stay there.
Sunday, 10 October 2010
Lindsey began her career aged 15, signing with Vision Models in early 2009. The LA-based agency recognised the find they had in Lindsey and shot video footage of the young model, sending copies to other agencies, plus media / fashion websites. The footage eventually caught the attention of website www.models.com who were so impressed that Wixson became their ‘model of the moment’ in June 2009.
Lindsey’s market-value rocketed as a result, and she signed with Marilyn Agency. But Vision Models’ sterling job of marketing paid off again, when their polaroids of her reached top photographer Steven Meisel. Wixson was immediately booked by Meisel to take part in a shoot for Italian Vogue.
Fashion has plenty of early-glory tales to tell, but some models have trouble measuring up to great expectations. Lindsey was not fazed. Making her international runway debut in September, she walked for Italian labels Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti and Miu Miu, plus opening the Prada show as an exclusive.
Designer Miuccia Prada’s ability to spot a star-turn is well-documented, with Mirte Maas, Samantha Gradoville and Barbara Palvin all names whose careers have benefited from the Prada effect. Wixson was no exception, and became the most talked-about newcomer of the season.
In October, she landed consecutive editorials for Teen Vogue and the Japanese edition of Dazed & Confused. She also appeared in the A/W issue of i-D, but her career really took off in 2010.
Right from the New Year, Wixson was creating buzz. In January, she appeared in American fashion bible W, in an editorial shot by Craig McDean. A month later, W magazine’s website featured Lindsey as their ‘This Week’s Model’, taking Wixson from industry favourite to public property.
Wixson’s star-power was cemented when it was announced that she would become the face of Miu Miu. The vintage-inspired label was a quirky choice, but perfect for Lindsey’s brand of unique beauty. Her trademark pout made her instantly recognisable, even from the very early days of her career. This is not always a good thing for a model starting out; especially one who needs to prove his or her versatility, but Lindsey’s weak spot became her greatest asset.
Sure enough, the Miu Miu booking had a galvanising effect on Lindsey’s career. Opening the Autumn / Winter show for the label in the Spring, she also appeared for Missoni, Jason Wu, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Versace and Zac Posen. Lindsey’s breakout season contained bookings from the best design talent in the world.
Wixson’s face not only became a fixture on the runways, but also in editorials. Landing another W editorial in March, she also featured in the July issue of V and a third time for W in August.
Wixson took centre stage in the W feature, ‘Sweet and Vicious’, appearing alongside Barbara Palvin and Ashley Smith. Her potential to do themed editorials was explored by W who cast her as a 50’s femme fatale. Despite her age, Wixson translated the brief of the shoot into a pouty glamour that was both innocent and knowing.
Lindsey’s ability to handle a challenging shoot paid off when she not only renewed her contract with Miu Miu, but also signed up for new campaigns with Jill Stuart, John Galliano and top American department store, Barney’s. All three signings tested what Wixson had learnt so far; the Galliano shoot was pure street fashion, the Jill Stuart beauty campaign asked for yearning and wistful, and the Barney’s ad was on-the-nose, high-fashion quirkiness. Lindsey delivered on every count.
Her aptitude for editorial and photograph work has aligned her with other teenage wonders, Ali Stephens, Hannah Holman and Jacquelyn Jablonski, who at a very young age, have also succeeded in wowing a tough industry. In less than a year, Wixson has made the transition from face-to-watch to working model, and has become one of the most requested faces in the business.
The early Polaroids that charmed Steven Meisel into booking her for Italian Vogue are testament to Lindsey’s early promise. Wearing nothing more than a plain white vest and dark-blue jeans, Wixson’s stance belies her (then) lack of experience. Being so visibly at home in front of the camera gave Lindsey a head-start. The shots, intended to show what a find Vision Agency had made, are so convincing that they could almost be an ad campaign. Some models get to the top by perseverance, others by luck and others just have it, that indefinable quality that takes a teenage girl from ingénue to star. Her fearlessness when interpreting a client’s brief head-on is what puts Lindsey in the latter category.
Lindsey forms part of the batch of newer models that are well on their way to becoming icon-making faces. These girls don’t slot into being termed a classic beauty or a full-on editorial face only really suitable for fashion features. These girls operate in a new sphere, where being a marketable face doesn’t mean middle-of-the-road. Lindsey’s unmissable pout makes her a perfect fit for Miu Miu campaigns, but it also makes her ideal for beauty shoots for Teen Vogue as well as blue-chip editorials in W.
Lindsey’s face is extra special because it has a timeless quality that allows her to participate in themed editorial shoots, and not look like a fish out of water. Being of-the-moment is all very well, but if you can’t switch it up for a retro shoot or handle lots of make-up for a futuristic editorial, then that fashion cachet is only going to be of limited value. It is a curious truth that fashion prides itself on being about the new and the next, but when it comes to models, having a face that defies the trends is always in-demand.
Wixson’s progress is ultimately down to fashion’s love affair with the unusual, but her career now diverges where fashion has taken that obsession and made it mainstream. The shapes that many deemed unwearable as little as five years ago have become a central part of our wardrobes. Modelling has also followed suit, with the real success stories of the past two decades boiling down to one key component: versatility. We have seen Kate Moss leading the way, allowing quirky choices like Coco Rocha to do budget beauty adverts, and glamorous Raquel Zimmermann to sear through the beauty in button-pushing editorials.
It’s not enough to temporarily transfer to the ‘road less travelled’; doing it all is now a standard industry requirement. Far from being tough, it’s a mark of just how far the fashion world has come since the late Corrinne Day photographed a young Kate Moss in the early Nineties. Lindsey’s generation has grown up taking this as the norm, not the comparatively recent development it actually is, and they are working in an industry that’s more open than ever to new standards and definitions of beauty. There is no one look that defines us right now; every facet of modern beauty is covered from the androgynous look of Iris Strubegger to the ultra-girlie image of Sports Illustrated cover girl, Brooklyn Decker.
While fashion’s agenda for the immediate future remains decidedly grown-up, it’s being sent down the runway on models that didn’t do minimalism the first time round. With their influences ranging from cartoons to comic-book-style musical heroines like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, Lindsey’s generation are the most visually-connected yet. With so many diversions vying for their time, if fashion wants to keep their interest, it has to be bold and it has to be daring.
Fast forward to Spring 2011 and the next season will be a marked departure from this autumn’s quiet sophistication. Next year will be nothing short of transformative; with youthful colour embedding itself in fashion’s consciousness. If this winter was about a reset, a pause for thought, then Spring will be about finding a stance that has less to do with breaking even, and everything to do with rediscovering the joy of the creative process.
It is in this environment that we will see Lindsey flourish. She is ideally placed to take full advantage of fashion’s re-engagement with itself. Fashion is exploring shape and colour with the tenderness reserved for a first love, but with a clarity that's born from experience.
That’s why Lindsey’s career has grown so fast. Lindsey’s face isn’t just about novelty, it evokes newness – the new buds of growth that come after a long winter, and for the fashion world, this winter has been exceptionally harsh. Spring - in its physical, creative and financial sense – can’t come soon enough.
Wixson is hotly tipped to become the next big thing, joining modelling wunderkinds Jacquelyn Jablonski and Karlie Kloss to become the generation that takes fashion from bust to boom. But it’s no fleeting teenage crush; fashion’s fixation with Lindsey Wixson is set to be the real deal.
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
The idea of modelling at this age could seem glamorous and fun with thoughts of working with the big names on TV. However when looking towards modelling you must consider some questions, Why do I want to become a model, what type of modelling am I interested in and am I ready to face the ups and downs?
Becoming a model at the age of 13-14 is ideal as at this age most girls reach their final adult height and begin to mature in the face. It's also good to kick start modelling at a young age for a better break in the industry.
So, after having decided you would like to become a model you will need to take the following steps
- Decide the type of modelling you are interested in. When thinking of which type you must bare in mind your look and choose which is best suited with your appearance.
- The categories to consider are: Commercial (newspapers, magazines etc), Adverts ( tv, radio adverts etc), Fashion, body parts.
- Then take good recent photos that show your different looks, height and body. Take measurements of: height, weight, hair colour, eye colour, shoe size, dress size, bust, waist and hips.
Remember becoming a model is not done other night. It is process that will require time and patience to build. It's not just a pretty face that will see you through castings so be prepared for the harshness of the industry and always remain professional. Don't give up hope.
To help you become a model at 13-14
Research the type of modelling you want to go into so you have a clear insight on what is required. At the age of 13 the average height for a model is 5'1 – 5'6. If you are really tall and slim size 8 and below 5'7 consider looking into fashion modelling otherwise it's more likely you will be doing commercial work.
To find good modelling agencies you can search on-line however watch out for dodgy agencies that require upfront fees to join. Most agencies usually take 20% from paid work after having joined and not before hand. Look into directories and search for agencies or you can use websites such as modelsconnect.com which will evaluate your profile and let you know which agency is best for you at 13-14.
Don't forget when taking your photos make sure you wear no make up, have no friends with you in the pictures pulling faces. Don't pull silly faces or cheeky poses. Think to yourself this is a business matter and I must approach it professionally.
