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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
Monday, 30 August 2010
Preparing yourself for a career in modelling is rarely a simple process. Regardless of whether you want to be a fashion model, or work for catalogue, plus-size or the fitness sectors of the industry, there are a number of steps that are crucial to consider before you even step inside an agency.
Models Connect, in addition to offering free model evaluations, also offers realistic and industry-savvy advice on what agencies (not to mention clients) are looking for.
The first step is probably the most important. Modelling is already a crowded industry, and to make your mark it’s crucial to know which part of that industry you will be targeting your efforts on. After all, if you have the perfect build for fitness modelling, schlepping to endless fashion castings will leave you feeling utterly miserable!
Look at yourself in the mirror and assess. Measure your height, waist, bust and hips. Be honest as this will determine what sort of model you will become. If you’re over 5’8”with a face and body built for high-fashion like top model Lindsey Wixson [pictured], then that type of modelling could definitely be a possibility for you. If you want to get into plus-size modelling, height is also a factor but you will need to be at least a UK size 12. If your height is an issue but you have good even facial features and excellent hair and skin, then the highly lucrative avenue of commercial modelling may be your best option. It’s all about assessing your best features – try to imagine yourself through an agent’s eyes. What are your selling points? What makes you unique? This will go a long way to making sure you start on the right path and end up with a modelling career that’s tailor made to your strengths.
The next step is to start safeguarding your assets – that’s you by the way. If you haven’t already begun, make grooming and healthcare an immediate priority. As well as taking care of your hair, teeth and skin, make time for exercise. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to go mad spending hours and hours at the gym (and with high-fashion models in particular, being too muscular is a big no-no). Focus on a combination of light cardio and stretching work (eg: yoga or pilates): this will give your body a toned appearance on camera which is especially important for sports or lingerie modelling as there’s nowhere for poor muscle tone to hide!
While overhauling your body, don’t leave out your mind. Models Connect advocates that you think of yourself as a valuable commodity: no-one wants to hire a model that’s never on-time for bookings, unenthusiastic and bored (and not afraid to show it). Modelling is first and foremost a business, so think about what clients want: a model that’s focused, enthusiastic and committed to delivering excellent results. Also prepare yourself for the downside of modelling, as you will definitely encounter rejection at some point. It’s nothing personal, as it really does happen to everyone, even the most successful models in the world have not been right for a casting at some point in their career. Rejection may hurt, but the great thing about modelling is that you never know what the next opportunity will bring. Be open-minded: one booking very often leads to another. Treat every booking (regardless of who it’s for) like it’s the best job in the world. Sounds corny, but the client will be impressed with your attitude, and word will spread.
The next stage is approaching modelling agencies. Models Connect offers excellent advice on finding reputable agencies. It also pays to do a bit of sleuthing yourself: find out who your favourite models are signed with and visit their websites. Most agencies will clearly state their preferred method of contact from would-be models. Some allow you to upload a recent photo of yourself onto their website with your personal details, others have Open Days where anyone can come through the agency doors and be assessed in person. If you need to provide a photo, bear in mind that what’s needed isn’t a pricey portfolio shot. All you need is you, a friend and a digital camera. Take a simple head-shot (head and shoulders) and full-length shot (head to toe) against a plain background. Keep your dress simple (vest and jeans are ideal for both sexes), and keep hair pulled back off the face so agents can see how well your features photograph. Don’t grin for the camera (at least not this time!), just keep your face in a neutral expression and that’s all that agencies really need to determine your suitability as a model.
Good news – an agency loved your head-shot and wants to sign you. Congratulations, you’ve officially become a working model. But this is where the hard work begins. Going to castings (or go-sees) is a major part of being a model. Think of them as mini job interviews, but with better shoes. For castings (unless you’ve been specifically asked by the client to dress differently) think back to how you presented yourself in the photos you sent to the agency. This is perfect attire for castings. It won’t distract the client, and it shows you off to your best advantage, because it signals to the client that you understand what’s required of a professional model – sending out all the right signals is surprisingly easy once you know how. It should go without saying, but being on time is a big part of being a model. When everyone else is ready to start a shoot but you’re running late because you slept in, that’s not good. Just remember: time is money.
The final note is very simple: to get to the top takes more than simply looking the part. To become a model requires more of you than simply just good genetics. You need to be dedicated, hard-working and always ready to self-improve. No-one ever got to the top by resting on their laurels. Go back to the start and think about not what the modelling industry has to offer you, but what you can bring to the modelling world. When you have the answer, you’re ready to become a model.
Sunday, 1 November 2009
How to become a model
· Be realistic. If you’re best suited to commercial modelling, only pursuing high-fashion agencies will be a very lonely and frustrating experience.
· Undoubtedly the most important stage in the process to becoming a model is mental attitude. Developing a thick skin is crucial – rejection is part and parcel of the modelling experience. Even the most successful names in the industry aren’t perfect for every single campaign or magazine cover.
· Upkeep is essential. To be a working model, you must be in peak physical condition. Keeping fit is not just about muscle tone, but also stamina – a successful model can often work long hours and keeping fit and healthy is half the battle won. It’s a model cliché as old as the hills, but plenty of water is also a must. It will hydrate your skin, making it healthy, glowing and eminently photographable.
· Being disciplined is fundamental to approaching a career in the modelling business. Focus and discipline aren’t the most exciting tools in your armoury, but if you’re serious about wanting a modelling career, you have to take modelling itself seriously. A model set on reaching the top puts the work first. Partying can wait – most models only have a short window of opportunity, and it’s up to you to make the most of it.
· Be prepared to push yourself – a model’s reputation rests squarely on their previous work. No matter how good you are, there is always room for improvement. No model was born knowing how to create a great photo: it takes time and practice.
· Perhaps the most important thing to consider when thinking about a modelling career is money management. Whether you are just starting out, or further down the line as a more established face, work can be patchy. You can find yourself working around the clock one month, and sitting at home twiddling your thumbs the next. Spend wisely, save what you can and in the early days a second source of income will be vital.
How Models Connect can help
How to avoid scams
· Online invites (via Facebook or any chatroom);
· Companies inviting you to pay large sums of cash to attend an ‘Assessment Day’ with a ‘top photographer’ to grade your suitability for the modelling world.
Grooming (hair, make-up, skincare, fitness)
Z-cards (these are a model’s ‘business card’ which you would be expected to take with you on any casting to leave with a client). Some agencies will pay for the printing expenses themselves, but others may charge you a fee.
Sunday, 12 July 2009
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Sunday, 15 March 2009
Founded in 1968, Models 1 had just three models on its books. Against these odds, the agency developed and flourished into the largest and most successful agency in Europe. Forty years on, it is one of the most notable players on the modelling stage.
Models 1 have a roll-call that is the envy of every other agency. Not content to rest on the shoulders of one stellar signing, Models 1 has diversified into a multi-division behemoth. Its longevity can with some certainty be pinned down to the fact that Models 1 has recognised that there is strength in numbers.
Listing just some of the names attached to Models 1 makes it clear that this agency is central to the world of modelling:
Agyness Deyn
Amber Valletta
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Noemie Lenoir
Karolina Kurkova
These are only a few of the names attached to Models 1. The agency has cemented its fashion cache in recent years with high-fashion signings Agyness Deyn and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley: Deyn’s iconic look in particular has come to define a whole new wave of street fashion. Deyn’s influence over popular fashion is not something that should be overlooked. Her unique style is now much copied, and as much a part of pop culture as Topshop and YouTube. When fashion commentators look back on this time, Deyn’s face will be indelibly marked on it. Having the guts to sign someone as tide-changing as Deyn proves that age does not mean an agency is stuck in its past. With Deyn, Models 1 has secured its future and place within the modelling industry.
Of course, Models 1 has used its years of influence to create a mightily-impressive client list. Annually working with 1200 clients, Models 1 has links with the worlds of haute couture, ready-to-wear, through to the stalwarts of the high street.
True to form, Models 1 has cultivated a huge and diverse client base. They have built substantial working relationships with major brands such as Marks and Spencer – something that can only happen with the benefit of insight and experience. It is this huge range of clients (quite literally, Prada to Peugeot), that makes Models 1 stand apart from its competitors.
Despite their size, Models 1, from day one, have adhered to a very simple philosophy: a model’s welfare is in their strongest, most absolute, interests. They have a very good industry-wide reputation when it comes to their models. No new model is thrown out into the big, bad world without knowing the basics. Just as they build and develop existing talents’ careers, Models 1 sensibly recognise that new faces need just as much attention, sometimes more. Therefore, when a fresh Models 1 signing goes out on castings, they are prepared, professional and focused.
Working with existing talent has also brought its own rewards: names like Crawford, Evangelista, Kurkova and Valletta are the reason why Models 1 has such a strong foothold in the industry. When a model can be recognised by a surname alone, it is an indicator that there has been a lot of hard work behind the scenes getting them to that point.
Where Models 1 is succeeding currently, is with the batch of faces that are making a comeback within the modelling industry: Karolina Kurkova and Linda Evangelista are proof that there is such a thing as a second act in a model’s career. You are not necessarily done and dusted by the age of 25. Evangelista’s prolific affiliation with brands such as L’Oreal shows that Models 1 is committed to providing iconic faces at every age. The shift in advertising to target skincare aimed at consumers over 40, using models over 40, is a significant about-turn that Models 1 has taken advantage of. While other agencies have been focusing in the newer faces in the pack, Models 1 has used its extensive back-catalogue to devastating effect.
The final pointer to just how highly-regarded Models 1 is within the fashion industry, is best defined by the fact that they are the agency every ‘Britain’s Next Top Model’ season winner has been signed to. It is the most substantial, glittering prize waved at the hopefuls who take part in the televised modelling competition. It’s no wonder with a year’s contract on offer that the competition gets so ruthless.
Every BNTM winner has gone on to achieve some degree of success within the industry (Cycle 2 winner Lianna Fowler has appeared in both British and Russian Vogue – a distinction yet to be equalled by another other BNTM contestant). The fact that the show’s producers have chosen Models 1 as the grand prize shows how it is perceived, not only by fashion insiders, but the world at large. Models 1 are a force to be reckoned with. With a history of forty years to draw upon, it has the skills and the know-how to exist for forty more, and beyond.
Sunday, 8 March 2009
Storm, one of the modelling industry's most established fixtures, can sum up its mission statement in one word: risk. No other agency has worked so tirelessly at pushing the boundaries of modelling and fashion. If this weren't enough in itself, Storm has succeeded in changing how an agency's role is perceived. Recognising that opportunities come in all shapes and sizes, Storm has gone further (and faster) by extending the shelf-life of its models, by working with them to create new and lucrative opportunities.
Agency founder Sarah Doukas, after working for another agency for seven years, decided to risk it all and set up her own modelling agency. After impressing Richard Branson with her business acumen, she secured financial backing to make Storm a reality. In 1987, operating from a tiny house in Battersea, Storm was open for business.
Sarah Doukas was very clear on how she wanted Storm to differ from other agencies. Her aim was to launch the first UK-based modelling agency that represented new talent she'd discovered herself. It was this principle that underpinned the entire business. Luckily for Storm, Doukas soon secured a reputation on her ability to spot a face. Not just any face, but that one-in-a-million, unforgettable face. Walking through a New York airport in 1988, Sarah spotted a girl on her way home after a family vacation. The girl was Kate Moss, and that discovery single-handedly ensured Storm's survival in an ultra-competitive industry.
Doukas' lucky find should not be under-estimated. Before Kate Moss, the very idea of a supermodel under 5' 8" was laughable. Sarah's willingness to take a chance on the girl from Croydon changed the course of modern fashion.
Storm's eye for diversity has launched some of the most striking and original faces in the industry. The landscape of the modelling world would look very different without Storm discoveries such as Alek Wek, Devon Aoki, Jourdan Dunn and Lily Cole. Storm, more than any other agency, has made a point of consistently challenging the boundaries of the fashion industry. These faces, while representing very different takes on beauty, all have one thing in common: without them, the trajectory of the fashion world would have gone in a very different direction.
Storm also expanded to become the first UK agency to market and book models directly with international clients. It was a radical departure from the role of traditional agencies that paid off: this worked so well that overseas agencies began trusting Storm to look after their own discoveries. But Storm's key strength is its ambition to diversify and grow, even in challenging economic times.
Storm took their know-how of marketing their models and branched out into licensing and branding. A model could quite literally become a brand. There is no better example of this than what Storm achieved with Kate Moss. By the turn of the millennium, Kate was at the top of her game - the model every designer and editor wanted to work with.
Sarah Doukas, along with Moss, made an intelligent leap of faith. Kate Moss, is synonymous with high fashion and modelling, but her own look, how she steps out of the house each morning, has been exhaustively profiled and replicated within the fashion press. Part of Kate's popularity with designers has always been her keen sense of personal style. Doukas knew that there was something in this. The idea blossomed into the hugely profitable collaboration between Moss and Topshop. It was an immediate success, with teenage girls everywhere being able to buy into the 'Kate Moss look'. Striking a fine balance between aspirational and attainable, this collaboration has taken off in ways far beyond anyone's expectations.
This highly lucrative sub-industry of Brand Moss has developed in turn to launch perfumes and a haircare range in conjunction with Moss' close friend, hairdresser James Brown. Everybody can buy a dress, or a bottle of perfume or shampoo, and feel that they are buying a little piece of Kate's style. This daring and innovative idea has made millions, and changed the face of the modelling industry forever. It is now no longer enough to scout talent, it must be nurtured and developed.
Thanks to its bold, risk-taking approach, Storm in the space of just 20 years, has carved out a unique place for itself in modelling history. It has transformed fashion, and more importantly, the fashion world's notion of beauty. Ethnicity and diversity have become celebrated as the subject of desire and aspiration. Faces that twenty years ago, would never have stood a chance of breaking into the modelling industry, are being given a chance thanks to the vision of Sarah Doukas. This is perhaps Storm's most remarkable and enduring achievement.
HELEN TOPE
