How to be a Successful Model If You are Not Six Feet TallModeling equals fame in many young girls’ minds. Bright lights of European catwalks, glossy magazine covers, VIP parties, worldwide travel and big money is what draws many hopeful 16-17-year old gorgeous girls into the business of selling their image. What can the rest of us do? This article will explain how anyone,including you can model! Fashion modeling is the most prestigious category of the modeling industry, because about a dozen of fashion models have actually achieved the status of celebrities. Fashion modeling industry is not open to everyone and has very strict standards: height, weight, age and measurement requirements. Fashion models have to stay very thin to fit the clothes they are modeling, and even though many people in the industry might deny it, the pressure to have zero body fat is enormous in the fashion world. If you are tall and thin and lucky enough to have an agent who'd send you to castings (meetings with clients or photographers who can potentially hire you,) be prepared to do about six meetings a day, which wouldn't necessarily result in any jobs. If you are lucky enough to actually get a modeling job, most editorial projects (such as magazines) don't pay a lot, and it takes an average fashion model a few years to build up her portfolio to start getting big fashion campaigns and other high-paying modeling gigs. Travel for fashion shows or for editorial work can be exhausting, and many young women have trouble coping with pressure, related to the industry and its standards. Therefore - drug use, eating disorders, unfinished education and other issues, mentioned way too frequently in the media. Not everything about the world of fashion modeling is dark and hard, but unfortunately, there are very few models who can actually make it to the top and enjoy the fame and fortune it offers. The biggest problem of fashion modeling today is competition. Because the industry has been raised to its highly prestigious status, it is simply impossible to provide all gorgeous hopefuls with enough work. This is why many aspiring fashion models give up modeling after spending six months in a tiny model apartment in Paris or Milan, watching their hungry roommates steal their food or do drugs. I remember leaving home at 17 and going to Milan on a contract with a big fashion agency. I lived in a two-bedroom apartment with five other models, who all had eating disorders to some degree. Some girls did drugs. The atmosphere overall was extremely competitive, which reflected the way fashion modeling operates in general. The way my roommates greeted me was always the same: "So, are you working tomorrow? What are you shooting for? How much does it pay?" The most common misconception about modeling is that the industry revolves around fashion. Closer look reveals, however, that fashion modeling is not the only option for someone who tries to be a model. You can choose many different paths in her career, focusing on one direction or trying out a few. Commercial, fitness, fit and showroom, glamour and fetish, artistic, convention and parts modeling could be easier, less competitive and healthier options for the aspiring models. READ FULL ARTICLE |
