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Maybe you've dreamed of gliding down the catwalk in Milan, flashbulbs
popping all around, hundreds of people focusing their attention
on your grace and beauty. The closets of your Paris apartment
are stuffed full of expensive designer clothing, and tomorrow
you fly back to New York just in time to catch a party attended
by your good friends, Kate Moss, Keanu Reeves, and Ben Affleck.
Nice dream. Now wake up.
First things first: you've taken the trouble to do a little research,
so you're not a moron. That's good. Regardless of prevailing stereotypes,
you need smarts to break into modeling. Those same smarts will
also help you realize that your chances of becoming the sort of
supermodel who lands multimillion-dollar endorsements are only
a little better than your chances of being killed by a charging
rhinoceros - even if you're beautiful. The success stories are
few; even models represented by the best agencies in the world
often take other work to supplement their income. Now, if you're
still reading, congratulations. You aren't easily discouraged,
and you're gonna need that kind of pluck to endure the rejection
which is part of every model's stock and trade. There are several
different types and levels of modeling, and if your expectations
are realistic, you needn't feel discouraged.
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There
are many different kinds of models, including child models, plus-size
models, and parts models (whose hands you see in all those diamond
ring ads). Fashion models must usually conform to rather rigid
physical criteria, but there are others models called "real-life
models," who are often also actors. They are just what the name
suggests: ordinary looking people used in catalogues and commercials
to represent someone the average consumer can identify with. The white-haired
guy with the potbelly on the Golf Resorts billboard is a real-life
model. If it turns out that you aren't quite what they're looking
for in a fashion model, consider this sort of work (or consider becoming
a character actor). There are other paths to the pot of gold at the
end of the rainbow.
For
the purposes of this SYW, though, we're focusing on the model that
gets all the attention: the cat-walking high-fashion model.
What
it takes to be a fashion-model
If
you're female . . .
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You should be somewhere between 15 and 22 years old, though
probably closer to fifteen. Models don't have careers that last
as long as say, doctors, so agencies tend to want to invest their
time in someone young.
-
You should be tall, long-legged, and lean. The minimum
height is usually about 5'8", and average weight for
a model is 108-125 lbs. These characteristics are partly
aesthetic and partly practical: this type of frame looks good
on the runway and in front of the camera (which, they say, adds
15 pounds); and a somewhat scrawny build drapes clothing nicely
and ensures a good fit in the standard wardrobe. There are always
exceptions to the rule, of course - Kate Moss is 5'7" and
Gabrielle Reece is a giant 6'3" - but, in general, the closer
you are to the industry norm, the better your chances.
If
you're male . . .
-
You can start out a little later, roughly between the ages
of 18 and 25. They won't want you to look too childish. The
good news is that a man's modeling career usually lasts longer
than a woman's, and since ten-year-old boys more often dream of
blowing things up rather than strutting the Hugo Boss runway,
this side of the biz tends to be less competitive as well.
-
Average dimensions for a male model are a height of 5'11"-
6'2" and a weight of 140-165 lbs. You should also
be fit (not bulging with muscles, but definitely healthy).
All
right, so let's assume you've got all of these qualifications. You
are, for example, a willowy 16-year-old girl who's on the basketball
team, could squeeze her body through a set of prison bars, and causes
old men who shouldn't be ogling you to stumble over their walkers.
That's great. On top of that you have clear skin, perfect teeth,
and your own brand of je ne sais quoi. Fantastic. It's time
for the next step.
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Go
on to Step 2: MAKE
YOUR BREAK --> |
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