Modeling Mentor Blog » Audi Martel

Modeling Tip: How to Be as Stylish as a Parisienne

jill — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 17:16:35 +0000

French Fashion Flair

There is nothing like the flair of the French. Whenever I took a flight in Europe and landed at Charles de Gaulle, I instantly would be hit with a case of style envy. From toddlers to grandparents, everyone dresses with panache. They never look like they stepped out of a catalog but always out of a spread in Vogue. How do they do it?

Ultra Stylish Brigitte Bardot

A recent article in the NY Times about the new book The Killer Detail, by French journalists Francois Armanet and Elisabeth Quin, outlined the easy recipe for achieving that certain je ne sais quoi:

The secret is balance and detail.

“Wear a vintage Chanel jacket — with jeans. Wear a little black dress — with flaming red stilettos. Never dress yourself from head to toe in one designer; never wear everything new.”

Models absolutely should follow these rules. Vintage clothes, a fantastic pair of jeans, the little black dress, the surprising detail that makes you stand out from the cattle-call mass—these are your best friends.

Model Audi Martel at Fashion Week

Read the whole article: In the Book “The Killer Detail,” Considering the Essence of Chic

Stay tuned to “Meet the Judges” of the Modeling Mentor Model Search next week! Don’t forget to like your favorite Model of the Month.

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#ModelProblems: How Bad Could They Be?

jill — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 02:10:55 +0000

Even though most models would admit they have it pretty good, people who pose for a living still find plenty of things to complain about. The NY Times just ran an article about #ModelProblems—a popular topic on Twitter, where the pretty posse whine about everything from teeth-chattering lingerie shoots to mind-numbing hours in the makeup chair.

#ModelProblems: 4 AM call-time and 16-hour days shooting a music video

I know my model friends have some epic war stories to share (among models, Milan goes by the moniker “Viet-Milan,” btw), so I encouraged them to air their grievances. They promptly started lobbing their complaints like grenades onto my FB page. These just may blow your image of the model life to smithereens:

“Standing in a hollow tree being bitten by bugs, so the photographer could get the ‘perfect’ shot. I was itching for weeks. Another one was when I had to rock climb for a photo shoot for sportswear and I didn’t know how to rock climb. There I was in Ibiza, hanging over volcanic rock and the very angry ocean. I cried myself to sleep after the first day of FREE CLIMBING. Makes me laugh now, but I couldn’t move for weeks. Now I love rock climbing and that client gave me tons of work after that.” —Leslie Wayne

“Shooting fake fur coats in Dubai when it was 120 degrees… Dancing for a shoot in the middle Leopold Strasse in Munich, while it was snowing in December (10pm at night—for that evening shot) in a “metal” blazer, hot pants and six inch heels (those German’s know their style!). What really hurt was when the freezing metal on the jacket hit my skin, it was beyond painful!” —Ricky Haas

“One of my personal favorites was the German client in Phoenix who had us do swimwear in the morning when it was freezing and coats in the afternoon when it was burning up… 3 days in a row!” —Carter Gigandet

Umm, anyone notice a trend here… Germans?

#ModelProblems: German client asking me to march in a box of water for 2 hours

“My worst moment (week rather) was in the middle of nowhere by the Red Sea with clients who refused to speak English the entire week, where I was nearly killed on two occasions. Once while shooting in the sea and they all screamed and ran back to the beach and I looked down and a spiny poisonous fish (a stonefish, I think) was right next to my foot (thanks for telling me!). The other when they made me lean against an old building that fell down right behind me, a brick skimming my ear. The highlight of the trip was when they asked me to go topless (hmmm, no) and this was a Muslim country. The result of me saying no was a lot of shouting on their part. There was also a dead camel baking in the sun next to my hut and food poisoning… Lecherous photographers: there was the very famous one, who refused to work with me after I refused his advances….I could keep going…Re. clients…the Japanese worked us 14 hours straight, but they paid well, but to me they were the harshest, the Germans a close 2nd. Why do you think I moved to NY!?” —Sophie Patitz

“Oh those Japanese were just downright cruel with the length of time they worked us and the enormous amount of BAD clothes we had to shoot!” —Ricky Haas

#ModelProblems: A tree house for lodging, Wonder bread and undercooked boiled chicken for lunch, a lecherous client, AND I never got paid for the trip. (Supposedly the production company went bankrupt. Clients going bankrupt are always the models’ problem!)

“How’s this for a tweet? The New York Times representing models as shallow vapid robots without real human troubles. #REALmodelproblem: I’m sure there are no models out there worried about health care, how they’re going to pay their rent, and/or send money back to their poor family in…(fill in the country). Nope, just worried about their lipstick and their sushi. Sorry, Jill, yes, I have worn a bikini in Vermont in the snow in February and this article sucks as much at that did.” —Audi Martel

Whoa, I had to jump in here: I feel for the girls trying to support their poor families back home, but for the ones just trying to support themselves: if they aren’t making enough to afford rent or healthcare, they need to consider a career change. For the relatively easy, privileged, high-profile job they do, models should consider it a fair trade to be the brunt of some jokes. And in this case the models are fully participating in the joke. Plus, the writer started out with some model truths that the general public rarely think about: “The hours are grueling. Job security is nil. And while it’s flattering to be paid for your looks, the average gig won’t make you rich.”

Did You Hear the Music at the Carolina Herrera Show?

jill — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 03:51:56 +0000

If you did, I hope you recognized it from a previous post about my crazy talented friend Audi Martel (I mean, it’s crazy how talented she is, but she probably wouldn’t mind being called crazy and talented. We were talking on the phone today, and she mentioned something about making a music video in which she’s dancing around a bonfire naked, so ya know. And, yes, you WILL be the first to know once it’s viewable).

When my three-year-old was watching this video of the Carolina Herrera show with me today (see below), she kept asking which one of the models is my friend. True, Audi is a model—Carolina Herrera’s house model, no less. BUT having your songs played in a show is such a promotion from walking the runway.

Le Blonde’s Audi Martel at Fashion Week, Italian Vogue

This pic Italian Vogue snapped of Audi during New York Fashion Week proves the Le Blonde lead singer still can strike a pose. She just may not have much time to do so once the world hears her band…

Look for my Rebelmom.com feature next week. Hopefully I’ll be channeling a little Audi!

Are Most Models Competitive Backstabbers?

jill — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 16:25:33 +0000

I read a story yesterday about how model Coco Rocha recommended Karlie Kloss to Grace Coddington at Vogue, saying “this girl is good, and so sweet, and you’re gonna want to use her.” It made me think about the misconception people have (at least I think it’s a misconception) that most models are catty and backstabbing. I decided to quiz some model friends to see what they have to say about their photographic peers: nasty or nice?

Coco Rocha

Karlie Kloss

For the first installment of what may become a series, here are answers from three wise women on my Official Model Advisory Board (ok, I just made that up, but I may run with it and actually make it official):

-Audi Martel, house model for Carolina Herrera, who has been modeling for two decades but just keeps going and going like an Ever Ready gazelle. (Sorry, Audi, if I’m blowing your cover on still being 25. Luckily, as long as you look 25, your real age doesn’t matter.)

Audi Martel (Photo by Yoko Inoue)

-Leslie Wayne, a model who always knew the best test photographers and always shared them with me, and once subleased her apartment in New York to me for half price because she’s just that generous.

Leslie Wayne

-Ricky Haas, part of a famed Munich model trio (I’m using some poetic license here, though certain bier garten bike crashes she, Leslie, and I were involved in are the stuff of legend now), and a friend who always openly shared her modeling contacts, from agents to male models.

RIcky Haas

In general, were your fellow models backstabbing or supportive?

Audi: I feel that models are less backstabby than other people, because we are always traveling around alone, and could use a real friend or a sense of family wherever we are…so we are more inclined to be nice cuz we’re aching for a clan, so it’s a misconception to a certain extent…BUT…models are people too. Some are kind and helpful, some are insecure, a few are selfish *unts. I’ve only met the latter about 3 times in 18 years. And of course, I had to set those ones straight.

Leslie: In general, I felt most models were very supportive.

Ricky: Very supportive. I think this has a lot do with who you run with.

Can you give an example of how another model helped you out?

Audi: I myself am the queen of helping girls out. I’m not patting myself on the back, but I’m not threatened by my friends’ success and I am in a fortunate position as the house model for a huge designer, so I often suggest models to hire. Although I have to admit, it’s about 20% for selfish reasons, because if I work all day with someone I want them to be nice.

Leslie: I had many models give advice on where to seek out work next, which country, etc., or advice on clients to seek out that were looking for “my type.” I also had many models advise me on how a particular client liked you to work, which was always helpful. Of course there was the occasional lending of a tampon in an emergency situation.

Ricky: In general, all models and model friends I knew or worked with were just good all-around people. I felt like they were always supportive and helpful with bits of advice. The models I worked with were always giving tips on the best countries to travel to, where the best bookings were, clients to see, photographers that were good to test with and so on. I always felt we were in the same boat, just a bunch of traveling gypsies on the same team!

Can you give an example of a model being nasty to you/trying to sabotage your career in some way?

Audi: I once had some trouble with a model, she actually wanted to come to fistacuffs. We were at a show, lined in front of the sender and being sent to walk out. She was a teenager, who was drunk (at work), from a poor country with a bad childhood and drug problems. Luckily, I was mature enough to recognize that. My 16-year-old self probably would’ve socked her in her gorgeous (young Brooke Shields) face. In the end, she was fired, had trouble with the agency, and apologized to me. Besides her, I tend to be the person standing up for someone else getting sabotaged. Like dethroning a bully model who had taken control of a models’ apartment in London, locking girls out of certain areas and acting as if she owned it when it belonged to the agency. She was just taking advantage of younger naive girls who were afraid to stand up for themselves. I had to get New York on her…I have a friend at work who calls me the “Joan of Arc of models.” But that’s not really a career threatening story.

Leslie: I was seriously backstabbed when a model was trying to steal one of my major accounts. I was under personal stress and having a hard time keeping weight on (editor’s note: don’t marry a French guy looking for a green card, but that’s a whole other blog post). She told the client numerous times that I was anorexic. I was nowhere near being ill, just simply stressed and depressed. You will always have a few backstabbers trying to get your clients, but in general, if you work hard, remain professional, and don’t get caught up in any drama, it is a very rewarding career.

Ricky: I think the only model I ever came across that I felt was nasty was just the one who would not talk to you on a very long trip, or would speak in another language to the client knowing I didn’t speak the language.

When I saw Ricky recently, I caught her up on a run-in I had with some PTA women last spring. She’d like to note that “we never ran into mean girls like that in the modeling world.” They are lurking in suburbia—who knew? (That’s another blog post also…or book.)

Stay tuned for more responses on “Models: nice or nasty?” Be sure to comment if you have a story or opinion to share!

Most Models Don’t Have a Voice, But Audi Martel Does. Listen Up!

jill — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 12:44:49 +0000

Audi and I met in Miami 15 years ago and soon became roommates. She was striking—and still is.

Audi Martel (shot by Julian Hibbard)

As Carolina Herrera’s house model now, Audi is one of the few models who has found the key to longevity in the business.

Audi Martel and Carolina Herrera

She also has found the key to happiness as a clothes hanger: Have other stuff going on. We began penning our memoirs together a few years ago (I’m using “few” loosely) and Audi revealed a talent for writing and a memory for detail—and skill in recounting those details—that is truly astonishing. Not to mention her riveting life story.

What else? Style. She has inimitable style. Even fashion magazines/bloggers notice this.

Audi Martel, British Vogue (shot by Candice Lake)

Just when it’s hard to imagine this hip downtown New Yorker making us suburbanite moms in our minivans look any more frumpy and lame, Audi calls me and says she’s starting a band. Le Blonde is born and suddenly Audi is juggling modeling, writing, and a singing career. Audi can sing?? Really? I’m sure some of us doubted any more talent could be packed into one person, but the release of Le Blonde’s first song proves Audi has a voice. An amazing, haunting, gorgeous, cool, kick-ass voice. I give up. My only hope is to be cool by association.

Listen/download Le Blonde’s “Sisters of the Moon”

Teens, stay tuned for info on Page Parkes’ Role Model Camp to be posted this Wed. An awesome opportunity in early August, if you aren’t otherwise booked at band camp.