Models on Bicoastal’s Fit Board

Tell us about your agency:

Bicoastal Fitting Models was created in 2009 while I was pregnant with my second child.  Initially, my thought was only to find my replacement fit model but instead of finding my twin body to carry on while I grew a 9 pound baby, I found myself with referrals and booked both Petite and Plus models with our initial clients.  Now, we book models of all sizes for fit, including children, with clients and models based in NYC, LA, Boston, and Hong Kong.  In 2012, we created a print board and have delighted in seeing our models and talent get called into great castings every week!  We have also been excited to book runway shows with a number of brands, and continue to add models to our Fashion Board to be ready for the next season’s shows!

Bicoastal Founder Malissa Young

What sets Bicoastal apart from other agencies?

There are a few things that we believe set us apart from other model management companies.  For one, as a former model myself, and with our head booker Nikki Gomez as another former model and fashion photographer, we care about our models and can relate to them!  We love it when we hear that we are one of the nicest agencies and believe it is part of why we grow.  We also can advise our models based on our direct experience of what clients are looking for from posture to poise, photos and even casting/booking etiquette.

Who are some of your clients?

Bicoastal Models aka Bicoastal Fitting Models specializes in finding fit models for brands that range from the hip and trendy boutique brands to the missy department store brands.  As the owner/founder, I always feel excited about new castings and seeing us expand and work with brands I personally covet for my closet!  Currently, DVF, Tory Burch, Haute Hippie, Inhabit jump to mind!  I do miss the days I modeled for great brands and had an employee invite to sample sales that were legendary (think $1,200 marked down to $50).

What other divisions besides fit do you have?

Our growth into the Commercial Print and Showroom/Print world has been a fun natural turn of events given the fact that we found ourselves with great talent who didn’t have the perfect measurements for fit  but had a combination of factors that meant we knew we could find them work.  Working in this field is like building a puzzle; I enjoy the challenge as well as seeing people achieve their goals!  It is very rewarding to participate in that. Our Plus division has been expanding with Nikki’s extra attention to it given her expertise in the Plus world.  We are excited to have had models book some great Plus fit accounts as well as catalogs, E-commerce and runway!  This is a hot area in my mind, given the fact that there is a customer base that seems under marketed to.  It has really been amazing to meet so many plus models who have redefined beautiful and sexy (eliminating the skinny bit) which is so much healthier for women and girls who need to embrace their beauty in whatever shape or size it comes in.

Stay tuned for Part 2 from Malissa next week and find out how you may fit into the modeling world, whether you are a size 4 or size 18. Plus learn how much fit models make and more on commercial modeling. Don’t miss it!

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For example, my son had an audition for A Christmas Story, the Musical. He was told to have his song book and prepare a story or joke. I e-mailed his agent and asked if there would be any dance. He replied, “No, only singing and the joke/story.” Now I should know from experience that the lines of communication between casting directors (or clients) and agents are notoriously riddled with static. Someone is always getting the details wrong. So when I was packing Jamie’s bag and hesitated as I looked at his tap shoes in his closet, I should have grabbed them. But I figured I asked and was explicitly told no dance so why add more weight to his bag, which would be loaded up with homework and snacks for the train, plus his songbook and probably Ipad. So off we went sans tap shoes.

When we arrived at the audition, there sat a line of 10 boys, all wearing tap shoes. Panic set in. I explained to the person handling the list that we were told no dance. She was understanding and said Jamie could just tap in sneakers. Great. I called his agent and got the usual, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll talk to them.” Jamie ended up singing, telling his story of how he fell in love with ballet while watching Swan Lake in Retiro Park in Madrid at the age of 3, and then he tapped and did a la seconde turns in sneakers (oh my, that could not have been pretty). He did not explain to the bigwigs at the table that his agent told him there would be no dance. Actors aren’t supposed to make excuses but just say sorry (if they are late, don’t have their lines memorized, are missing their tap shoes…). I’m sure he was teetering on the line between showing good effort despite the circumstances and appearing unprofessional. Good thing he’s 10. He got called back despite the sneaker shuffle ball changes.

The moral of the story: It’s always better to be over-prepared! If your agent says there will be a makeup artist on set, take your makeup kit anyway. If you aren’t told you will be posing in swimwear, don’t assume tan lines are ok and you don’t need to shave (read how I lost $2000 due to tan lines). If you’re told lines don’t need to be memorized, learn them if you have the time. If you are told to bring a few outfits for a background role, bring half your wardrobe.

Stay tuned for a fantastic, informative series of blog posts from Bicoastal Models and learn how to have a lucrative fit modeling career or break into commercial modeling, no size-2 six-foot body required!

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