The Key to Christy’s Impeccable Posture

The easiest way to prep for good posture on castings, catwalks, and on set, is to get in the habit of having good posture ALL THE TIME. If just thinking about carrying yourself like a ballerina doesn’t work, then consider some dance classes (ballet guru Finis Jhung has some excellent DVDs you can do at home). Yoga is also a great activity to teach you to be mindful of your body and posture, and unlike many forms of exercise, yoga lengthens, rather than shortens, muscles (my favorite yoga CDs are by Nantucket Yoga Rooms’ Shannah Green). This makes for a gorgeous, lithe model bod.

Kate, getting away with hunching. Don’t try this at home.

While slouchy poses may have worked at the height of the heroin chic era, standing tall is the safest—and sexiest—stance. Did you see any hunched over models on the Victoria’s Secret  runway? No way, not even a heavy pair of wings could weigh down the shoulders of these pros…

She’s not just winging it. This takes practice!

Victoria’s Secret’s Confident Elves

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I always had trouble with booking out. You may pound pavement for years as a model and only make enough money to live on pasta and ketchup  (that’s what Sophie Patitz and I ate most of the time in Paris). During the slow ascent out of blue-collar model status, I never considered booking out. I would have shot a catalog on Christmas day if my agency asked me to. Then the jobs started flowing and I could afford to book out, but I rarely did. Maybe it was a strong work ethic, or maybe it was the recognition that one day I would age out of modeling, so I ought to work every day until I couldn’t anymore.

My advice: If you are a new face with an agency, don’t book out if you can help it. You have to show them you have the drive and determination to do anything it takes to make it. However, once you have a strong book and some steady clients, take a break when you need it.

I’m looking at about 50 unpacked boxes, but I’m on the sofa with my feet up. Maybe I’ve finally learned to relax. Or maybe it’s the fact that no one will pay me $200/hour to unpack them.

Supermodels on the Effort of Modeling:

Kate Moss in 1990, by Corinne Day

“I’d go on the train to castings, changing from my school uniform on the train. I carried on like that for a few years, getting jobs in bits and pieces.” —Kate Moss

“[On days I'm not working], I have to hit the gym. I have beauty appointments. I have to work toward my next job. . . just like an athlete.” —Linda Evangelista

“A girl who is interested in becoming a model must first accept the fact that she is the product. She must be ready to deal with a lot of rejection.” —Karolina Kurkova

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I’ve talked about which profile is usually more attractive (the left), but did you know that your social media profile also factors into your modeling success?

In the past models didn’t have a voice. Often names weren’t even put to pretty faces. The models gracing covers and featured in editorials were anonymous, while designers, photographers, makeup artists, hairdressers, and stylists were credited. Now we see models getting star billing. Their names are scrawled across covers and opening spreads.

But for this kind of recognition, models are expected to have personalities. The models who have something to say—frequently, on Twitter or Facebook and the numerous up-and-coming social media sites—are the ones who stick around longer than a season. They start gathering followers and likes. They support causes and give back. They get TV shows and write books. Tyra Banks has 7 million Twitter followers!

Adriana Lima has over 2 million Facebook likes!

Even if you are just starting out, speak up—in cyberspace—and develop your voice. You’ll need it, to help you climb the supermodel ladder and to shout from the top rung once you reach it!

Check out: The 25 Most Popular Models on Social Media

Of course getting your face out there is key: Enter the Modeling Mentor Model Search

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As soon as a photographer alerted me to this fact about my face, I started looking either into the camera or turning my face to the right whenever posing. Soon it became a reflex and I think I still cringe if someone zooms in on my left profile (even though personal analysis lately reveals that both profiles are equally disappointing).

So, if you’ve yet to hear which side is your best, have a friend snap some shots of both and compare. For most of you, one side will look noticeably better than the other. Memorize which one and flaunt it on shoots.

One of the tricks of a successful modeling career is not flawlessness, but rather a savviness about downplaying weaknesses and highlighting strengths.

And remember these “weaknesses” and “strengths” refer to superficial qualities, so don’t take it all too seriously and off-camera focus on building your strengths as a role model, not just a model.

Karolina’s Left Proflie

Karolina’s Right Profile (slim pickings of right profile pics of her. Hmm, wonder if she got the same tip I did.)

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These savvy modeling friends of mine each spent 10 to 15 years on the international modeling circuit. Their advice is invaluable to anyone considering modeling (or the moms of aspiring models, who need to know what wisdom to impart before sending their precious daughters—or sons—off into the wild world of fashion!)

From Ricky Haas:

1. HAVE A WELL-KNOWN, RESPECTED AGENCY BEHIND YOU!

2. Don’t let an “agent” tell you you need surgery. If you need some kind of surgery, you shouldn’t be modeling! I was told at age 18 by my first booker that I should “consider an eye lift.” My left eyelid is lower then my right and sometimes in pictures you can see it, BUT, PLEASE did I, at 18, need an eye lift…aaaaaahhhhh NO!

(Editor’s note: Ricky and I modeled, lived, and traveled together for years and I never noticed a flawed eyelid! Most faces are asymmetrical. Are Heidi Klum’s eyes identical? No. Is she gorgeous and successful? Yes!)

3. Do not get involved with “seedy” rich men who like to hang around models. They will try to buy you meals and drinks but there is a reason why they are spending their money on you! Ladies…they want you in the sack, end of story. You might be starving in Paris but the meals are not worth it. I did NOT learn the hard way but saw it all the time. This kind of thing occurs in cities like Paris and Milan A LOT!

Ricky and Jill borrowing a Porsche from an older rich man (OK, once in a while you meet a generous gentleman who will loan you things with no strings attached!)

4. Make friends with the right model crowd. Be smart. You don’t do drugs…don’t start hanging out with models who do. You don’t starve yourself or vomit after meals…don’t hang out with those who do. I was the luckiest girl in the world; I found a group of ladies that had great morals, self pride, and were just downright FUN to be with and that is who I stuck with traveling the world. They are, 20 years later, my dearest friends.

5. Don’t take the modeling world too seriously. It is a short-term business—out with the old, in with the new! Make the money you can, be as successful as you can be. Take care of yourself (go to the gym, eat right, take care of your skin, don’t party too much [Editor's Note: If anyone thinks they saw Ricky and me in those bier gartens in Munich, those were two girls who looked like us; we were at home with cucumbers on our eyelids]). This industry can be yours as long as you want it to be (look at Audi Martel, for example) or it can be a short-term business to branch you into something else. It’s a wonderful way to make great money to buy your first house, car, travel the world and see the great sites. Don’t take it too seriously. Enjoy and take it for what it is worth. It won’t last forever.

 

From Carter Gigandet:

1. Make sure you are with a legit agency that actually has paid working models, not one that makes money through seminars, workshops, etc.

2. Be willing to change your look, cut your hair, etc.

Five years later, with a short hairdo, Carter found more work and her future husband!

1. If you haven’t made enough money to support yourself by the end of year one, then go to college and get a real job.

Sophie Patitz making some $$$ with a Clairol campaign

Two More From Me:

1. With digital cameras, there’s no excuse, when you’re agency hunting, for submitting anything less than the very best photos you can take. Natural outdoor light is usually best, and it’s most flattering early in the morning or before sunset. Have someone shoot 100 pictures of you, if that’s what it takes. Do a headshot (no sunglasses on, no branches growing out of your head, no eyesores in the background like garbage cans, cars, etc.!) with very minimal makeup (you can wear some but just make it look like you aren’t wearing any). And do a full-length wearing something that shows your figure (but not anything risque!).

2. Eventually you will have to spend money to make money. You’ll need professional photos, which you’ll get by “testing” with photographers (a “test” is a shoot that is specifically for you to build your book; it’s not a job. If the photographer is building his book too, a test may be free, but the best test photographers usually charge and often you get what you pay for. Wait until you have an agency—they’ll set up tests for you. If you pay for photos to help get you an agency just be aware that your plan may not work and then you won’t recoup the money spent. That being said, I met more than a few bookers and scouts who did not have an eye for seeing how a girl with amateur photos might look when shot by a professional (that girl was me. I was rejected by all the New York agents at 17, and then had no problem getting an agency there 7 years later when my age made me less desirable but I had a book of photos and tear sheets from Europe).

Read everything under “Modeling” in “Articles” on my site and you will be well prepared to venture into this exciting career!

Send your questions to  dearjill@modelingmentor.com or post them on my Facebook Page

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