Congrats to Model of the Month Connor Antico!

September Model of the Month Connor Antico. Shot by Corrine Louie.

Height: 6′
Shoe: 11
Based in New York
Seeking Representation 

It was thanks to a football injury in high school that Connor Antico gave musical theater a try and soon redefined what “awesome play” meant in his life. He has appeared in several movies and just finished a run of A Comedy of Tenors. He loves to play guitar and sing his heart out. And the camera happens to love him. I don’t expect it to take long for a modeling agency to snap him up!

Check out Connor’s Pace University Senior Showcase, which proves this model has a voice!…

I have tons of model search submissions I still need to review, so just because you weren’t featured this month doesn’t mean you won’t be next month …or the month after! Subscribe to my free newsletter to be first to see the winners: Modeling Mentor Newsletter

Enter the 2018 Modeling Mentor Model Search and get discovered!

Model of the Month Updates

One of Em Marie’s many new tear sheets from Tokyo

Em Marie, Model of the Year 2016, is enjoying amazing success in Asia! She spent two months in Tokyo, two months in Seoul, and has just landed in Beijing. Keep an eye on my Facebook and Instagram to see all the stunning tear sheets she is getting there. I knew when I first laid eyes on her that Em had the potential for supermodel stardom, and she is right on track!

Model of the Month Graeme Buffenbarger  (June 2017) just finished filming Season 2 of Stephen King’s TV show Mr. Mercedes! It premiered Aug 22 on Audience channel.

Have news? Email me at comment@modelingmentor.com

With the Harvey Weinstein scandal blowing Hollywood’s cover on sexual abuse, insiders in acting’s sister industry of modeling are laying bare the all-too-common violations against models’ bodies and dignity. Top model Edie Campbell wrote an Open Letter on Model Abuse in WWD, stating: “…We operate within a culture that is too accepting of abuse, in all of its manifestations. This can be the ritual humiliation of models, belittling of assistants, power plays and screaming fits.” She highlights that part of the problem is that “there is no line between the personal and the professional. Work, to me, does not look like work: I undress in front of the people I work with, I travel with these people, I get drunk with them, they ask me who I’m shagging, we tell stories, we giggle, we gossip and we become part of ‘the gang.’ It’s a school trip for all ages. When an industry becomes as informal as this, it becomes harder to define what is appropriate behavior for the workplace.”

Edie Campbell

It’s true. The line in the modeling world is blurrier than in perhaps any other (legal) industry on the planet. Part of a model’s job is often to look and act sexy. I knew many models who carried that behavior beyond the runway and set to their everyday demeanor. In some cases, it makes good business sense. If a client is going to book you to model bikinis or haute couture and look alluring, oozing sex appeal at the casting may help seal the deal. If you are on a trip and hoping to be booked again, keeping up the Marilyn Monroe act 24/7 could help. Photographers and clients might interpret this behavior as a personal invitation to explore the bod beneath the bikini; sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t.  (Edie Campbell’s choice of top—or lack thereof—in the photo at the LOVE x Miu Miu London Fashion Week Party, embedded in the link above, begs the question: when does provocative fashion cross the line to offering up your body on a platter. Or am I old-fashioned?)

Edie Campbell

Plenty of models play the required role while posing and revert to girl-next-door normalcy as soon as they step off set. This, along with maturity, self-esteem, and limits on what you’ll do to succeed, lessens the chance of harassment. However, almost every model—male and female—has a story of an agent or photographer who tried to wield power to get in their pants.

Here’s mine (an excerpt from my modeling memoir):

“Jill! Welcome. I’m Willy,” said a fifty-something man with an Israeli accent. He wore a cheap suit and strong cologne and met my gaze at eye-level. He was no John Casablancas. No doubt he hoped the airy loft space and power to scrawl a New York agency logo across young girls’ images could make him a Casanova, even if nature hadn’t been so generous in the looks department.

“It turns out the model apartment in Battery Park City is full,” said Willy, after Victoria explained that I could relax today while she made comp cards and a copy of my book for the agency. “You can stay at my apartment.”

Oh, boy, here we go again.

I had the suitcases with me that I had lugged on a bus from the airport. Willy offered to have his driver take me up to the east 80s, where he had a bland one-bedroom apartment. It was a step up from Andrea’s in Milan, but clearly Willy was sitting on a worn mushroom-colored couch, not a fortune.

I sat on that sofa for much of the afternoon, paralyzed by the view from the seventeenth floor of the bustling city below. There is nothing lonelier than being alone among Manhattan’s six million residents.

A collage from my early modeling years in NYC. Stay tuned for my next blog post, when I’ll reveal the more revealing shots I cropped out!

A crammed schedule of  nine castings paid off the following day. At 6 PM I made my third and last pay-phone check-in call to the agency. “You’re booked for Bella tomorrow,” Vicky told me. “Be at the Granata studio at 10:30 AM, clean/clean. You’re shooting in Long Island, so it will be a long day. The rate is $125. Hold on, Willy wants to talk to you…”

“Jill, congratulations—a booking already! Sorry I have not been a good host,” said Willy. “A car will pick you up at 9:20 tonight and take you to Bice. We will have dinner with some friends of mine and celebrate.”

I had been enjoying my space at Willy’s and pondered arguing for beauty sleep over dinner. I better not. His agency had me working on day two. I owed him.

A non-model couple joined us for dinner. Willy sat too close to me and clearly meant for me to be his date. He smoked and drank too much, while I sipped my wine so as not to risk a hangover. “Come on, Jill, I will order another bottle, the best they have! Drink up,” Billy urged, as he swished the last of his wine in his glass and downed it with a cheeky grin. He was trying to channel Johnny Casablancas, and it just didn’t work. He was neither charming nor attractive.

“I have to work tomorrow, remember Willy,” I reminded him. “I’m a very responsible model, you know.”

“Ah, well, a responsible model must take care of her agent,” he said, winking.

I started feeling uneasy. I had to go back to this man’s apartment. I thought about my trip to visit New York agencies as a high school senior. Maybe I was lucky they said no then. I recalled a senior at my high school who spent two months living at the Ford’s brownstone before she fled back to Rochester, homesick. Maybe I had a few wrinkles now, but I had wisdom too. I could handle this. I scanned Willy’s arms to assess how strong he was. What if he tried to force… I chased the image of Hilde in Paris from my mind.

By the time we left Bice, Willy was slurring and trying to put his arm around me. I was sober and able to evade him and make light of this little game. Willy laughed along until we stepped into the elevator at his building and the doors closed. His face got serious and he looked at me like a cat might at a mouse when the playful batting game concludes and he goes in for the kill.

He cornered me and put his face to mine, so that the red wine on his breath flowed freely into my assaulted nostrils. “Willy,” I said, “I’m going to bed, you know. I have to get up early.” I pretended to be calm and nonplussed, to not appear like the mouse beneath a clawed paw. The elevator doors opened and I ducked under Billy’s arm to exit this trap and make my way toward the next.

Willy fiddled with his keys and, after three tries, got the right key in the lock. I thought about turning back to the elevator and escaping, but where would I go? No, it would be OK. We were two grown adults, I could handle the situation.

The ensuing proposition was hard to forget. As Willy swayed me toward his bedroom, he slurred, “Come on, thish’ll be really fasht.”

I might have laughed at his pathetic come-on line, if it weren’t for how scared I felt, with no place to go but his sofabed. Or his bed—the direction I guessed would lead to more bookings.

I didn’t want success badly enough to sleep with the boss, a trade-off many supermodels have made, with coercion sometimes playing a role. Thankfully, Willy left me alone, but as I lay awake into the night, anticipating my early dawn alarm, I decided I needed a different living arrangement. 

When I moved to my friend Leslie’s place, I worried about Nicole, the fourteen-year-old Canadian who had been sharing my sofa bed at Willy’s. Nicole had a full decade less life experience than I had but a full C cup—a dangerous combination. Anyone that young should not be in New York alone.

Stay tuned for a post on nudity. Do models often have to strip down in front of male models and production people? Are models expected to shoot topless? I’ll answer those questions (hint: one response is “yes” and one is “no”) and more.

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The Donald’s Model History

This is not going to be a political post, but let me just say that I’m not using “model,” as in ideal, and I can’t bring myself to title this “My Modeling World Encounter With President Donald Trump.” Enough said.

My first encounter with Donald Trump was in 1988. It was not the real Donald but it was real life (as opposed to not-the-real-Donald in the Twitter imposter sense). Two college friends in Boulder had dressed up as NYC’s flashy new couple about town: Donald and Ivana Trump. It was some approximation of this look (below), with some fur thrown in (to be fair here, we must remember that 80s fashion wasn’t kind to anyone). At the time, my roommate and I were dressed as static and cling. I had no idea who the Trumps were. Nor that I would hanging with the Donald a few years later.

Donald Trump, with his first wife, Ivana, circa 1988

Ivana probably had no idea her husband would soon have an affair with Marla Maples and trade her in for a newer model. Ivana had been a fashion model and Marla was an actress and occasional model. (We’re seeing a trend here.) Donald’s obsession with models became even clearer when he transported busloads of them up to his little place in Palm Beach, Mar-A-Lago (see photo), for an Ocean Drive Magazine party. It was 1993. I was young and had nothing else to do that night. The sleaze factor was mitigated by the fact that male models were invited as well. This, in my experience, was also the difference between free model dinners in Madrid (both genders invited) and Milan (only women, more often mere girls). It’s the difference between feeling like you are at a fun party and feeling like you are being pimped out.

Mar-a-Lago, the Trump estate in Palm Beach

The Mar-A-Lago arrangement pretty much worked for everyone: the men looking for hot arm candy, the models looking for sugar daddies, and those of us who just wanted a peek into the lifestyles of the rich and famous and some free drinks.

Jill Johnson, Donald Trump, and model Jeff Bowman at Mar-A-Lago

Not surprisingly, Trump was a jovial, charming host. I mostly hung out with my longtime model pal Jeff Bowman. I chatted with Donald and we discussed my plans to move to New York, the big daddy of all modeling markets, the following spring. “If I can ever help you in New York, just let me know,” he said. He seemed genuine, no wink, but I’m sure it’s an offer he made to many models.

I never took him up on it. I’m not sure how I would have…just strut into the Trump Building (which one?) and demand the Big D fulfill his promise? Ask if he could arrange a spread in Harper’s Bazaar perhaps, or a billboard in Times Square (clothed, please)? Oh well, alas, it did not come to pass.

Within a few years, a budding model named Ivanka Trump modeled in the big Versace show in Bal Harbour. She had a decent career (possibly with the help of rhinoplasty). Her dad started a modeling agency, Trump Model Management. He snagged some of the industry’s best bookers. His agency represents many modeling legends: Ali McGraw, Carol Alt, Kim Alexis, Tatjana Patitz. His agency became a loyal advertising client of my magazine, Tear Sheet. Not everyone took a chance on us 20-something publishers, so for that I’m grateful.

My friends and I used to see Donald out on the club scene. We witnessed the courting of Melania. We thought, He’s too old for her! She saw green. Or maybe even red, white, and blue… The rest of us never saw it coming.

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Model Danisha Scott, shot by Adrian Ossington Wilson, makeup by Rodney John, styling by Ano Okera

Height: 5’10″    32-24-37    Size: 2    Shoe: 9

Based in New York

Seeking Representation

Danisha, who hails from Jamaica, is currently in New York checking out acting schools. She is interested in modeling, acting, and singing. If her voice is as memorable as her face, we’ll be seeing her name in lights soon!

Danisha Scott, shot by Adrian Ossington Wilson

Agents, e-mail me if you are interested in Danisha.

Danisha is the lucky winner of this gorgeous white gold necklace from Genevieve Lau (Value – $650):

If you have entered the Modeling Mentor Model Search and did not win this month, your submission is still eligible for upcoming months (sometimes I get several great entries at once, and this month was one of those times!). You also can submit updated photos as often as you like. Be sure to subscribe to my free newsletter to be first to see the finalists.

Modeling Mentor Newsletter

Don’t forget to “like” the page of your favorite Model of the Month!

Fur, fur, fur—it was everywhere at Fashion Week. Is the dream of a fur-free Fashion Week an impossible one?

Fashion Week Fur Frenzy, Fall 2014

The Pros & Cons of Posing in Fur

Models have always been on both sides of the fur debate. There are those who pose in fur and walk the runways donning dead (often tortured) animals—either because they don’t have an issue with it or they need the money (or will take any modeling gig they can get). Then there are the model activists who have refused to wear fur and campaigned for organizations like PETA. Their ubiquitous ads of supermodels, like Naomi Campbell and Tatjana Patitz, modeling in the buff, declaring “I’d rather go naked than wear fur,” certainly made an impact. But it’s still not enough.

Supermodels pose in the buff for PETA

PETA and International Animal Rescue

There’s been a lot of press about abuse of young models lately, but animals are the most helpless fashion victims of all. As PETA describes in their ads: “Animals killed for their fur are electrocuted, drowned, beaten, and often skinned alive.” My close friend, former model Sophie Patitz (Tatjana’s sister), now works for International Animal Rescue and confirms that this is not sensationalism. There is nothing humane about the way animals are turned into fur coats.

Think twice about modeling fur and buying fur.

Comment and let us know what you think about this issue.

My son just recorded a re-mix of “Funky Town” (oh the roller skating memories!). Stayed tuned for recording studio tips for singers and voice-over actors!

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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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I get many requests for info about commercial modeling. Aspiring models who don’t hit the 5’9″ fashion modeling standard often figure they’ll go the commercial route. “Commercial” does not mean just doing TV commercials, though that is part of it. “Commercial” is a term used to describe a more girl-next-door (guy-next-door), real person look, versus a more extreme editorial look.

Commercial Modeling and Acting Prep

Those same aspiring commercial models who write to me sometimes think this whole commercial modeling thing is a snap. Actually, you need to hone your craft more in this field than you do with straight-forward posing and catwalking. Take some acting classes! Take acting classes before you even think about approaching agents. If you are near New York City, you can attend workshops with actual casting directors, like Jen Rudin. My son participated in her Mock Audition Boot Camp this weekend and got valuable feedback from someone who casts kids for a living. You will NOT get feedback from actual castings or auditions; casting directors are too busy to hand out personal critiques. It can get frustrating wondering what you are doing wrong when you don’t book jobs (half the time you probably just aren’t the right look for the part, but you won’t be privy to that self-confidence saving nugget of truth).

Jen Rudin’s Mock Audition Boot Camp

Stay tuned for a review of Jen Rudin’s book, Confessions of a Casting Director, hitting stores on December 31!

Audition Attitude

I can’t say it any better than Breaking Bad‘s Bryan Cranston:

See a listing of the top New York Commercial Agents

Don’t forget to enter the Modeling Mentor Model Search. Top agents like Elite, New York Model Management, Click, and Page Parkes have contacted me about the finalists. This is your chance to get discovered!

Sign up for my free monthly Modeling Newsletter and be the first to see the finalists!

The Best Model & Style Reports from New York Fashion Week

There’s so much great material out there during New York Fashion Week, that coming up with an original blog post would be like Zara wasting time developing a signature collection when knock-offs are so easy and marketable.

Some of my favorite articles/pictorials:

Male Model Conrad Bromfield

Walk Like a Man in the New York Times

Read the truth about bodies per square-foot in a New York model apartment and get inside the minds of men you formerly may have perceived as mindless.

Model Morphosis (also NY Times)

See models before and after hair and make-up. If you have a big nose, shaggy brows, teeny eyes, or resemble an alien—and really never thought you could model—these images will give you hope.

Model Nova Malanova transformed for Thakoon

The Best Beauty Looks from New York Fashion Week, Spring 2014, Harper’s Bazaar

Undone updos (super sexy), blue eyeliner (but so not your junior high style), blue eye shadow (knew I saved it for a reason), and easy, natural, low-key looks like this at Alexander Wang:

Cool Beauty at Alexander Wang

Fashion Report, Harper’s Bazaar

And, last but not least, read The Fashion Infomer‘s NYFW Spring 2014 Diary

You will feel like you are there and you are almost as cool as TFI. (You are a little cooler than you were before you were in on TFI.)

Don’t forget to subscribe to my free Modeling Mentor Newsletter for a monthly update on model news and advice and a sneak peek at the Model of the Month!

Ivy Sessions

Age: 25     Height: 5’8″     Size: 4-6     Agency: Urban Talent Management

How much does Ivy look like Carre Otis?! The striking resemblance to the supermodel featured in my previous post pushed Ivy into the lead, but  this month there is a runner-up as well. Look for another lucky finalist to be posted later this week.

Enter the Modeling Mentor Model Search

Be the first to see the winners, subscribe to the free Modeling Mentor Monthly Newsletter

Models Should Not Take Criticism Personally!

To get an idea of just how direct the attacks on a model’s personal appearance can be, here’s a scene from my book that recounts a particularly harsh assessment of my backside…

I was booked to model workout attire in a photo studio in the Bavarian boonies. Six looks and as many hours into it, the shoot seemed to be going well. Then the fashion stylist handed me a hot pink g-string leotard and white tights. “It’s a close-up, from the back,” she said. I cringed.

The photographer shot Polaroids and paused to watch the colors morph into an image he hoped would reveal a lovely heart-shaped rear unlike the sub-par specimen before his lens. I held my breath. After much pacing and pained analysis, he tacked the pictures to a bulletin board and asked me to look at them.

“Zee, look, here,” commanded the photographer, vigorously tapping his finger on the Polaroid of my leotard-clad rump. “Zis is not gute!”

I looked at the two blobs of lumpy dough, kneaded into white tights and cleaved by a swatch of hot pink butt floss. The cheeks of my face flushed to a similar shade.

“Zis, I cannot verk vith zis,” scolded the photographer as he used his finger to put exclamation points on my other cheeks, recorded in all their droopy glory. “Sabina, call the agency,” he said to the stylist. “I need a different model. Zis one can go home.” He stomped off down the hall.

Wow, harsh, right? I had two choices: (1) be mortified and book a ticket home, where I would find a job in which my tush would not be a factor in success, or (2) realize everyone—models included—have flaws and the rude critique related to the product Jill Johnson, not the person Jill Johnson. I went with option 2 and, during my long career, I never encountered white tights and a g-string leotard again. Phew.

A better bootie:

Cindy Crawford Shows Off a Heart-Shaped Asset

Squats, anyone?

Don’t forget to ENTER the Modeling Mentor Model Search for a chance to be the first semi-finalist in 2013 and be seen by the movers and shakers in the fashion industry! Rear views not required.

Subscribe to my free monthly  Modeling Mentor Newsletter and be the first to see the winners!