Bad makeup ruined these tear sheets.

One of my favorite makeup artists, Carmindy of “What Not to Wear” fame, has lots of tips on her site, a makeup line (Sally Hansen Natural Beauty), and several great books out: Carmindy.com

Learn how to “Carmindize” your face and other great tips from Carmindy in this video:

Helen Gurley Brown, Editor of Cosmopolitan from 1965 – 1997

I modeled for Cosmopolitan a few times before HGB handed the reins to Bonnie Fuller in 1997. In true Cosmo style, generally I was scantily clad, and once I was poised on top of a bare-chested male model. The critics of HGB’s “Sex and the Single Girl” philosophy (have it, enjoy it, use it to get whatever you want) would frown upon those sex-kitten tear sheets. But, as I said, I was on top of the male model, not under him, and I’m sure my rate was higher too. I bet HGB loved that women rule in the modeling world.

Posing for Cosmo in 1995

Though I can’t say I subscribe to her shameless vixen tactics, there’s no question Helen Gurley Brown changed more than magazine covers. “Sex and the City,” juicy topics on Girls’ Nights Out, models who strut the Victoria’s Secret runway in their skivvies and become household names—the legendary editor and author paved the way.

Some Things Helen Gurley Brown Taught Us, Beyond the Bedroom:

1. Hard knocks needn’t knock you down. A girl from Arkansas whose dad died in an elevator accident when she was 10 and whose sister contracted polio, acne-prone Helen graduated valedictorian of her high school class, couldn’t afford to finish college, and worked her way up the career ladder from secretarial jobs to ad copywriter to top of a Hearst masthead.

2. Be open to professional insight from your significant other. David Brown, Helen’s husband, encouraged her to write her groundbreaking first book and suggested the title, “Sex and the Single Girl.” He also wrote all the blurbs for Cosmo‘s covers.

3. Be honest. From broadcasting to prudish America in the early 60s that single women have sex and enjoy it, to openly admitting the many colleagues (and bosses) she slept with, HGB was always refreshingly frank. She also never hid behind her face lifts; she championed them, as well as her nose job, silicone injections—and anything that makes a woman feel good about herself (or just makes her feel good, period).

(See which supermodels admit they’ve had work done.)

4. Use your brain, not just your body. HGB said, “Beauty can’t amuse you, but brain work—reading, writing, thinking—can.”

5. “Never fail to know that if you are doing all of the talking, you are boring somebody.” —HGB

See 25 Iconic Cosmo Covers

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How did you get involved with Page Parkes Role Model Camp?

I’ve been working on my spiritual and personal growth for the past few years. There’s a great link between your inner beauty and outer beauty. It all revolves around contribution.  What makes you feel best inside is what you can give back. Having had such a long relationship with Page and now with Susan Miner, I brought them together to do the first one. I’ll be contributing my talent by allowing the girls to shine from within and giving them a beautiful photograph to take with them.

How do you envision the shoot that you’ll be doing with each girl?

I just want to capture their beauty, being comfortable and proud of who they are. A great image can come from just feeling and being, not posing. They will be discovering themselves in the camp; I want to capture in a photo what they have discovered. There may be a makeup artist donating her talent, but the makeup would be very natural. I will shoot in a portrait meets fashion way.

Will you be giving them advice too?

Yes, definitely. A lot of girls and a lot of women don’t have a male figure in their life that understands them and compliments them in an older-brother way. Being a gay guy, I have the freedom to tell them they look hot and have them feel good about it. I don’t come across like a dirty old man! From 13 to 17—it’s a very delicate age. We’re authority figures and can either be helpful or very damaging if a girl feels abused. I’m really personable. My demeanor enables me to connect with teens in a very positive way.

How long have you known Page?

Since I was 20, so 23 years!

How did you meet?

When she opened her office in Miami. She was one of the first three agents there. I was already testing. Irene Marie is the reason I got started in the business. I bought a camera at 14 and learned on my own how to take pictures. I was going out, hanging out with models, and started shooting them. The agency saw some of my pictures and asked me to come in. This is how naïve I was: They asked me to bring my “book,” and I thought they meant a school book! I brought a family photo album of snapshots I had done, using handheld lamps from Home Depot. Still, Richard Pollmann, who I met with, said, “You have a really good eye and you take good pictures.” They sent me to Atlanta to take pictures. By then I was studying Communication Design at the International Fine Arts College at Miami International University.  But I made so much money in one week, I quit school and became photographer.

Do you see Page as a role model?

Yes. 100%. She’s influenced me my whole life. I call her my second mom.

How long have you known Susan Miner?

I remember Susan from when she modeled. I have known her for about two years. Within five minutes, we had a special connection. She’s a really special woman, with an amazing gift, and she’s had an amazing life. She really walks the walk.

How did you meet?

I met her through Ron at Next.

When did you shoot these stunning photos of her?

Last year. She was 42.

Susan Miner by Danny Cardozo

Susan Miner (42 is the new 30!)

Is it your magic lighting or does Susan really look 30?

She looks amazing. She’s just a beauty girl. It doesn’t matter what she does—she’ll be sitting at breakfast wearing no makeup, and she looks like she walked out of a photo shoot. She’s an exceptionally beautiful woman inside and out. My whole life I’ve been influenced 95% by women. I learned so much from you and respect you greatly. [Blush, blush.] I’m very pro women. I want to educate girls to become women like you and Susan and Page.

Do you have experience with the therapy that Susan does?

I’ve filmed and shot one of her sessions. I’ve seen her do hands-on healing on a 15-yr-old and 46-yr-old producer who had gone through a major struggle, and I saw a break-through in both of them. I witnessed the energy that transfers from one to the other.

Do you foresee more camps like the Role Model Camp in August?

Yes. We’re aiming for 20 girls for this one.  If it doesn’t fill up, it will be exactly what it needs to be. We’d rather do it with girls who desperately need our help, like cancer survivors, girls who really need the boost.

Do you play a mentor role with models you shoot? (Typically we only hear the opposite story, of photographers taking advantage of their subjects.)

Always. I always have, ever since I discovered that I had the power to influence people. I refuse to ever say anything negative. Everyone is beautiful, no matter what shape, size, or color. I’m true to the industry, though. I am honest. I would never give a card to someone I don’t think can be a model. What is great about adding the positive “role” model, to the model word that can have negative or superficial connotations, is that everyone can be a role model. You don’t have to be a fashion model. You can be a role model to everyone you encounter.

What inspired you to get into photography?

Beauty, architecture, Patrick Nagel paintings, Duran Duran, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Smiths—all these cultural things I grew up with. I would listen to music and would envision pictures. I started shooting guys, in a very Herb Ritts style. But I prefer to shoot fashion. I love the architecture in fashion.

How did you learn photography?

I was self-taught.

The best photographers usually are, right?

I think you can learn photography, but you can’t learn the eye, the vision behind it. It’s not through a camera that you shoot an amazing picture; it’s through your mind. The camera is just a tool. School will teach you technically how to do it, but the vast majority of great photos are technically incorrect.

Favorite models you’ve shot?

Valentina Zelyaeva, the Ralph Lauren girl—an amazing model and role-model herself. She’s an advocate of healthy eating and is showing other models how to “Beautify Yourself Through Nutrition” (that’s her slogan: check out Valentina’s Blog).

Valentina and Danny in action

Ioanna Ntenti, an up-and-coming model in Paris, who has been featured in Vogue, Elle, Tank. She’s a great girl with an incredible spirit. Robin Linke, a hidden treasure who is here in Miami with Elite. She’s on one of my latest covers.

Ally Ertel, a stunningly beautiful and caring girl, who actually is volunteering in the first RMC (Role Model Camp). Susan is mentoring her. She is the perfect example of inner beauty that flows outward. The reason I like the girls I mentioned as models: images of them just happen—they aren’t forced, you can’t tell these models what to do.

Ally Ertel, by Danny Cardozo

Celebrities you’ve shot?

I shot Serena Williams recently, two weeks prior to her winning her fifth Wimbledon championship. Now she’s headed to the Olympics. She’s such an inspiring woman and athlete, with an incredible work ethic and great determination. She also gives back, through her Foundation. It was a pleasure to photograph her because she also has a strong fashion sense and was very committed to a great end result.

Serena Williams, by Danny Cardozo

Another amazing female personality I had the pleasure of working with recently is Katrina Campins. We have been collaborating a lot this year, as she and I have very similar views and enthusiasm for life. Katrina also is launching her personal brand www.katrinacampins.com and BeGr8er.com. Both are destined to promote wellness and inner strength through business and music.

Katrina Campins, by Danny Cardozo

What makes you a good photographer?

Passion and understanding of a moment. Evolving and always changing. You are only as good as the last thing you put out; the next thing you do, you want to make it great. And #1—having a great team. That vastly changed my work. I live by my crew.

What makes you a good person/a role model?

Love. I love everybody. I love the world. I love my life. Also, gratitude and humility—I begin every day with thank you. [I and my kids are going to start doing that. Thank you!]

Accepting that success is good, unless it changes you and makes you egotistical. The universe wants you to be rich in every aspect. I’ve lost everything a couple of times in the past. I’m here today because I was able to learn and grow. That’s a great lesson to learn at a young age: Life is about lows and highs, lows and highs. The sooner you learn that, the easier it is to cope with it. There’s nothing wrong with being down. That’s where the role model comes up. Nothing ever is going to be perfect and it’s great to understand that. Society is constantly telling kids they have to be #1, which makes them feel like they will never be enough. Our two major fears, according to Tony Robbins (self-help author and motivational speaker) are: I’ll never be enough or I’m not going to be loved.

Clearly you have a lot of advice for teens (and all of us!), what about for aspiring models?

Today’s market is completely saturated with amazing girls. We joke that they must have breeding farms in Russia or Brazil, producing all these tall, skinny, exotic models. And models get scouted everywhere. If you’re living in the jungle in the Amazon, they’ll find you! There has never been a time with so many great girls competing for the same jobs, at least at a high, exclusive level. So, unless you’re 5’9″ to 5’11″ and have good skin, carefully consider your options. Competition is harsh now. Seven out of ten girls are great. The one who lands the job is the one with spirit, personality, and professionalism.

Advice to aspiring photographers?

Trust your instincts. Don’t put anything your not proud of out there. Be patient. Take more time to do it right and you’ll be happy. Don’t compromise your vision for money or someone else. There’s nothing wrong with saying no. Not every job is for you. If a client needs a photographer to shoot diapers in grocery stores—that job is not for me. If it’s Chanel, I understand it. Love what you shoot and you’ll love every job you get. As the saying goes, love what you do, and you’ll never work a day in your life. You do have to be on social media. You have to be out there. It’s competitive. I finally found an agent who’s really great. Negotiating is hard. She does that so I can do my job better.

Final thoughts?

I think that more models and ex-models should become role models. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to give it back.  It’s everybody’s duty to be a role model to someone younger, so we can change to coming generation. If you have a moment and can help someone out, more than likely you’re going to be the only person who helps them out today.

More info on Page Parkes Role Model Camp

Interview with Supermodel Susan Miner

Stay tuned for a story about some kid role models later this week!

How did you get started modeling?

I went to a small modeling school when I was 14. I had to convince my mother to let me go. I did some small jobs, passing out perfume and mannequin modeling. It was 1983/84 and I made $25 an hour, so it was wonderful! Then I went to a casting for a runway show for the store that is now Casual Corner. Even though I felt like I wasn’t pulled together like the other models, I got the job. I really shined in the show, and they offered me a contract. For two years, I was their exclusive model. Then an agent in Boston picked me up. (I’m from Hampden, Mass.) After I graduated from high school, I got an apartment in Boston. I worked one or two days a week—I was living the life! Two months later, an agency in New York picked me up and I moved there. I was 17. I did really well in New York, at least as well as someone can do without a book; I had Polaroids pretty much! My agent sent me to Australia. I went to a casting right off the plane and worked non-stop.

How long did it take to “make it”?

It happened right from the beginning, starting with small bookings and then leading up to bigger ones. If it had happened any faster, it probably would have been a disaster. There was a three-month period in Paris when all I was doing was wearing out my shoes. Then ten months later, they were flying me back on the Concorde. I went to Milan for almost a year when I was 18 or 19. My first day there, I booked Italian Vogue.

Did you have any of the bad experiences models report from “Viet-Milan”?

I made so much money, they weren’t going to mess with me. My boyfriend, a photographer who was eight years older, went with me. He kept me out of trouble. I didn’t really hear about the stuff that was going on until now.

What was your big break (not that Italian Vogue isn’t big enough!)?

I moved back to New York—I was 19 or 20— and went to a mass casting for Vogue. I had on my boyfriend’s pants (I owned two pairs of pants) and no makeup. When I walked in, Polly Mellen stood up and said, “Susan Miner, where have you been?” Several months later I was on the cover and in the magazine regularly from then on.

Did you like modeling?

I enjoyed modeling, yes, but I wasn’t always happy.  I had my own demons, as most young women do. All my struggles were within myself, and they were contradictory to modeling. I was getting paid a lot of money for how I looked. At the same time, I directed a lot of shame and sadness at myself.

Did being a model reinforce these negative feelings or bolster your confidence?

In one sense, modeling bolstered my confidence because I was very independent. It gave me a lot of choices and people were enamored with the profession. But it played into my insecurities too. A client would feed you a big lunch and then hand you an outfit the size of a toothpick. I never had an eating disorder, but I brushed upon an eating disorder in my mind.  What I struggled with was knowing what to eat, what was best for me. Once I figured out what I needed to eat, it wasn’t hard. The whole fat-free trend was a nightmare.  I was always hungry. When I started eating right and exercising—I love exercising—it wasn’t hard. But if I had to be a size 2, I would have been sick. Even when I was 8 or 10 lbs heavier than my ideal as a model, I worked every day. When I was modeling, I knew very few girls with eating disorders. In fact, only one.

What was your ideal weight and how tall are you?

It was 128. I’m 5’9″ or just under that. I’m not 128 now and I’m happy. I’m 134 or 135.

How many years did you model?

Fifteen, but ten full time.

What did you learn from your career?

I learned to value myself financially. I learned I have the ability to make a good living. I learned that the world in general values and judges appearances. I learned that it doesn’t matter where you are, what you have, or what you look like—it doesn’t make you happy. You can be young, beautiful, rich, and in a beautiful place like Paris and still not be happy.

Biggest perk of modeling?

Money.

What was your catalog day rate?

My minimum was $2,500. I made $3,500 sometimes, and a whole lot more for some clients.

Biggest drawback/pitfall?

If girls attach their self-worth to modeling, that’s a pitfall. The bottom line is a very small percent are going to make a really good living—even a decent living—at it. If girls think that modeling will make them lovable or fabulous, that’s a pitfall; or if modeling keeps them from paying attention to what they really want to do, where their gifts may lie.

Worst experience?

I can’t pick one example, but sometimes I would be so exhausted from traveling and being nervous and not sleeping before a job that I could barely put one foot in front of the other. I was delirious. Or modeling winter clothes in the summer on a tar roof—that was interesting—or standing in snow in swimwear.

Advice to young people interested in modeling?

I’m actually writing an entire E-book on this, so I could talk for a long time. I encourage girls to focus on their inner strengths, their confidence, loving themselves—all the things that will give them a more fulfilling and peaceful life overall.

I read on your site (susanminerbeauty.com) that at age 27, you went to college, got your B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Community Counseling and became Professor Miner! Last year, at 42, you launched a new business, Beauty From the Inside Out. Tell us about that.

My business is designed to give women the experience of feeling their inner beauty: peace, comfort in their own skin, connection with their higher power. It’s very experiential. I’m not teaching anything new, or that you can’t learn in a book. It’s more giving people the experience of feeling peaceful and then giving them some tools they can carry out into their everyday life. I may start with energy movement, which relaxes the body and gets a person into their body and out of their minds, followed by heartfelt accomplishment exercises. I work with clients on Skype and do guided meditations. I have been doing this kind of work for ten years. I really began when I was 20, self studying, trying to feel better myself; I always say that’s why I became a therapist: I was a mess and wanted to feel better!

 

 

Susan Miner now, making the 40s look amazing! (Photos by Danny Cardozo)

Tell me how you will be involved in Page Parkes Role Model Camp?

I’m doing what I call “A Roadmap to Peace.” When I was younger, I would have loved someone to give me a roadmap or have someone be my mentor. It’s a roadmap from empowerment to peace, with exercise to build trust, hope, forgiveness, understanding, love, joy, and peace.

How many girls will there be and what age group?

Twenty girls, ages 13 – 17. I’m very excited about it!

How did you get involved with the camp? Do you know Page?

Yes, she’s one of my clients. Originally, it started that I wanted to support her as she becomes more out there as a role model. She has been a role model for all these years but behind the scenes.

Where do you live?

Orlando. My husband, Anthony, an engineer, was transferred here with Pepsi. Now he’s working full-time with me in the business.

Do you have children?

A daughter, Charlee Rose, who will be five in September.

What would you say if she wanted to model?

[She ponders for a moment.] When she’s older? I would say yes. But now, no way, it would be a full-time job for me! [Read more about Kid Modeling.]

How has motherhood affected you?

Motherhood has made me more committed to being healthy both in mind and body.

What do you do as a mom to try to raise a confident, secure, happy daughter?

I try to be honest with her even at her age.  Mostly I focus on being confident, secure, and happy myself.

Anything to add?

I want to add that, particularly with my business, I’m very interested in collaborating a lot, especially with other models who want to share in a spiritual, nurturing way.

Contact Susan through her website, susanminerbeauty.com, or via email: susan@susanminerbeauty.com

More info on Page Parkes Role Model Camp

Stay tuned for a Q&A with photographer Danny Cardozo next week!

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.

Sophie Patitz

We met in Munich 20 years ago, and even then, as a teen, she dreamed of a career helping animals. The money she made modeling (her rate reached $5,000 a day) enabled her to pay for college and take a job that is more about making a difference than making money. Watch this brief BBC report to find out more about International Animal Rescue, where Sophie works. Share the link to this page to raise awareness and help raise funds!

Find out more at internationalanimalrescue.org

Tune in on Monday to hear the talent that model Audi Martel has been keeping from the world!

Kaia posing for Versace

Kaia, seen here posing for a Versace campaign at age 10, is the spitting image of her chestnut-maned mom, Cindy Crawford. Having her first gig for the Italian powerhouse is not too shabby. However, Cindy has put a hold on her daughter’s career—too much, too soon (at least for Cindy Inc’s wholesome following, if not for the worldly supermodel herself).

The family is open about Cindy’s line of work, though, which is healthy. If kids go visit dad at the office, why shouldn’t they see what mom’s workplace is like? Actually, the family even shot a commercial together. When Kaia and her brother Presley (age 12) heard their parents discussing using child actors as their pseudo kids, they nixed the idea. They wanted in. Good sign; I’d say a kid who didn’t want to be on TV is jaded. But as far as pursuing modeling seriously, Kaia may have to wait until 17—about  when mom started. “If she’s 17 and wants to try it, of course, what can I say?” says Cindy.

Cindy Crawford and family

The last two times I ran into her, back in the dark ages before airbrushing was the norm, the live version could compete with the photo version. Outside the Portapotties at New York Fashion Week in 1994, the real Cindy looked just like the Cindy Inc. we know and love (was she Cindy Inc. yet back then?). As we stood side by side washing our hands, I wanted to tell her, “Wow, Cindy, you look exactly like Cindy.” But that would have made me seem like a wide-eyed fan from Middle America, not a fellow catwalker (I was but not at all in her league). Instead we smiled pleasantly at each other, as you do during those awkward ladies room moments.

Soon after I saw her at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, filming Fair Game. (I was posing in a cheesy editorial for Cosmo). She looked great there too, but looks didn’t quite carry the movie. It was a big flop, but Cindy gracefully accepted the limits of her talent and found success elsewhere: as a spokesperson, fitness guru, beauty mogul, furniture designer, mom, enduring model (she appeared on the cover of Vogue Mexico just last year).

Other lessons that can be culled from Cindy Crawford’s career:

1. Embrace your uniqueness. Some people wanted Cindy to remove her mole. Like Lauren Hutton who told her agent she would fix the gap in her teeth but never did, Cindy resisted. Good thing, cuz her beauty mark became her trademark.

2. Beautiful does not equal ditzy. Cindy graduated valedictorian from DeKalb High School in Illinois and won an academic scholarship to study Chemical Engineering at Northwestern. Fortunately for the fashion world, she was discovered by famed photographer Victor Skrebneski and dropped out after one quarter.

3. Beautiful does not equal skinny. Cindy has always had sexy curves. If only there were more Cindys out there on the runways today!

4. Even if posing may seem like a shallow activity, the fruits of a model’s labor can make a profound difference in the world. Cindy’s little brother died of leukemia when she was ten years old. She has turned her sexy calendars into medical research dollars for that cause. She is also actively involved in the Ronald McDonald House  and California Wildlife Center and has supported numerous charities over the years.

Stay tuned for some mom wisdom from Cindy later this week…

How old are your kids? 

Reagan is ten, Zachary is nine, and Jacob is eight.

When did you adopt them?

Seven years ago.

How old were you then? 

Forty-seven.

Did you delay motherhood because you already were mothering all your models through the years? 

That’s exactly the reason. I could not fathom going home to a child after giving everything I had to 7,000 teens. I was so fulfilled.

How did the decision to adopt come about?

I met my husband at 37 and fell madly in love with him. He was five years younger. It really was the first time I had ever wanted children. We tried to have a child, but went through many mishaps—a surrogate mom who lost the babies, birth moms who ran away from the adoption home. It was a nine-year journey. Finally, we decided to reach out and ask ourselves, What should we do? We had to put our egos aside and realize that we could love any child. I wish I had put my ego aside sooner. We started down a road of hopefully less heartbreak, through Child Protective Services. With CPS children, the parents’ rights to the child have already been terminated, and there is no wait and no cost. I had worked as a child advocate through the years of trying to build a family. I decided to volunteer so I could love some child and try to put my head in the right place and not be so sad. Each year I had a child in the court system. Through that experience I learned I had no ego at all and realized I could take any one of those children and make a family. In my industry, I had worked with kids who were so blessed and talented and had everything they ever wanted and some were so bratty—certainly not all, but some. For these CPS kids, a happy meal was equal to booking a movie for my talent in terms of the gratitude.

How did the adoption of your children happen?

We were asked if we would consider three siblings—the two older ones had already been put into foster care; the baby, Jacob, was later left at a hospital by the mother. They matched him to the siblings and put them together. It was magical. We actually had been chosen second, though. First they picked a 30-year-old mother who stayed at home, but the family turned the kids back in ten days later. That was the most damaging time of their life. The woman went nuts. They were climbing the refrigerator, swinging from the chandelier. CPS had been very honest and warned us that these kids were wild. They said they would be breaking out of their car seats. But they all were asleep in our car within seconds and slept all the way from Austin to Houston. They were so at peace.

They look so much like you!

We never even saw pictures. We had about a paragraph on each child. When we met them, this girl with long curly blonde hair, ran up to me and said, “Mommy, mommy, can I brush your hair?” It was love at first sight. I told her, “You can brush my hair for the rest of your life.”

You often hear stories of health issues that adopted children have; did you have medical information?

Both parents are meth addicts. Both are in prison. The children were not born drug addicted and they have no learning disabilities. They are very intelligent. They are in honors classes at school. They have great social skills. They’re all very good at sports. I’m not athletic, so that freaks me out—I was never picked for any sports team in my life! It’s neat. You never know where they are going to excel.

Do you discuss the adoption with them?

From day one, we were completely honest. A feeling of abandonment can haunt children, or adults, if you can’t tell them the truth. There’s no reason to be secretive about adoption anymore. We’re in a really great time in this world: adoption is cool these days—so many celebrities are adopting—and people of mixed races are the #1 commodity in my industry. CPS called for us to take a newborn and one-year-old from the same mother. They ended up finding a distant aunt who is a teacher and wrote us a beautiful letter telling us about the mother. She sent pictures of the kids—one looks just like my daughter, the other is mixed race but looks like her too. They are too young now, but if my children want to meet their sisters when they are 18, I would support that.

What is your advice for someone considering adoption?

I would really encourage people not to consider a three-year-old an older child. They are still very young. Contact CPS in your area, and say yes to everything. We were asked if we would take a newborn, one-, two-, three-year-old.  After we adopted the children, CPS called to offer us subsidizing for the kids. We couldn’t believe it. They were giving us money? It wasn’t a lot, but for some people it would be. Since we adopted three children, they cover Texas college education also.

Have your kids done any modeling? 

We stayed far away from that. I didn’t want them to think I cared about anything so shallow. But Reagan was painfully shy when she arrived—not surprisingly—so I put her in acting classes. Now she has an agent in L.A. She said to me, “I understand you don’t want to push me, but because you’re Page Parkes, you can’t hold me back!”

I don’t think this model citizen and model mom ever would be found guilty of that. 

To find out more about this type of adoption, look up Child Protective Services (CPS), the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), or the Department of Social Services (DSS) in your area. 

See a video on Page and her family here:

Paul Fisher and Brita at Arquette Agency

Remodeled features Paul Fisher (former manager of  supermodels Naomi Campbell and Stephanie Seymour) and his network of 50 agencies in small markets. His goal: to remodel them, one at a time, both the offices themselves and the people who run them and change the way the industry works. He wants the little guys to reap the rewards of developing stars and not let New York agencies snap them up and take all the credit. He starts with the Arquette agency in Minneapolis (big clients = Target and Aveda), where owner Brita has lost 16 models (a booker stole them away; as Paul says, this happens all the time). Paul swoops in, like a swearing Super Nanny, whips Brita and her staff into shape, finds a crop of new faces, and brings back one of the defectors, notably a plus-size model whom Fisher expects can turn the agency around.

Woven through the show is another storyline. Of the 14,000 models(!) represented by “The Network,” Fisher and his team select four to go to New York for Fashion Week castings: 17-year-old Meghan from Albuquerque, who looks like the next Adriana Lima to me; 20-year-old Mariana from Mexico, touted as the next Gisele; 16-year-old Bobby from Portland, who’s ditching the football team to pursue catwalking (I’m wondering if his teammates teased him, or do modeling aspirations seem totally normal to a jock in the age of ANTM?); and 21-year-old gap-toothed tattooed Annelise from Sarasota, hoping to capitalize on her Lauren Hutton look. Meghan has never done a modeling job in her life but dreams of buying a compound for her family. I think she just might. Mariana, also from a humble background, hopes to send money back home. I’ve encountered plenty of models with the same noble goal—it’s not all about buying the next it bag.

We don’t know the outcome of the castings yet, except that Annelise got a poor response and was sent home. At her first casting, the client reacted to her walk by saying, “You look like a scared cat.” She complained about how mean he was, but I didn’t think he was mean. He gave her constructive criticism and let her walk again. Normally a model with a mediocre walk would just get a thanks-very-much, next! Annelise cried when she got the news about being shipped home. I never cried about anything related to modeling (well, except male models). I think she needs a new walk and a thicker skin. Annelise, in case you’re reading, my walk sucked too. Hang in there.

Minus the budget to wave a magic wand and turn an agency that looks like a dental office into a flashy dream-makin’ machine, this show scores high on the realism scale, with real modeling industry pros in the cast and models with real potential. The best part, Fisher’s focus on healthy, civic-minded models:

“When one of my models is about to fly to New York to have go-sees with the top tastemakers in the industry—Vogue, Seventeen, Marie Claire, GQ, Ralph Lauren, and Hilfiger—do I tell her to get busy starving herself, working out nonstop, and preparing her walk?” asks Paul Fisher. “No. I tell her to forget the meetings. Go feed the homeless. Go visit your grandmother. Go to your church, or your yoga class, or whatever keeps you centered and grounded. Spend your time thinking how you can serve and help others. Then see how your meetings turn out.”

Remodeled airs on The CW on Tuesdays, 9 PM EST.