Modeling Mentor Blog » Vogue

Modeling in Asia: Em Marie’s Adventures Overseas

jill — Fri, 07 Feb 2020 00:31:20 +0000

Model of the Year Em Marie Scores Tear Sheets in Japan, Korea, China, Thailand…

A few years ago I spotted a teenager in Maine who radiated the kind of beauty that makes heads swivel, like Vogue casting director type heads. With her china doll skin, dusting of freckles, bold brows, and contagious smile, Em Marie was a girl I didn’t have doubts about. I whisked her straight into an agency in New York where she was signed on the spot.

I made Em my Model of the Month. I knew she’d win Model of the Year. I knew she’d make it. But I couldn’t have predicted the dizzying speed at which she would rack up the most sought after tear sheets in the biz before even hitting the age of 18. She has landed in the pages of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar multiple times, in multiple countries.

While she’s at it, Em has immersed herself in the culture of each place she visits and explored every corner of Asia courageously and tirelessly—all the time celebrating the highs and laughing off the lows of the life on the road far from home. If you aren’t reading her blog EmMariexox.com and following her on Instagram, you are missing the best modeling travelogue out there!

Here are just a few of Em’s dozens of tear sheets from Asia, one more dazzling than the next…

The Many Modeling Faces of Em Marie

Em Marie in Vogue Spy

Em Marie, “Gray’s Anatomy,” Vogue Spy

Dreamy Em Marie in Vogue Spy

Em Marie in Thailand

Em Marie modeling for Rosenkrantz

Em Marie for Cartier, Vogue Thailand

Clean beauty

Stay tuned to see which continent Em conquers next!

Want to be the next Modeling Mentor Model of the Year? Enter the Modeling Mentor Model Search!

Model of the Year: Meet the Judges!

jill — Fri, 06 Feb 2015 01:36:18 +0000

As I’m writing, a panel of modeling industry powerhouses is reviewing the Modeling Mentor Model Search finalists and voting on Model of the Year! Prizes include an in-person or Skype interview with these top agents (which can change an aspiring model’s life!) and a copy of Susan’s new book to help them maintain inner peace as they embark on their modeling adventures.

Meet the Model Search judges:

Erin Lundgren-Scimeca, Director of Scouting at New York Model Management

Erin has been in the industry for 20 years. She worked as a scout at Elite in the Nineties when they represented most of the supermodels in the industry. Erin organized the Elite Model Look contest and then was promoted to Director of Elite Model Look North America. Five years later, she moved to New York Models to run their scouting division.Erin oversees the new faces as well as the movement and placement of the models at the agency.

Page Parkes, Founder/Owner of Page Parkes Corporation

Page founded her agency in Texas 30 years ago and made a name for herself throughout the international modeling circuit. She was one of the first agents to open a branch in the lucrative Miami market (her agency there eventually merged with Ford). She has discovered big-name stars, including Channing Tatum, Shannon Elizabeth, Woody Harrelson, Brooke Burns, and Alexis Bledel. Her finds are placed in major agencies across the globe and her expert eye landed her on E!’s reality show Scouted. Read all about Page here: Exclusive Interview With Page Parkes From Scouted

Susan Miner, Supermodel, Psychologist, Author, and Founder of Susan Miner Beauty

As an international supermodel, Susan Miner graced the cover of numerous top magazines, including Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Self, and Harper’s Bazaar. Her face represented such powerhouses as Revlon, Maybelline, and L’Oreal. After she retired she got her BA in Psychology (Summa Cum Laude) and MA in Counseling and then became an adjunct Professor of Psychology and therapist.

Currently, as President of Beauty From the Inside Out, Inc., Susan is a keynote speaker, Beautiful Energy workshop facilitator, author and counselor. Her expertise as a supermodel and therapist merged into one passion: To raise your inner peace and beauty! Susan is committed to helping you tap into and unleash your Beautiful Energy. Her book Beautiful Energy: Exercises to Reveal Your Inner Peace contains the step by step of how to reduce your anxiety in written, audio and video format.

Subcribe for free mini energy sessions and beauty tips: Youtube: Susan Miner

Read my interview with Susan Miner.

Jill Johnson: Former Model, Founder of Tear Sheet magazine, Writer, Modeling Mentor, and Stage Mom. Read more about Jill Johnson. (And stay tuned for a blog in defense of stage moms!)

Subscribe to the free monthly Modeling Mentor Newsletter!

Model Search Finals: Meet the Judges!

jill — Sun, 22 Dec 2013 03:54:19 +0000

The Modeling Mentor Model of the Year Judges

A panel of fashion industry powerhouses are currently reviewing the Modeling Mentor Model Search finalists and voting on Model of the Year!

Meet the Model Search judges:

Erin Lundgren-Scimeca, Director of Scouting at New York Model Management

Some of New York Model Management’s Stars

Erin has been in the industry for almost 20 years. She worked as a scout at Elite in the 90’s when they represented most of the supermodels in the industry. Erin organized the Elite Model Look contest and then was promoted to Director of Elite Model Look North America. Five years later, she moved to New York Models to run their scouting division. Erin oversees the new faces as well as the movement and placement of the models at the agency.

Page Parkes, Founder/Owner of Page Parkes Corporation

Models in the Women’s Division at Page Parkes in Dallas

Page founded her agency in Texas almost 30 years ago and made a name for herself throughout the international modeling circuit. She was one of the first agents to open a branch in the lucrative Miami market (her agency there eventually merged with Ford). She has discovered big-name stars, including Channing Tatum, Shannon Elizabeth, Woody Harrelson, Brooke Burns, and Alexis Bledel. Her finds are placed in major agencies across the globe and her expert eye landed her on E!’s reality show Scouted. Read all about Page here: Exclusive Interview With Page Parkes From Scouted

Susan Miner, Supermodel, Psychologist and Founder of Susan Miner Beauty

Susan Miner

During her career Susan Miner graced the cover of top magazines like Vogue and Elle and was one of the faces of Revlon Cosmetics. She then embarked on a journey to heal the insecurities she felt during her years modeling. She studied psychology in college and graduate school and ultimately became an adjunct professor. Currently, as a workshop leader, keynote speaker, writer, and counselor, Susan helps others find “beauty from the inside out.” Read my interview with Susan Miner.

Jill Johnson, Former Model and Magazine Editor; Current Writer, Modeling Mentor, and Mom . Read more about Jill Johnson.

Subscribe to the free monthly Modeling Mentor Newsletter and be first to see who wins Model of the Year 2013!

See the 2013 Modeling Mentor Model Search Finalists

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.

Subscribe to my free monthly Modeling Newsletter

Modeling Advice: Covergirl or College Girl?

jill — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 20:56:04 +0000

Should I forego college in favor of maximizing my prime modeling years?

It’s a question I hear a lot. I’m one of the rare few who graduated from college before I got into a serious modeling career. By 22, though, I knew my supermodel potential was pretty much zilch. Here’s my snarky reply to a Tear Sheet reader facing the dilemma of choosing one over the other: Modeling vs. School.

Tyra Banks at Harvard

And here are some surprisingly well-educated supermodels (many of whom went to school after their covergirl years): 10 Beautiful Brains

My advice? If you are signed with a strong agency and are getting a lot of work with big photographers, doing big shows—showing great promise—then perhaps postpone college for a year. But don’t wait until you’re 30. You won’t be hanging in the dorms then and having the classic college experience. It’s not worth trading, even for a Vogue cover.

Enter the Modeling Mentor Model Search!

Modeling Tip: Are You Too Old to Model?

jill — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 15:56:36 +0000

It’s no secret that the modeling industry has its own definition of “old.” A middle-aged model is 25, not 45. Some agencies won’t look at new faces who are old enough to vote. Why is that, when we see overripe supermodels still being featured in Vogue and advertising campaigns?

Kristen McMenamy at age 46

Because models are an investment. If an agent is going to put time, effort, and money into promoting a model, they want the highest return on investment possible, i.e. many prime working years ahead before wrinkles appear and marketability declines.

Christy Turlington at age 42

The supermodels who have managed to stretch their careers into the decades (five of them in Lauren Hutton‘s case) made names for themselves back when they were fresh-faced teens.

Lauren Hutton at age 67

There are exceptions, of course. Anna Nicole Smith was discovered at age 25. Isabella Rossellini began a modeling career at age 28 (her pedigree—she’s the daughter of Ingrid Bergman—gave her a leg-up). Some models have resumed their careers after two decades off (see Karen Bjornson‘s story).

I headed to Europe to model after college at age 22. I felt ancient. Even though I was starting my career later than most models, I looked young and I wish I hadn’t worried so much about being old. Looking back at photos of myself, with my baby fat chipmunk cheeks, it makes me chuckle to think how over the hill I felt at the time.

So, yes, youth counts in the model success quotient. Agencies like to start girls as teens (men have more leeway as age = distinction with them; our society still needs to work on that with women, but the clients booking beauties like Lauren Hutton help. Thanks Alexis Bittar!). However, 22 is not old. I made a lot more money modeling at 30 than at 22, so it’s not all over at 25. And, I didn’t miss out on college. That counts for a lot in my life success quotient, which always counts more than a mere model success quotient.

Enter the Modelingmentor Model Contest—there’s no age limit!

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!

Models to Get Carded at Castings

jill — Sat, 05 May 2012 04:24:36 +0000

If anyone had a reason to check my ID when I was modeling, it would have been to confirm I was of retirement age. Models were put out to pasture at 21. Agencies in New York wouldn’t see new faces past age 18. Like all of my “ancient” modeling friends, I rarely revealed my real age when casting directors asked. At first I adjusted my age based on the job. Then I realized it was too confusing to keep track of how old different clients thought I was, so I ditched my summer of ’69 birthday for one in 1972.

Now models may get carded to make sure they are not too young (gasp! “Too young”— now there’s a new concept for the fashion world). All 19 international editions of Vogue have agreed to the following pact:

“1. We will not knowingly work with models under the age of 16 or who appear to have an eating disorder. We will work with models who, in our view, are healthy and help to promote a healthy body image.

Karlie Kloss, Korean Vogue

2. We will ask agents not to knowingly send us underage girls and casting directors to check IDs when casting shoots, shows and campaigns.

Codie Young in Vogue

3. We will help to structure mentoring programs where more mature models are able to give advice and guidance to younger girls, and we will help to raise industry-wide awareness through education, as has been integral to the Council of Fashion Designers of America Health Initiative.

4. We will encourage producers to create healthy backstage working conditions, including healthy food options and a respect for privacy. We will encourage casting agents not to keep models unreasonably late.

5. We encourage designers to consider the consequences of unrealistically small sample sizes of their clothing, which limits the range of women who can be photographed in their clothes, and encourages the use of extremely thin models.

6. We will be ambassadors for the message of healthy body image.”

Amen.

It will be interesting to compare issues of Vogue pre-pact to those post-pact and assess the impact on the whole industry. Let’s hope the editors follow through.

As for #3, the modeling mentor is here! Send your Dear Jill questions (scroll down the page in this link to read some past Dear Jill Q&A’s).