Answering a Reader Question #997

Anonymous Wrote:

 Hi, Dania! it is advisable to start my modeling career in Paris? I'm thinking about moving there and find a mother agency... What do you say?

Hi, Anonymous!

To be successful in a market like Paris, you must make sure you meet the physical requirements set by the agencies there. This should be done before you pick up and move.

I don't know your stats, such as age, height and other basic measurements but Paris is a high fashion and editorial market so the average height range is 5'8" - 6'0" and of course, the traditional 34-24-34 (bust, waist, hips) measurements. There are commercial/print models and agencies in Paris, too, if you don't meet the fashion modeling criteria.

If you are shorter than that and/or one inch larger in any of those 3 measurement areas, then the odds of getting a mother agency in Paris to represent you for fashion/runway/editorial work will be extremely challenging. Agencies often turn down model hopefuls for not meeting the height requirements automatically.

That being said, I would advise doing your homework and finding out what agencies, including mother agencies, there are in Paris and visiting each website to find out what those requirements are (not all agencies have the same requirements). After you get that information, determine which ones you have a realistic chance of submitting to and then find out what methods of submission they accept (i.e. open call, email submission, electronic form on their website, postal mail).

It is more practical and cost-effective to submit to Paris agencies and travel there briefly to attend open calls and interviews and THEN make plans to relocate there IF you get a legitimate contract offer from an agency. You don't want to put the cart before the horse and learn after the fact that there aren't any agencies able to represent you.

Agencies know models relocate to be closer to their offices all the time so even if you didn't currently live there while attending the open calls and interviews, they would still want to sign you since they know the plan all along was to move to Paris. So don't feel that you have to be living in Paris right at this moment in order to submit.

Below is a link to a helpful resource that lists the agencies in Paris you can submit to:

http://kmodels.com/Paris-modeling-agencies-links1.htm

Clicking on the names will take you to the agency's websites. If a link doesn't work or goes to some weird page, that's a pretty good sign they are no longer in business so you can skip it and go to another one on the list.

Submit to all of the agencies around the same time so you increase your chances of hearing back from them around the same time as well. Just makes planning easier when you decide to come to Paris for the open calls and/or interviews.

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