Modeling 101 - Answering Reader Questions

Anonymous Wrote: Hello Dania, I'm an aspiring male model looking for representation. My question is about hair. I'm African-American, and usually either keep my hair very short or grow out an afro. I've been thinking about getting dreads, but I'm not sure how that flies in the industry. I want neat, well-kept locks, but I know there's still a stigma attached to them regardless. Can you offer some insight into this, specifically for fashion and commercial modeling? Thanks. Hi, Anonymous! Sadly dreads as a hairstyle is still not widely accepted in the modeling industry. There are models that have this hairstyle in the industry, I'm sure, but the actual number is likely very small. If you want to pursue agency representation, you'll have to appeal to the standard requirements, which means staying clean cut for the most part. I would suggest looking at the websites of modeling agencies you're interested in submitting to and checking out the pho...

Anonymous Wrote: Hello Dania, I have an offer from two agencies in the bay area, one being exclusive and the being a non-exclusive contract. I am new to this market and have previous experience overseas. In this scenario, should i stick to one agency which i hope will find me dedicated work, or should i get on-board with a few non-exclusive type agencies? Thank you. Hi, Anonymous! I would only recommend signing with an agency exclusively if they also operate as a "mother agency" that can place you for work in international markets as well as national ones (if you're doing fashion/runway work). So if you want to have the opportunity to work overseas again, then you'll want to find a mother agency that can help you reach those goals. The San Francisco Bay Area isn't a huge market and isn't a large one for fashion so if that's the kind of modeling you're pursuing, exclusive representation may not be in your best interest. If you plan on mo...