Modeling 101 - Answering Reader Questions

Kierstynn Pettit Wrote: hello, about two months ago i signed an open contract with a modelling agency. I have since entered a modelling competition and the winner goes to Barcelona and can have the opportunity to sign with other agencies, i was just wondering if I am allow e d to be in this competition if the outcome can be signing with another agency! is this allowed? Hey, Kierstynn! If the contract you have with your current modeling agency is an open one (I'm guessing it is a "non-exclusive" agreement?), then there shouldn't be any issues with signing with other agencies. However, in order for the non-exclusive contract arrangement to work, the other agencies you sign with will also have to offer a non-exclusive contract. Of course if you win the competition, you'll have to notify your current agent and discuss with them what your options would be and next steps. I would suggest reading the fine print in the modeling competition rules to find out wh...

AlyssaN Wrote: Hi Dania. My name is Alyssa and I just turned 24. I was signed with Elite models for high fashion modeling when I was younger, but I became sick and was unable to follow through even though I had people in New York interested in me. My question is, knowing I have the right look, am I still too old to get work? Hi there, Alyssa! Being 24 in the NYC market is past the age maximum for a majority of high fashion agencies. I don't know that you'd be readily considered by those same agencies for high fashion and runway BUT you may be considered by those same agencies for their lifestyle and commercial/print divisions. Although print modeling is typically known to be for "shorter" models, in markets like New York many agencies require their print models to be the same height as their runway models. So that is common. I would suggest contacting Elite and letting them know you were on their roster when you were younger and see if that can get your foot...

ksbirish Wrote: I read your description of mother agencies, and it seems the way to go for me, at least for now. I was thinking this before I saw your blog. My problem is that I cannot seem to find any in my area. There don't seem to be "magic" keywords to find them on places such as Google.  Do you know how I might find mother agencies in Oregon, for example, around the Portland area? Do you know of any? I understand you might not be able to recommend any but just their name, or something about them for searching purposes, would be a great start. Thank you for your time, kelly Hey, ksbirish! Many modeling agencies don't say outright that they are mother agencies on their websites. Some common clues that usually mean they are include keywords/phrases like, "placement," "we place our models with top agencies nationally and internationally," "develop models locally and globally," etc. You can usually find this information in the ...

Unicorn Model Wrote: Hii!! I'm 11 and I live in Kansas. When I read your page my mom said that she is not driving me to Ohio. What should I do??? P.S. I am already with a agency Hi, Unicorn Model! The fact that you're already with an agency is great, that definitely puts you ahead of the game. Ohio is quite a distance from where you live so I don't think that being a model for Justice will be an immediate possibility for you since your mom isn't willing to take you all the way there. However, I have a feeling that if you actually got booked for a job with Justice and it was well paid, maybe that would change her mind. The only thing I can think of to suggest is asking your agent if they've ever worked with Justice or submitted models to their castings. If they have, ask them what the process is and what you would have to do. Then go from there and see if you'd have a shot and if your mom would end up being supportive and on board if there was a real ...

A Wrote: Hi, i am a 15 year old girl. I am 5'11 and my measurments are 32-24.5-35 and i was wondering if i had a shot i nmodeling. I am a little bit insecure becuse my fullest part of my thighs are 20 inches. I am skinny is just that my thigs are a little bigger than my upper body. -A Hey, A! Given your height and measurements, I think you'd be great for modeling. Your hips are the max and your waist is just under the max, too (25"), so you'd still be ideal for an agency to represent you for fashion and runway. As far as your thighs, that topic has always been hotly debated in the industry. Ultimately, it boils down to an agency's preference and that of the designers/clients you'd be working with. The average model that is 5'9" and taller has a thigh measurement range of 16"-19". Is that absolute and mandatory? NO. The UK market is the strictest (so I've heard) when it comes to the thighs and they prefer their runway models...

Aly Wrote: Hi Dania :)  I'm Aly. and im 15 years old im skinny and my height is around 5,4 or 5,5. I really want to be a model its been my passion since i was child. And I want start modelling but I one ptoblem. My teeth aren't very straight and I need to put braces in ither to make them straight, but it will take at least 2 to 3 years. but in that time i will already be 18 and can't do modelling especially in VS which I would love to. But then my teeth is not very nice. What should I do? please diana I'll really appreciate if you answer. =) Hi there, Aly! Having nice teeth is pretty important, especially in modeling, so get those braces on now and ensure that you'll have a picture perfect smile by the time they come off. I know it'll be hard but even though you'll be 18 by the time they come off, you'll still be young enough to be considered by modeling agencies. You have to be 18 to even be considered for VS so you'd be fine in that respec...

K.A. Wrote: Hi I'm K.A. from mongolia. First of all, thank you so much for this blog. It's really helpful. :)  Okay, so.. I'm moving to Cyprus next year. And I really want to be a model, especially a runway model. And I'm just seeking about it through the Internet. I'm 15 now so when I move to Cyprus I'll turned to be 16. My measurements are 75cm, 57cm, 77cm (29; 22; 30 inch) and my height is around 5,5 (I guess) and weight is 45kg (I guess). Are my measurements compatible or am I too skinny to start modelling? (by the way I never get fat by eating) If I'm too skinny, should I do fitness to gain more weight and to fill my body? And will I be able to grow tall anymore and do a runway? And is there any top modelling agency in Cyprus or isn't there? And how do I start modelling industry?  I'm sorry for too many questions, and I'm really looking forward to hear reply from you. Thanks a lot :) Hi, K.A.! You're very welcome, I'm happy...

AspiringTalent Wrote: Hello my 6 year old has an appointment with BMG Modeling Agency and I was wondering if you had any tips on questions I should be asking them. Also what is your opinion of BMG Modeling Agency? They haven't asked for money which is a good sign. Please help Hey AspiringTalent, BMG is one of the agencies that is known for being legitimate and reputable. They've been around for a long time and I've even attended an open call for their LA office (they weren't interested, lol). If your son got signed to them, it would be a good decision. As far as questions, those should revolve around the contract and possible fees/expenses you can expect to incur, as well as asking what (if any) fees/expenses they would cover for you. A few key questions to ask should include: 1) How long is the contract term for? 1 year? 2 years? 3 years? Longer? 2) Is it Exclusive or Non-Exclusive? 3) How much is the commission? 4) What is the "Exit Clause"...

Nichole Boyce Wrote: I signed a contract a couple years ago but have not had a ride to do the photo shot I payed the commission would I still be able to do the photo shot knowing that I payed even tho never showed up I really want to model still Hi Nichole, There's a lot of information missing from your situation that I would need to know in order to understand what your options would be. Based on what you wrote, I'm understanding that you got booked for a modeling job but did not show up. As a result, you paid the commission to your agency that was owed regardless since you did not fulfill your duties. I doubt you'd still be able to do the shoot after not being available the first time. Have you talked to your agent to find out what their advice is? Did you get in trouble for not showing up to that gig? Are you still being represented by them? Was the shoot for an actual paid client or was it for something else? If you want to discuss your situation in furthe...

Anonymous Wrote: Hi Dania, I recently submitted my photos to a IPM model management in NY. I was contacted back asked to send for photos which i did. I was offered a 2 year contract and told that I need to pay for a shoot, for high quality anywhere from $700-$1200. I was nervous about this because i read that the agency should be investing in you. After i read you post i feel a little better. However they also mentioned a $300 a year fee for the agency to maintain you profile on their website. This seems steep to me. I also feel like 2 years is a long time. What if I don't get sent out enough? I am just nervous about all of it and worried about being taken advantage of. What is your advice or 2 cents on the matter ? Hey there, Anonymous! The $300 website fee is terribly high. I've never heard of that high of a fee before. If there are models out there paying it, I haven't heard about it. That would make me very uneasy, too. The most I've been aware of for havi...

Amanda Appels Wrote: Hi there! I am 17 and live about 40 minutes from NYC. For months I have been trying to get signed with an agency through everything from online submissions to open calls. Some agencies expressed interest, but didn't contact me after the until meeting. A few weeks ago, I tagged some of my Instagram photos to IMGs we love your genes hashtag. Yesterday Social New York contacted me and asked for an email which I provided. After asking a few basic questions about me, they set up a visit for me to meet with them next week. The email was verified by the contact info on the website and from my research it LOOKS like a legitimate mother agency, but I can't be sure. It is even listed under models.com as a mother agency which I took as a good sign but I want to be cautious. Do you have any experience with Social or know of them? If they offer me a contract, in your opinion, would it be a good idea for me to take it? Thank you, Amanda Hi Amanda, I don't ...

Anonymous Wrote: Hi Dania. I am 21 years old and always wanted to model. Recently I have gained some weight and became a US 6. I used to be 0-2 (and I am naturally supposed to be thin) but due to stress and school gained a bit. I am on track to shaping up. I was wondering, do you still think I should send photos to agencies? I was self conscious that they would write me off right away, but now I'm thinking that I should still try? Thanks! Hey there, Anonymous, I always recommend submitting to agencies when you feel 110% confident in yourself. Any kind of self doubt or self consciousness and it will show in your snapshots and/or when you attend open calls. But at the same time, there is nothing wrong with going to open calls to see if you get any feedback from the agencies related to your weight/measurements. That can be an effective way to give yourself a starting point, especially since you'd be hearing the feedback straight from the horse's mouth. If you feel ...

Anonymous Wrote: Hi Dania, I'm Really interested in becoming a model it has been a passion of mine since I was young. Do you thing I could still be a fashion/runway/editorial model if I were to dress modestly (no lingerie, bikinis, crop tops and such) Hey Anonymous, The type of modeling you want to do doesn't really mesh well with conservative personalities. The clothing items you mentioned are all items that fashion/runway/editorial models wear in their various modeling assignments. However, when you sign with an agency, they will typically have you fill out a sheet that states what level of comfort you have when it comes to modeling things like fur, tobacco, alcohol and levels of nudity or implied nudity. So you will be able to communicate that way what kind of modeling you will and will not do. But if you are too restrictive in what you will or will not wear, an agency likely won't want to represent you because they can easily get many other models to work wi...

Anna Wrote: Hi Dania, My name is Anna. I am 19 years old and 5'7. Im very interested in starting Petite Fashion Modeling. However I do have a big tattoo of a lion on the back of my right shoulder, do you think that would be okay? If so awesome. I would like to take some snapshots of myself and send them to you to get an opinion from you on from where I should start or go. If you could do that then that"s even better! Thank you so much for taking your time!:) -Anna Hey Anna, Large tattoos could be an issue for you. Smaller ink can easily be covered with makeup or Photoshopped out but if it's a really large tattoo, I don't know that an agency and/or clients would be willing to deal with it because it would take too much to work around. But definitely send me snapshots, including your tattoo, and I'll see if I can give you more advice on the matter. You can email me directly at: daniadenise@gmail.com.

Michelle Davis Wrote (in response to the blog post, "Modeling & Taxes (Recording Incomes & Write Offs)" : What about tattoo removal? Hi there, Michelle, I'm not a tax professional so the first piece of advice I would give would to be ask your CPA this question. My take on it is that as long as you provide a receipt of the cost and documentation of your modeling career, it should be enough to show the IRS that it was a modeling-related expense. Sometimes it can be as clear cut as that but definitely run the idea past the person who does your taxes to make sure you have the most accurate information on how to handle this.

Alora Gress Wrote: Hi Dania I'm 26 years old and know I'm too old for fashion modeling. I'm wondering for commercial modeling when I search on VISION or FORD or just about any other well known agencies site for casting calls I don't notice where the commercial vs fashion/runway is specified. Is this because these agencies don't do commercial? I'm just confused because I know someone who signed with FORD in LA at 26 years old and she went on to book jobs. Also I get confused when I see models who my age and similar measurements, who are signed to major agencies are these models considered high fashion or commercial? For example Sara Sampaio.  I'm 5' 8' 3/4  34 26 36  I weigh 130 but my total body fat is only 16% and I don't work out so if they wanted I'm sure I could lose 10-15lbs quickly. I'm a size 2-4 and have been told I should model for years. Also I'm mixed so I look like I'm 21 not 26. Hi Alora! A lot of fashio...

Lauren Wrote: Hi, I wanted to know if you have any suggestion on a great brand(not too too expensive if possible but would love to hear ur options) pair of heels that can been my got to hills for go sees. I have some but feel and could get better. It is amazing how much better I walk the higher the heel. Thank you for your help. Hey Lauren! I use the site heels.com to find affordable high heels. My favorite brands I've used so far include XOXO, Jessica Simpson, Guess and Michael Antonio. They're reasonably priced, the material is durable and I know I'll be able to continue using them for years to come so I'm not wasting money burning through pair after pair. I personally stick to nude/beige colored heels because I don't want my shoes to take away from what the client should be looking at: me. Of course that's not a hard and fast rule so feel free to pick any colors you want but that's just something I operate by when it comes to attending castings...

Berna Wrote: What are your thoughts on a self stamped envelope included with your snapshots? Do or not do? Thanks Hi Berna! Including a self stamped envelope is beneficial for getting your snapshots back, which you can then reuse for other agency submissions. So that's great for saving money and photo paper but as far as it having an effect on your chances with an agency, that doesn't really influence their decision so it's more of a practical and cost-effective method when dealing with the whole submissions process. Hope that helps!