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It is important for a prospective model to understand two ineluctable facts. First the needs of the market determines what models are needed and second, the prospective model should understand the type of model that they want to become.

By understanding the type of modeling you are interested in you can learn what the requirements are beyond those we have already mentioned and if you can meet them.

Understanding the divisions in modeling can also help in avoiding a rip off. Most rip offs and bad business decisions happen when a wannabe model is thinking of one type of modeling (usually high fashion) and a scout, agent, photographer, etc. is recruiting for another.

The garment and beauty product industries are large users of models. People want to see what clothes or beauty products look like on a body. High-fashion, designer-label garments, are designed for what fashion designers view as the “ideal woman.”

In smaller markets fashion models often don’t meet these measurements. It is more important the look of being tall and slender be there and that the sample clothes fit. The “look” can run from classic beauty to some extreme looks for fashion magazine editorial.

If you are going to work in front of the camera you need to be photogenic and you can’t know until you do a test shoot. This doesn’t mean you need to rush out and find a photographer. If you are photogenic in snap shots that have been taken of you chances are that you will be in front of a professional photographer as well.

TYPES OF FASHION MODELING

Fashion Editorial

Vogue, Elle, Glamour, Cosmo, etc, and many other magazines that focus on fashion have editorial pages they must fill each month. Many of these editorial pages feature models wearing what the magazine thinks will be the next trend in fashion. Editorial work does not pay as well as other types of high fashion modeling but it is great for building a model’s reputation and getting tear sheets for a portfolio. Fashion magazines are not as constrained as advertising work and they can use more extreme and special beauty models (different that the high fashion requirements) in their pages.

Fashion Runway

Clothing designers traditionally show their new collections twice a year (Fall and Spring) to perspective (store) buyers. As an example, the New York Ready Wear shows present from seventy to one hundred and twenty designers.

Designers present these collections to a gathering of buyers by sending models down a walkway or runway. How well a model brings the clothes to life and shows important features of the garments can determine how well they sell. The designer wants to have the most ideal models show these collections. This leads to why models have to meet very strict requirements and why they get such high fees for this type of work. These young models tend to be very tall, slender and move very well in clothes.

Fashion Catalog

There are a lot of clothing catalogs produced. These catalogs, whether business-to- business, store, or direct marketing, require models to pose in the clothes they are trying to sell. Generally, catalog models are picked for a project because they represent the ideal of the market segment for which that catalog is targeted, Often times this is the classic beauty – tall, slender, healthy, and beautiful. The marketing idea is for transference, i.e. if you buy these clothes you will look as nice as the person pictured in the catalog. Catalog modeling usually pays well because of the volume of photos that must be taken.

Fashion Print

This is fashion and beauty for print advertising. It can be display ads or collateral print materials. This is the most demanding work to get but pays the best because of usage and exclusives. These are the ads that can make or break a designer’s reputation. With these ads it is very important that the concept, photo, and model work perfectly to convey the ‘image’ that is wanted.

Fashion Show Room

Modeling for buyers in the designer’s show room. Models that may not have supermodel potential can make a good and steady living working the shows where buyers come to buy, rather than the coming out shows which aren’t necessarily held to sell, but show.

Fashion Lingerie

Because this type of modeling may be more revealing it requires very good body tone and proportions. Lingerie modeling is not pornography, not even soft porn, but there is a sensuality needed to sell lingerie.

Fashion Bathing Suit

Again, more revealing requires excellent body tone and a healthy look. While this type of work can be seasonal, it can also provide an excellent income.

Fashion Fitness

As health and fitness has moved more into the public consciousness the demand for this model type has grown rapidly. Where once everyone exercised in baggy gray sweats, fitness attire continues to evolve and become more everyday wear. Add to this all of the fitness, health, and outdoors lifestyle magazines that are on the newsstands and you have a fast growing category for modeling.

Fashion Fit

Fit models have the perfect proportions for a given clothing size. Garment manufactures and designers hire fit models to use to piece together new creations, see how they move, and develop their patterns. The key for a fit model is to never gain or loose an

inch. A clothing manufacturer may hire a fit model in a permanent salaried position. It is one type of legitimate modeling that you can see advertised in the classified section of the newspaper.

Fashion Tea Room

This type of model was very popular in the 1980’s in smaller markets. It still exists today. Usually it is at ladies’ luncheons where models wander between tables wearing designer clothes from local fashion boutiques. This type of modeling is also being presented in bars/restaurants during peak cocktail hours. The models describe the outfit they are wearing and where to buy it.

More Fashion Segmentation

All of these categories can have further sub-categories for size, i.e. petite and plus, and for age, i.e., children, preteen, and mature. Petite size models usually are 5’2″ to 5’6″. Plus size is the same height as standard size models but size 14 -16. Mainstream models usually start around 14 years of age and go to their early twenties.

Body Part Modeling

Body part modeling is a special category that belongs in both fashion and commercial modeling. This is the use of just part of the body in a photograph. Often standard models that look great in full-length shots or headshots don’t look so good close up. Their hands or feet may look horrible. This is where the body parts model comes in. A shoot will be set up using the standard model’s face but the body part model’s hands and it looks like it is just one person. Usually body part models will specialize in just one part of the body like hands, feet, legs, ears, or neck.

Hand models are one type of body part model that is increasing in popularity. With hand models the look is long slender graceful hands and fingers, smooth (no wrinkles, hair or large pours), clear (no blemishes or irregular color) skin, and very good nails. The ability to pose the hand in a
relaxed graceful fashion is very important. This is like a hula dancer that can tell a story with their hands and avoid “the claw” that most folks produce when their hands are put
in front of the camera.