A Designer's Advice to Aspiring Models

[Nicole Katherine Designs]

This is completely unasked for, but I really want to share these tips since I get several emails on a daily basis from girls that want to become models.
1. If you'd like to model for a company you need to approach it with the same professional demeanor as you would any other job opportunity. Do not send a link to your facebook or myspace profile and say, "Here's my ______ profile. Go look at it, I'd like to model for you." Chances are the company won't look. I have learned that the way girls approach me for modeling gigs really reflects the kind of person they're going to be to work with. If they have an unprofessional approach, chances are they're going to be unprofessional to work with. Always send a resume of your modeling experience, some other jobs you've had don't hurt because it shows who you are and your work experience...it's not just the face we're after but the whole person. Don't forget measurements, headshots and full body shots. And if you do throw in your networking profile in addition to those things, keep certain photo albums private or keep certain photos off the page.
2. Read a posting in its entirety before applying. You don’t want to be the person that committed to a job on the other side of the country. It’s also frustrating for the designer who asks, “Ok you’re local then because it says you’re in New York” and the model to respond “Oh yeah I’m totally in your area.” Only for the model next day to say, “oooohhhh I thought you meant local in New York because I totally missed the LA part.” Sounds super retarded but I can’t tell you how many times this has happened to me.
3. Tattoos and piercings… I’m going to sound like an old lady for saying this (and I’m sure I’ll get hate mail for it), but please trust me on it because I’ve been doing this long enough to know (and know a lot of designers who agree). The amount of tattoos and piercings you have WILL limit how much and what kind of work you can get. Nicole Katherine Designs will use girls with moderate piercings and tattoos, but the direction we’re moving limits us to only using the artistically adorned to certain promo and advertisement shots, depending on the ad placement and who we’re trying to target in the advertisements. Moving forward we’re not going to use tattooed and pierced girls for our catalogs because we have to direct our catalogs to bridal shops and high end boutiques in addition to the rockabilly stores. We’ll still use tattooed beauties for fashion shows, but they also need to be over 5’6”
4. If you’re just starting out, work with the little guys. We can rarely pay, but we try to work out something that’s fair. Also, a beginning model needs to build up her portfolio and start-up companies need pretty girls that’ll rep their stuff. As long as you’ve modeled for a legitimate company and have learned something from it, its experience and it counts. For modeling it’s easiest to start small and work your way up 

[Roxy Tart {PL Team / Comm. Mgr}]

We get aspiring models asking how to get started almost every day, and this will be a great post to direct them too. Thanks so much for posting it.

[GiGi Von Vroom]

This is good info. Thank you.

[Honey B Hooligan {Madam}]

This is great info, and thank you for it. You probably will get some hate-mail about the tattoo/piercing thing. Not because you're wrong (not even a little), but because finding ladies (and gents) without tattoos/piercings these days is a rarity. Personally, I think that they're lovely, if done correctly. I'm sure you feel the same way. I also think that if a model is covered in tattoos and is trying to model for a company that caters to bridal and boutiques is barking up the wrong tree....lol

[Betty Red {PL Team / Madam}]

This is great - thanks for posting!

[Kitten Kaboom]

Thank you for this!

[Miss Dee Dee]

this is really great info! thank you!

[Kristy C]

Man, I have never, ever considered sending my Myspace or Facebook to a clothing company, contest, anything....I don't feel that one's social networking page(s) are good to use if you are seriously seeking work like this.....for any well known clothing company.

I do not have a resume/portfolio/tear sheet/whatever to send to anyone.....maybe god forbid one day if I do then I'll start dipping my toe in the pond.

This is great info though, hopefully it will save alot of girls from wasting their time and getting their feelings hurt when a clothing company doesn't jump all over their Myspace and ask them to model. I have heard girls talk about this kind of stuff here in my own town.... "Well, I sent them a link to my Facebook, and didn't hear back from them, so f*** them/I guess I'm too fat/not pretty enough/blah blah blah/etc" It seems to me too many girls are concerned with "Getting famous/Getting their name out there/Getting on a cover" overnight......getting pictures on the internet so they can officially call themselves a "pinup girl" and don't want to put the work in. If you read any bio on any of the well-known names out there, they will all tell you it was NOT easy and they had to put their work in to make it happen! IMO pinup is tough nowaydays, there are thousands of girls inspiring to be the next big name as opposed to hundreds not long ago. This pinup thing has gone supernova, and there is some seriously daunting competition. You gotta have your game tight if you want to model for a well known clothing company or be on the cover or even pictured in a magazine. It takes time, it takes work, and it takes money. Hair, nails, makeup, wardrobe, shoots, it all adds up.

I don't have the energy to even try to explain to these girls here what they are doing wrong. I need to just start handing out PL cards and be done with it. There is golden info on here.

[Natalie Crack]

Very useful topic and tips!

[Dottie's Delights]

AGREED. This is a great advice. I would also like to add, especially after what Kristy mentioned about girls getting angry about not being chosen: please do not take it personally if you are not selected!! There are a lot of girls vying for a very small number of opportunities and usually we need a very specific look, so please understand this. I wish I could work with all the lovely girls that express interest, but it's simply impossible! Doesn't mean we don't love you anyway!

[Nicole Katherine Designs]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with being tattooed. I've got em, hate half of em now, but those are the ones I got before turning 18


Honey B Hooligan {Madam} said:

This is great info, and thank you for it. You probably will get some hate-mail about the tattoo/piercing thing. Not because you're wrong (not even a little), but because finding ladies (and gents) without tattoos/piercings these days is a rarity. Personally, I think that they're lovely, if done correctly. I'm sure you feel the same way. I also think that if a model is covered in tattoos and is trying to model for a company that caters to bridal and boutiques is barking up the wrong tree....lol

[Nicole Katherine Designs]

So true... when I select girls there's a LOT that I'm taking into consideration. The truth is a lot of girls want to be pinups but not all of them have that look to their faces and/or they don't have the right personality match.

When I say they don't have that "look" I don't mean they're not pretty. I've turned down some drop dead gorgeous girls and it's just because they're too modern looking or couldn't be molded to having that certain mid-20th century mystique to their faces. Also, depending the reason for the casting call is going to determine the kinds of girls that are chosen.

When I say "not the right personality match" this is a big deal. Back to "depending on the job" thing, depending on what my company is getting ready for is going to have a huge impact on what my moods and stress levels are going to be like and who I will choose to model for me. If it's something super stressful that we're getting ready for, like a fashion show, I need girls that are easy to work with, need little direction, notice things when I don't and can fill in the gaps accordingly and don't take it personally if I'm not in the most pleasant of moods. My stress is not directed at them, just the situation (since I obviously really like them if I'm working with them). But I understand if it seems to be the other way around. If I'm looking for models for something less stressful like a catalog or ad shoot, then I'll be more open minded about who I choose as far as personalities go. However, there is never room for divas. I never have patience for arrogant, primadonnas. It's an ugly attitude to have, and believe me when I say the condition of a model's heart comes out in photos. And guess what, if another company or photographer has had a bad experience with a model, chances are, word has spread I'm not one to always listen to what other people say though, just because one company had a bad experience with a girl doesn't mean others have, and you never know because a model may have had something going on that affected her performance or behavior. For that reason, I'm not quick to judge, as I'm sure most companies aren't. But we do take it into consideration. This is another good thing for models to keep in mind.

Dottie's Delights said:

AGREED. This is a great advice. I would also like to add, especially after what Kristy mentioned about girls getting angry about not being chosen: please do not take it personally if you are not selected!! There are a lot of girls vying for a very small number of opportunities and usually we need a very specific look, so please understand this. I wish I could work with all the lovely girls that express interest, but it's simply impossible! Doesn't mean we don't love you anyway!

[Lil_Bit {★}]

Great answer, to a great post

Kristy C said:

Man, I have never, ever considered sending my Myspace or Facebook to a clothing company, contest, anything....I don't feel that one's social networking page(s) are good to use if you are seriously seeking work like this.....for any well known clothing company.

I do not have a resume/portfolio/tear sheet/whatever to send to anyone.....maybe god forbid one day if I do then I'll start dipping my toe in the pond.

This is great info though, hopefully it will save alot of girls from wasting their time and getting their feelings hurt when a clothing company doesn't jump all over their Myspace and ask them to model. I have heard girls talk about this kind of stuff here in my own town.... "Well, I sent them a link to my Facebook, and didn't hear back from them, so f*** them/I guess I'm too fat/not pretty enough/blah blah blah/etc" It seems to me too many girls are concerned with "Getting famous/Getting their name out there/Getting on a cover" overnight......getting pictures on the internet so they can officially call themselves a "pinup girl" and don't want to put the work in. If you read any bio on any of the well-known names out there, they will all tell you it was NOT easy and they had to put their work in to make it happen! IMO pinup is tough nowaydays, there are thousands of girls inspiring to be the next big name as opposed to hundreds not long ago. This pinup thing has gone supernova, and there is some seriously daunting competition. You gotta have your game tight if you want to model for a well known clothing company or be on the cover or even pictured in a magazine. It takes time, it takes work, and it takes money. Hair, nails, makeup, wardrobe, shoots, it all adds up.

I don't have the energy to even try to explain to these girls here what they are doing wrong. I need to just start handing out PL cards and be done with it. There is golden info on here.