If the sound of travelling the world, working with top photographers and getting some pretty ace designer freebies makes your ears prick up (and quite frankly why wouldn’t it?), then maybe you should be thinking about a career as a model. Admittedly, not everyone’s cut out for it - it’s not all glitz and glam – but if you think you’ve got what it takes, then follow MKP’s tips to a glittering runway career!
1. Don’t be fooled into thinking modelling is an easy gig! The likes of Kate Moss might get paid just to turn up to parties, but for the rest of the modelling world, their careers mean long hours and hard work. If you’re a little work-shy, this isn’t the industry for you!
2. Take care of yourself. Models have to look their best (well, duh!) so it’s important you keep up good standards of personal grooming – waxing, hair conditioning and keeping your skin fresh and clear – as well as eating well and exercising.
4. Visit places like The Clothes Show Live or enter competitions where you think modelling talent scouts might be hanging around. Gisele was spotted eating a Big Mac at McDonald’s so stay on your toes!
5. Get your portfolio together – every model needs one so they can show it to potential agencies and designers. You can either pay a photographer to take some shots (this will be very expensive), or you could try working on a couple of projects for free. The more experience you get, the more pics you’ll have in your portfolio and in turn, the more chance you’ll have of getting noticed.
6. Be prepared to work for very little pay in the beginning! As hard as it is to stomach, you won’t be earning six figure sums overnight. Although modelling can be highly paid, remember that only a handful of models will ever earn a Naomi Campbell-type salary.
7. Don’t fall for the agencies that scout you on the street, promise you a modelling career and then ask you to stump up hundreds to join their books or pay for your own portfolio with their photographer. It’s a scam! No famous models have started their careers like this – a good agency will believe in you and won’t ask you to pay for anything.
8. Take your portfolio round to the big agencies to see if anyone will sign you up. If you don’t look like your typical supermodel (and let’s face it – not many of us do), then see if there are any agencies that are looking for models just like you. There are agencies for plus size models, ordinary looking models and even ugly looking models!
9. Toughen yourself up because the modelling biz is all about rejection. Even if you get doors closed in your face, you must be persistent and it will pay off. Remember competition is fierce (perhaps because it’s every girl’s dream job!) and nobody gets it handed to them.
10. Study the fashion mags for style inspiration and to keep up to date on what’s going down with the fash pack. When you go to a casting, model bookers will be eyeing you up like eagles – having a fab personal style (think Agyness Deyn or of course, Kate) and a likeable personality will set you miles apart from the model competition. Now go for it!
Don’t miss Britain’s Next Top Model series 4 every Monday at 9pm on LIVING from 21 April.