Follow Kate King on Twitter @katekingg
When I started this blog back in 2007, there was no such thing as the fashion world using twitter, using instagram, using Tumblr.
That's all changed for me and it's all changed for the modeling world too. Previous to the internet, models received their booking value through Runway, Campaigns, and Editorials. Now, models get their booking value through Social Media, which combines their street style presence via Social Media with their own social media channels like twitter, instagram, and Tumblr.
Even Supermodel Karolina Kurkova recently exhorted models, "It is no longer enough to just look beautiful and be in great shape. You need to be interesting." The fact of the matter is, as bloggers can now create their own booking value via developing online presence, so models can create their own booking value too. This translates into more money.
Trey Laird, Creative Director for Laird & Partners, the advertising agency which represents Juicy Couture (cha-ching, Steven Meisel shoots for them for a reason) confirms Kurkova's exhortation in financial terms “It’s not just enough to cast such-and-such a girl that opened Prada or Vuitton or whatever,” . “It’s a huge help if a girl already has a platform and followers, and Kate Upton is a great example of that.”
Follow Kate King on twitter at @katekingg