Fashion Models [Search results for Model for Success] 

With fashion month soon to be upon us, models will be attending casting calls in between fittings, shows, and visits to their agencies. If you haven't seen what a casting call for a runway show is like, it can be quite anxiety driven. Girls are literally lined up by the 10's and 20's outside in hallways. Some Casting Directors have pre-casting castings, in which they will see hundreds of girls in just 2 days time, so they can edit down their choices for runway shows accordingly. Just try mentioning the name Russell Marsh to a model and watch her reaction. Because of the timing, I thought it was appropriate to republish an interview I did with Sarah Doukas, the founder of Storm Model Management and the one who discovered Kate Moss at JFK airport. In it, we talked about the impact of style on a models career.

We sat down for a chat at her agency in South Kensington and what follows is a brief glimpse of the modeling world, distilled ultimately into two major categories: how a models personal style can help create more opportunities for them and how press (think my blog here) can help create more opportunities for models as well.

I must add that everyone at Storm Models from their Press Officer Paula Karaiskos to their entire New Faces Division was a pleasure to work with. Many thanks to everyone at Storm who helped me along the way and especially to Sarah for breaking from her hectic schedule for the interview.

THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL STYLE ON THE SUCCESS OF A MODELS CAREER

Craig: Can a models sense of style positively impact her career?

Sarah: I definitely think it can positively impact her career. It's got to be simple but the point about that question is, that if they have absolutely no style and they go out just not looking great, they're wearing very unflattering clothes and things like that, then it's definitely going to have a negative impact.

Craig: really?

Sarah: Oh god yes, there's no question. I'm obsessed with finding British girls. It's my big thing....and it's hard to get them to the point of going out to do shows...I know that once they hit that international circuit, and they're sitting in a Paris agency and seeing those Parisian clients, if they don't look the part...you know they're wearing some kind of scraggy old t-shirt...(sighs)..they don't have to go and spend a great deal of money, but style is really important, very simple. So I think it is important.

Craig: so the lack of style can definitely negatively impact

Sarah: Impact. There's no doubt that lack of style can negatively impact. I'm not talking about wearing Balenciaga, but very simple High Street stuff. That elongates your legs and is just flattering.

STORM AGENCY TAKES ACTIONS TO IMPROVE A MODELS STYLE

Craig: do you guys tell models how to dress here?

Sarah: yeah

Craig: for castings?

Sarah: yes

Craig: So if you don't mind me asking in what? just jeans...stuff that shows their body?....is that what they're supposed to wear?

Sarah: I think if they walked around in a great big smock it would be a bit a problem for a client and I'm not suggesting that they look provocatively, you know wearing sexy stuff but certainly stuff that shows the length of their body and that they're slim. You can get somebody with the most fantastic figure and they come in here and may be in a dress like this (motions wide with hands) the client would say, "well I wonder what's going on there....have you put on weight?"...They can look at their book but they don't really know...so it's advisable to dress in something that can really see, you know show your shape. That's what I think.

Craig: so the key for style...there's not many options if you're having to wear skinny jeans and t-shirts??

Sarah: well you can wear leggings, they are back in fashion. You can still layer up. You can wear a really nice cardi with a longer tightish dress with leggings. There are lots of options. You can wear a short skirt with leggings. With boots. Again with layers. But just not, you can't walk around in sort of voluminous clothes as the clients are going to say "Hey whats going on under there? Maybe she's pregnant?"

Craig: So you do intervene then? On occasion, when it comes to a girl's style?

Sarah: Well I sit at the booking table. I do all the time. I like everybody to be autonomous in their job here and do their thing. I don't want to look over peoples shoulder. I hate that kind of thing because I work at the booking table with everybody and I don't have an office. You know, I'm just one of them, I'm not the boss or any such thing.

But yeah I do because I know its going to have a negative impact if they go out looking like that. And they appreciate it. You can say it in a really nice way. You don't have to say, "listen you have terrible style. We need to completely change you." You just have to say, "now listen, when you go out I want you to look great."

GREAT PERSONAL STYLE CREATES MORE SALES VALUE FOR BOOKING AGENTS

Sarah: You know they go into a French agency or a New York agency, the bookers are looking at them for the first time and at the end of the day we have to be realistic about this job: they are selling a product, those booking agents. So they have to believe in it when they see it. So they have to see somebody looking -- great. The book can look fantastic. But you know what? You need to believe to sell something, of course you do. You can't make any bones about it. It's a human business. And I really like these girls or I wouldn't do it. But we are selling something. So you must look good.

THE IMPACT OF PRESS ON A MODELS BOOKING VALUE

Craig: regarding press as opposed to runway shows, advertising campaigns and editorials, press like a girl gets her photo taken and she's in the New York Times...or interviews...like this is a form of press (I pointed to 1 of 4 of my Teen Vogue solo pages)

Sarah: does it have their names?

Craig: it does

Sarah: Exactly, that's very important. Years ago nobody knew who models were. Apart from those famous models, they were never given credit in a magazine or anything so there were was no credits given. So that was one thing that people were quite anonymous. And i think press is huge and I think it's really important.

We started with PR in 89 or 90. Because I just thought it was hugely important and Richard Branson was my partner for many years and he was like, "Sarah" we know he likes the press...he was like "it's really important"

I think it's important. Kate Moss is the first one that we did it with. And I build press books and I've done it on all my models. Whether it be Sophie Dahl, Lily Cole, Devon Aoki, Jourdan Dunn, Behati Prinsloo, Liberty Ross....

Craig: one thing that really gets me about press is, yeah it's cool because the model gets her name circulated in the public, but how does that impact the booking value of a model?

Sarah: Huge, because you know you've got a model "Ann Smith" who doesn't get any press, who is a great looking girl, and works alot. And you've got somebody else, say "Paula Reed" who gets press, is out in the public domain, if you went and asked somebody in the street do you know who this is? They'd say yes. Well that's what market research is. So then you get a big company going, "I want a name." So you put this beautiful girl up who hasn't got press and you put this one up who has got press. Who are they going to choose? Does the general public know this person? So they sell masses and her value is much higher than this one's is. Way higher.

ALL THINGS EQUAL, THE MODEL WITH MORE PRESS GETS MORE OPPORTUNITIES

Craig: so everything else being equal, they both walked the same amount of runway shows, they both did the same advertising campaigns and editorials, but one just got the press, that one is going to be the more valuable one then?

Sarah: yes, much more. Look at our magazines. Look at the campaigns. They're all celebrities. Actresses. Somebody well known, they take up what, 80-90% of fabulous campaigns. You know that's because that's the power of somebody whose got a name....

But if you're in the business. If you see your chance that somebody can go that route and if they want to, you've got to take it because it's going to be a huge benefit financially to them and it's going to be a benefit to the agency...it feeds on itself. As soon as you do some press, it's unbelievable. You get so many opportunities open. People are calling. It opens doors.

Craig: so being that press is so important, do you train models in self-publicizing?

Sarah: There are definite pitfalls. Of course you say to them "look, don't open up too much about your private life, or things you don't want to say." You have to learn how to talk to press, but you need to keep it professional but you still need to keep it real. They need to be interested in you as a person. At the end of the day you've got to understand that you can just chat away and end up saying something that you wish you hadn't said. So you do have to be guarded. Open but guarded...Paula would sit in if it was somebody young. Like when Jourdan had done press. She would sit in....

PRESS MUST INCLUDE A MODELS NAME TO BE IMPACTFUL

Craig: Regarding press, it's valuable as long as it includes the models name?

Sarah: Oh it has to. It has to be all about her.

Craig: So just a photo without the name isn't necessarily valuable?

Sarah: nobody would know who you were....if they don't have the name, then the general public just don't know. It's interesting now when people ring and they say they, "Ah, I want somebody well known." Well it's not easy. Not that many models are well known anymore. They're just not -- for the general public. For our world, we know who they are, but the man walking down the street doesn't. They have to constantly see the image of a person and interviews on her, with her name, with her name, constantly for it to get into their head and they suddenly say, "Oh I know who this person is"

WORDS OF WISDOM TO THE COMMERCIAL MODEL

Craig:....commercial versus high fashion...who makes more money in the short-term?

Sarah: the commercial girls make a fortune

Craig: they make tons

Sarah: they make tons!

Craig: why is it then that every girl aspires to the high fashion?

Sarah: because we all want to be driving a Ferrari don't we?

Craig: but you don't necessarily make as much money do you if you go the high fashion route?

Sarah: no, You know you always get these girls that make a load of money. You know they're fantastic looking girls and they're doing brilliantly. And they're like, "you know what, I'm going to cut all my hair off. I'm going to go seriously edgy. I want you to get me into...." And I'm like "You're taking a massive risk. You're going to ruin your market in the short-term" And it happens. It does happen. I can mention lots of girls who it has happened....I always think, "You should be glad for what you've got. I understand wanting to aspire to better and greater things. But, you could in the short term lose your whole market "

Craig: so a girl can start off as a commercial model and then go the high fashion route?

Sarah: it happens

Craig: does it really?

Sarah: yeah

THE MONETARY VALUE OF OPENING AND CLOSING A SHOW

Craig: when a model opens and closes a show, do they get paid extra?

Sarah: well I don't know that they get paid extra per se, but if a model is good enough to open and close, she may well be on a much higher rate than somebody else. I mean it's negotiated. It's all negotiated.

NEW MAGAZINES NEED GREAT PHOTOGRAPHERS WITH A GREAT TEAM TO BOOK TOP MODELS

Craig: I've got another question for you. A new magazine, a start up magazine in London calls you up and they say "we want your top girl" What are the credentials that someone has to bring for a new magazine?

Sarah: They'd have to bring an amazing photographer, stylist, hair and make up...all the jazz.

Craig: What if they don't have a famous photographer?

Sarah: You would have to be very careful with the top talent. Because you don't really know what it's going to look like. You'd ask for a dummy copy. And this that and the other but you wouldn't give top talent.

Go to many fashion shows and you will often see buyers in the front row on one side and press on the other. While the press seats may be changing lately due to the recent surge of importance of bloggers, you will always find Natalie Massenet, founder of Net-a-Porter.com in the front row on the buyers side.

I think Natalie is an amazing role model to any woman looking to achieve something with their life. From the humble beginnings back in June of 2000 when designers still needed tough convincing that the internet was a viable means to sell their work, Natalie has grown Net-a-Porter.com into a international work force of over 400 people in both New York and London.

On the up and coming in terms of buyers is Erin Mullaney from Browns whose photo you can find here soon too.

My friend Erin emigrated to Europe from the States. As Brown's Buying Director she carries a huge economic responsibility as she follows in the footsteps of the legendary Joan Burstein, founder of Browns who is credited on the Brown's site with "discovering such talents as John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Hussein Chalayan, and Commes des Garcons"

Not only did she enjoy a full solo page interview in British Vogue recently, but British Vogue is also holding a key Must Buy series in which they asked some of Britain's most powerful buyers to give their forecasts.

Given that back in September of 2008, Erin was already investing in transparent sheer blouses before sheer/transparency became The Big Trend on the Spring/Summer 2018 runways, I would listen very carefully to her words when they come out in Vogue.

Arizona Muse exiting the SS17 BCBG Max Azria show. She was virtually unknown at this time.

Want to know which show at New York Fashion Week will give the first clue as to who the next big face will be this season? Try BCBG Max Azria. It's on Day 2 of New York Fashion Week and comes before Marc Jacobs (mid week) and Calvin Klein (last day).

At this same time last season, Arizona Muse who was virtually unknown was already on Casting Director Russell Marsh's radar. She opened and closed BCBG Max Azria. Russell Marsh later cast Arizona for the SS17 Prada show and with Miucci Prada's final go ahead, Arizona Opened and Closed Prada.

A similar pattern of virtually prophetic insight by Casting Director Russell Marsh can also be understood by looking back at the SS17 and SS17 BCBG Max Azria shows. In SS17, Russell cast a virtually unknown Frida Gustavsson and Jacquelyn Jablonski. And for SS17, Russell cast a rookie face unknown to the public at the time named Constance Jablonski.

Granted, there are other shows and many other factors that contribute to a models runway success, but BCBG Max Azria because of it's place on the New York Fashion Week schedule on Day 2 is the perfect place to begin looking for at least one big new face, possibly the next Constance, Jacquelyn, or Arizona.

Be sure to check back on the blog on September 8/9th for an update from backstage at the BCBG Max Azria show as I've just been confirmed by PR!

Photo by me, Craig Arend

Paul Rowland. A name that strikes reverence from anyone within the modeling industry. Paul is the founder of Women Model Management and Supreme Models, a visionaire extraordinaire, who can single handedly turn the course of the modeling industry at will.

His story is as interesting as are his accomplishments. Having managed some of the biggest names in modeling from Kate Moss to Iris Strubegger his success didn't come by accident, nor did it happen overnight.

Modeling found Paul. Over 20 years ago.

Originally, he came from Arkansas to New York City with the dream to be a painter. He had no close friends, no family, and no job when he arrived to New York. Working part time as a waiter, he was spotted by Click Models, the leading male modeling agency at the time.

In a common move, his agent left Click to start her own agency and Paul left with her. Then one fateful day, the birth of an empire began.

Paul's agent had to leave for Europe and she asked if he would be willing to man the phone. He said yes. Soon, he realized he was good at booking appointments. The businessman in Paul wanted to go where the money was at and when his booker came back from Europe, he asked if he and his partner John Gnerre could start up a womens division for the agency.

She said yes and in an unoccupied corner of the apartment, Paul made a desk from a piece of wood and set it on two sawhorses, set up a phone (there was no call waiting at the time) and got to work. It was 1988.

Two people, two phones, tons of passion and two decades later Paul's empire includes offices in New York, Paris, Milan and hundreds of people on his payroll.

Paul made it clear to me that he really doesn't care what other people think. He must've said this at least two or three times during the course of our brief conversation. While many will claim they don't care what others think, few will actually live it. From the art direction of his personal photography to the girls they choose to bring into their New York office, he will not compromise his artistic integrity for the sake of winning the approval of another.

It's a life lesson we all need to be reminded of from time to time. In an industry where outer beauty is common, people with a great passion like Paul, who have the courage to live life by their own convictions and who live with a sincerity to themself are a rare breed and worth working to follow.

I know I'm following, how about you?

p.s. one question I did ask Paul was, "With print media struggling like it is right now in terms of getting advertising and pages being cut across the board among some of the finest magazines, what impact do you see blogs and the internet having on the modeling industry in the future?" He answered, "….the internet will definitely have a huge impact on magazine sales…but there will always be a place for publishing."

2009 Elite Model Look Finalist--same contest that helped launch the career of Rianne Ten Haken, Isabeli Fontana, and a personal favorite of mine, Charlotte Di Calypso.

Runway debut: walked exclusively at the Spring 2010 Paris Haute Couture for Givenchy

Closed 2 shows at the Fall/Winter 2010 London Fashion Week

walked Jil Sander, Emilio Pucci, and closed Les Copains at Milan.

walked Christian Dior and Vivienne Westwood in Paris so far.

Hopefully she gets the pages, pages, and more pages of high end editorials and campaigns to really solidify a foundation for long term career success. I know my eyes will be watching her progress carefully.