MODEL PROFILES: BAMBI NORTHWOOD-BLYTH

Born in 1991, Stephanie Bambi Northwood-Blythe began modelling locally in Australia at the age of 18.

Signing with Elite in 2010, and adopting her middle name, Bambi scored her first international editorial with RUSSH that April. Photographed by Beau Grealy, ‘Stoned’ was a series of neutral-toned portraits.  Styled with distressed edging and rough textures, Bambi gave an astonishingly accomplished performance, adding a layer of sophistication entirely in keeping with the tone of the shoot.

Landing the cover of Australian Harper’s Bazaar in June, Bambi took to the runway in September. Walking for Chanel, Balenciaga, Rag & Bone, Topshop Unique and Kenzo, Bambi defied the legend that shorter models can’t do runway.

Following a ready-to-wear debut with a pre-Fall show for Chanel in December, this was a very interesting booking. Bambi’s look could easily be classified as very ‘Chanel’ – her strongly defined eyebrows make her memorable, much like Alice Dellal and Vanessa Paradis,  two of Lagerfeld’s most recent campaign girls. Chanel, despite its image beyond the fashion world, is not merely a wardrobe go-to for Park Avenue princesses. Every Chanel girl has had an edge, an intelligence that communicates a brand more intrigued by character than beauty alone. Bambi’s inclusion in the show, at such an early point in her career, was more than Lagerfeld latching onto the face of the moment; Bambi was being touted as a star of the future.

In January 2011, Bambi landed in a ‘new faces’ spread for V magazine. All hand-picked by model, stylist and photographer Natalie Joos, Bambi is joined in the editorial by now-familiar names such as Arizona Muse, Ashley Smith, Carola Remer, Caroline Brasch Nielsen, Julia Saner and Daphne Groeneveld. Joos scored highly with her predictions: all these models are not only working regularly but impressing at the very highest levels of the fashion industry.

Featuring in the February issue of RUSSH, Bambi worked with photographer Benny Horne in an editorial called ‘Babes’. Also including Lisanne di Jong, Hannah Holman and Meag West, the group shots are a lovely example of working together for the greater good. Every model here has star potential, but they put star-billing aside to create group shots that are harmonious and beautiful.

February also saw Bambi head back to the runway, this time walking in A/W shows for Chanel, Jill Stuart, Giles and Topshop Unique. Her ability to command attention paid off in early 2011 when she became one of the faces representing the ck one fragrance by Calvin Klein. Photographed by Steven Meisel, the mega campaign featured Lara Stone, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Alice Dellal plus newer names including Samantha Gradoville, fresh from her runway triumph at Prada. 

Proving her versatility, Bambi then booked her first editorial with W. ‘The Change Agent’, photographed by Steven Meisel, sees Bambi work punk chic with Eliza Cummings and Saskia de Brauw. Between the gentle sensuality of ‘Babes’ and the fierceness of ‘The Change Agent’, Bambi proved herself a perfect fit for every concept. 

Stepping it up a gear, Bambi joined a slew of rising stars for the April cover of Japanese Vogue. Bambi is joined here by Britt Maren, Fei Fei Sun and Milou van Groesen. The cover, called ‘Next Wave’ is pretty accurate, its selection including Milou who would, within a year, become the face of Giorgio Armani.

The model was on home turf again in June, with a cover try for Australian Harper’s Bazaar. In ‘Bambi Turns up the Heat’, the model is featured topless – her modesty preserved by male model Jack Vanderhart’s arm placed across her torso. Bambi’s ability to do the sultrier shoots was also beautifully realised in the August issue of Australian GQ. Modelling with Tyson Ballou, Bambi models retro 1950’s glamour in ‘Before Night Falls’. 

After a highly successful year, Bambi finished 2011 by appearing on the cover of V, photographed by Terry Richardson. ‘Let’s Go Cruising’ features Bambi and Lindsey Wixson playfully posing in Louis Vuitton. 

Heading back to V in March 2012, Bambi channelled the darker side of sexuality in ‘Playing the Field’. An edgy shoot that sees Bambi play the scheming WAG-in-training, it is clear to see that her wealth of editorial experience has made her a highly valuable player. 

Bambi’s latest booking has been to appear in the resort lookbook for Marc by Marc Jacobs. Working looks designed for launch in Spring 2013, Bambi models alongside new model Ondria Hardin. The collection, reputedly inspired by Portland, refers back to ‘old classics’: nautical stripes, muted blues, polka dots and florals – all are thrown into the mix and given the Marc Jacobs treatment. Even the famous mouse-ear flats get a makeover, returning next year as clogs. 

Still barely two years into her career, Bambi has excelled at finding a diverse range of work. Rather than finding a comfort zone, and playing that to perfection, Bambi has actively sought different experiences; her CV charts the progress of a model determined to do it all.

Her bold approach to assignments has seen her star rise quickly and steadily: in the space of a few months, Bambi booked a Chanel show, a campaign for Calvin Klein and the cover of Japanese Vogue. Individually, these credits are impressive. Together, they form a picture of someone who is absolutely fearless in taking on those high-pressure jobs. It’s a good quality to have as a model – especially if you want to go further. 

Bambi’s ascent can also be plotted against a larger success for Australia. Along with fellow Australians Krystal Glynn and Julia Nobis (not to mention newcomers Ollie Henderson and Emily Wake), Bambi forms part of a collective that channel and champion directional fashion. Australia’s role in high-fashion has gathered pace since the discovery of Abbey Lee Kershaw and Catherine McNeill, challenging the idea that Australia only has one type of beauty to offer. The long-limbed, athletic type has been superseded by a variety of fashion-friendly looks, dating from Abbey’s star-making turn for Gucci right up to Julia Nobis’ supporting role in the Louis Vuitton campaign for Autumn 2012.

At 5’7”, Bambi is considerably shorter than most of her peers. But her blossoming editorial and campaign career is a reminder that the modelling world can be flexible – as long as you have something extra to give. Bambi’s extraordinary face, capable of going from punk to pastels, is that something extra. It works for editorial and it works for campaigns – when your photographic presence is as strong as hers, being on the short side can easily be forgiven.

Bambi is a brilliant example of turning potential negatives into something supremely positive. Her face, with those Hilary Rhoda-style eyebrows, could at best draw comparisons, but Bambi has been smart in her choices, slowly building a body of work that’s very different to Hilary’s clutch of campaign regulars. Beating your own path in modelling is essential: as much as fashion likes to categorise, it likes individuals better. It explains why quirky faces often triumph over more conventionally attractive ones. Knowing your strengths, your weaknesses and crucially what you have to offer, is half the battle in becoming a model. Bambi proves that the true mark of success is not in the pursuit of perfection but in acknowledging one’s flaws. She is a better model for it, and will go on to ever greater heights. In fashion, what really counts is not fitting in – it’s standing out.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: CONSTANCE JABLONSKI

Continuing the tradition of fashion’s love affair with all things French, Constance Jablonski is the latest model to make a global impact.

Born in Lille on the 29th of October 1990, Constance Jablonski began her modelling career in 2006 when she entered the French Elite Model Look contest. She signed with Elite Models the same year, and had her big break in September 2008.

She had her first run of fashion shows, opening shows for La Perla and Blugirl by Blumarine, plus appearances for Christopher Kane, Diane von Furstenberg, Dries Van Noten, Elie Saab, Gucci, Hermes, Lanvin, Marchesa, Rachel Roy and Versace.
In October, Jablonski shot her first editorial (for Italian Marie Claire), and her first cover in November. In December, the buzz surrounding the new girl was sufficient to land her an editorial in Italian Vogue, photographed by Steven Meisel. Often recognised for his star-spotting ability, for any model getting to work with Meisel is an incredible coup.

In January 2009, Constance did a beauty editorial for Italian Vogue and her first couture season, walking for Givenchy. She also landed her first major campaign, signing up to represent D&G along with Imogen Morris-Clarke and Ariel Meredith.

The campaigns kept coming, with additional work for Topshop and Donna Karan: you couldn’t get two assignments more different, but Constance landed both. Still considered a newcomer, Jablonski was showing huge potential in terms of range. Multi-tasking is an essential in fashion where no trend rules a season, and you have to convince the client that each one is a perfect fit.

Constance proved that she was able to command the attention of the world’s best designers in February when she signed up to take part in 54 shows including Derek Lam, Jason Wu, Louise Goldin, Matthew Williamson, Preen, Richard Nicoll, Twenty8Twelve and Wunderkind. Her booking sheet was a snap-shot of the latest breakthrough talent all vying to work with fashion’s newest kid on the block.

In March, she did two editorials for Teen Vogue, following that with editorials for Chinese, Italian, German, French and Japanese Vogue, making her an international hit. The work paid off in September when Jablonski became the most requested model of the season, chalking up an amazing 72 shows. She walked for Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Chloe, Dior, Isabel Marant, Louise Goldin, Marios Schwab, Mary Katrantzou, Proenza Schouler, Stella McCartney, Thakoon and Valentino. It was an eclectic mix of blockbuster brands and cutting-edge talent like Goldin and Katrantzou. Constance was now steadily making her way through the fashion ranks.

At last, the press took note. Constance was named a Top Ten Newcomer by http://www.style.com/, scoring further editorial work with Allure, French and Russian Vogue, and in November, http://www.wmagazine.com/ featured Jablonski as their ‘This Week’s Model’. If anyone was in any doubt, Constance Jablonski had now made the transition from rising star to established model.

2010 is already proving to be the biggest year of Jablonski’s career to date, with two campaigns already out there: a ck by Calvin Klein campaign (photographed by Craig McDean) and the Alberta Ferretti S/S campaign by Steven Meisel, also featuring Kasia Struss, Hanne Gaby Odiele and Dorothea Barth Jorgensen.

Constance had an epic A/W 2010 show season in February, including appearances for Alberta Ferretti, Fendi, Giles Deacon, Louis Vuitton, Nina Ricci, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli and Sportmax. She was not only commanding runway time with the newer designers, but also doing catwalk for the brands that are recognisable in three syllables or less: Hermes, Fendi, Chloe, Vuitton and Ralph Lauren. Making appearances for these labels isn’t a guarantee of future success, but it helps.

But the most exciting development came in April this year when it was announced that Constance would be joining Estee Lauder as a campaign model, becoming the first French model to do so. She will be joining forces with Liu Wen, who also made headlines as the first Chinese model to be signed to the brand.

It’s a marked departure for the cosmetics giant, whose previous signings include Hilary Rhoda, Carolyn Murphy and Gwyneth Paltrow. It’s a seismic shift in Estee Lauder’s marketing strategy and judging by the positive press so far, it’s being widely anticipated for all the right reasons. Between them, Constance and Liu will be representing a more international image of the beauty brand. Despite what the name suggests, the brand is resolutely all-American, and Constance will be fronting that campaign with that aim in mind, but if the brand wanted to be seen as more inclusive, mission accomplished. Globalisation isn’t just for big business anymore: Dior means the same in any language, and that’s what brands are moving towards – an international language of commerce. Sounds dull, but the repercussions (how good models can really clean up in this market) are anything but.

Even a cursory glance at recent fashion magazines tells you one thing: models are in, and celebrity endorsements are on the decline. As a trend, labels are choosing to move towards actively selecting models over celebrities to represent their brand. Just five years ago, things were very different: actresses routinely scored high-profile campaigns for major designers. Their image plus the product equalled big bucks. So what has changed?

With celebrity comes speculation. Gossip may be good for business in Hollywood, but in fashion, designers don’t want their latest handbag or must-have dress tainted by association. All celebrities (even the well-behaved ones) come with baggage (for example, being in ‘that’ film) and designers who are struggling to make their presence known in an already overcrowded marketplace don’t need that extra hill to climb.

The solution? Hire a model. Thanks to the death of the term ‘supermodel’, the latest batch of names rocking the fashion world aren’t necessarily names that the public will be familiar with. As a result, a model in a campaign can absorb the brand and become it completely. It’s what separates them from celebrities – and in this era of fight or flight commerce, those distinctions are important.

The move away from asking ‘names’ to represent labels is part of a wider movement in making brands trans-global. It means no translation necessary: Liu Wen and Constance Jablonski are the new faces of Estee Lauder because they will appeal to the widest demographic possible. With models, there’s no risk of consumers rejecting the brand’s latest product because they didn’t like the spokesmodel’s last single or newest haircut. There’s no front: the model is the image plus the brand, minus the drama. It’s a perfect combination of message and method.

The sheer volume of campaigns this year that have models fronting them is quite extraordinary. It’s the biggest turn-around since the late Nineties, and those models are getting those lucrative signings because they can embody a trend or a mood more completely than a celebrity, however comfortable he or she may be in front of the camera.

It’s all part and parcel of the fashion world reaching out to its consumers. The age of un-innocence; the knowing wink that accompanied many celebrity-endorsed campaigns is rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

The newest trend in advertising is story-telling: whether that’s a matador fantasy in Chanel or told simpler, with zesty hits of colour in Balenciaga, adverts are becoming more literal and that’s no bad thing. It doesn’t matter what’s being sold – if it’s a Prada bag or a bag of frozen peas – the message remains the same: keep it simple. It’s advertising that translates across language and culture and it will direct how fashion campaigns will take shape over the next five years.

When Constance makes her debut for Estee Lauder later this year, prepare yourself for a campaign that speaks a truly international language.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: HILARY RHODA

Born April 6th 1987, American model Hilary Rhoda is a classic beauty with a high-fashion twist.

Growing up in Maryland, Rhoda’s first love was sports. Active in lacrosse, tennis and field-hockey, Rhoda’s athletic childhood didn’t translate into modelling aspirations until 2004.

Aged 17, Rhoda was taken to Washington by her mother, after hearing an advert for an open call on local radio. The trip to Washington proved productive, as Rhoda signed with IMG Models in 2005, modelling part-time until her graduation.

Later that year, Hilary graduated from high-school and moved to New York to take on a full-time modelling career. It did not take long for Rhoda to make her presence felt.

In September 2005, Hilary was hand-picked to appear in the Balenciaga show by Nicolas Ghesquiere. The phenomenal booking had a snowball effect on Hilary’s career. In October, she opened the Valentino show and walked for Rochas, YSL, Chanel, Lanvin, Hermes and Rodarte. For a runway rookie, it was an astounding achievement.

2006 brought new challenges, as Hilary was cast in the Spring / Summer Balenciaga ad campaign. Her striking features, with those heavy brows, made Hilary a stand-out. The brand singled her out as the girl most representative of the Balenciaga look, and in the series of photos that comprised their campaign, Hilary was given the only solo shot.

In June, she opened the Balenciaga show in Paris and also landed her first cover of Italian Vogue. Rhoda’s cover try was captured by Steven Meisel. An old-hand at spotting new model talent, a photo-shoot with the legendary Meisel has become almost a rite of passage for models destined to hit the big-time.

In September 2006, Rhoda scored her second Italian Vogue cover, also shot by Meisel. September was a busy month as show season got underway. Rhoda walked for names that represent some of the best design talent in the world: Chanel, Derek Lam, Zac Posen, Chloe, John Galliano, Stella McCartney, Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera. It was a dizzying roll-call of designers all eager to work with Rhoda. With Rhoda’s career trajectory, there was no such thing as a slow burn. Just a year after being signed to IMG, Rhoda was working with the very best designers and photographers.

Unsurprisingly, the fashion press took note and http://www.models.com/ named her as one of their Top 10 Faces. Rhoda’s compelling blend of classic beauty and editorial edge made her a perfect catch for every designer. Like 80’s modelling titan Linda Evangelista, Rhoda had mastered the art of being a fashion chameleon.

In 2007, Rhoda became the face for Donna Karan and Givenchy, also signing a cosmetics and fragrance deal with Estee Lauder. In February, she made it onto the cover of Italian Vogue for a third time. This time, posing with friend Coco Rocha, Hilary was photographed again by Steven Meisel. As much a taste-maker as a photographer, Meisel clearly saw something in Rhoda that set her ahead of the pack.

In May 2007, Rocha and Rhoda joined forces with a group of models including Raquel Zimmermann, Agyness Deyn and Caroline Trentini to form the seminal cover of American Vogue. Entitled ‘The World’s Next Top Models’, the cover introduced the girls to the public, and Rhoda’s career, already doing well enough under its own momentum, steamed ahead to the next level.

She landed a campaign for Italian label DSquared2 with Raquel Zimmermann and Caroline Trentini, and became a face for Valentino along with Gemma Ward and Daria Werbowy.

2008 saw Rhoda undertake a glut of photographic work, including a campaign for Belstaff (photographed by Steven Meisel), plus editorials for Numero, Harper’s Bazaar, German Vogue and Dazed & Confused. She also appeared in the campaign launching Estee Lauder’s new fragrance, and replaced Angelina Jolie as the face of clothing brand St. John.

In 2009, Rhoda capped off a series of amazing bookings with an appearance in the Sports Illustrated magazine, the famous swimsuit edition. With space at a premium, pages of this world-famous magazine are normally reserved for the more familiar names. The fact that the magazine felt confident enough to place Rhoda alongside better-known names speaks volumes about her standing within the industry. She had made it to the core of mainstream publishing by being the most in-demand editorial beauty in the business.

When interviewed by Vogue for the May 2007 cover, Rhoda candidly spoke about her own beauty. Already compared to fashion icon Brooke Shields, she saw her look as being ‘older’ in comparison to her peers; something that harked back to the mega-watt glamour of the Eighties.
While it is true that Hilary’s look is strikingly similar to Shields, her ability to morph into any brand’s vision of beauty makes Rhoda absolutely contemporary.

Like Linda Evangelista, Hilary Rhoda’s selling point is her chameleon-like ability to transform. Take another look at some of her runway and campaign credits: Pucci, Roberto Cavalli, Victoria’s Secret, Zara and Abercrombie & Fitch. Each label has a unique identity, and Hilary has successfully represented them all.

Her range of campaign and runway work shows that she isn’t limited to one viewpoint. Her beauty, far from being old-fashioned, sets her at the heart of the fashion industry. Those trademark brows made her memorable during the early days, but they stopped her from becoming an archetype of bland beauty when her career really took off. What sets you apart makes you interesting, and no-one embodies this principle better than Hilary Rhoda. Her ability to move from ultra-edgy Balenciaga to brands like Estee Lauder shows how fashion embraces beauty that is off the beaten track.

Big-budget brands like Estee Lauder also love girls like Hilary because they lend an authenticity to their products. A lipstick on Hilary is not just a cosmetic – it becomes something covetable and high-fashion just by association.

What is interesting about Rhoda’s career is how it marks fashion’s shifting obsessions. In the space of five years, the industry has gone from routinely hiring the best faces in Hollywood, to appreciating the wealth of modelling talent on offer. In 2008, Hilary replaced Angelina Jolie as the face of St. John, and she continues to model for Estee Lauder’s ‘Sensuous’ fragrance, sharing equal page space with actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

Fashion’s love affair with models has re-ignited, and it is down to the consistently high standards set by models like Rhoda. An actress can certainly grab attention for a label, but can she handle the complex blend of worldly sophistication and sensuality required for a designer like Cavalli? Acting the part is one thing, but models have, and always will have, the advantage as it’s what they do for a living. It’s not a bolt-on in-between films; it’s the focus of their entire career. Models, the great ones, know fashion inside-out. They inhabit that world completely, and the fashion world has come to realise that when it comes to mastering a designer’s complex remit, skill trumps dazzle every time.

This year’s campaigns show how the fashion industry has gone back to its roots. There’s hardly a celebrity name to be found: Hannah Holman for Marc Jacobs, Karlie Kloss for Dior, Hermes and Aquascutum; Kasia Struss for Alberta Ferretti, Jamie Bochert for Lanvin and Lindsay Wixson for Miu Miu. To anyone unfamiliar with the current fashion circuit, there’s barely a recognisable name on that list, but that isn’t the point. It’s not all about celebrity anymore – fashion’s moved on, and so have we. The recession has seen less emphasis on big-label kudos and more of a leaning towards cultivating a personal style. There’s no longer a sense of shame attached to not being able to afford the latest pair of Miu Miu blackbird shoes. Fashion right now is about blending – designer, high-street or vintage – what you can afford is irrelevant. It’s not what’s in your wardrobe, but how you wear it that counts.

A really great model can clean up in times like these: designers don’t want a pre-packaged celebrity with her own image and agenda – they need a blank slate, a model that can be all things to all women. Rhoda fills that purpose beautifully.

If you were in any doubt about how sharply fashion has done a 360, just look at Balenciaga. Every fashion house has its girl in Hollywood: an actress who is loyal to the label and calls on them for public appearances. Dior has Marion Cotillard, Chanel has Nicole Kidman, and Balenciaga has Jennifer Connelly. Google a picture of Jennifer, and look at those eyebrows: remind you of anyone?

Fashion has come full circle, and its change of heart could not have come at a better time for the modelling industry. But as the world emerges from recession, the fashion industry has a chance to re-assess its priorities. The age of the supermodel may have ended with Linda Evangelista, but the good news for models like Hilary is that rather than being an after-thought, models are again becoming part of the creative process. Separating models from celebrities has served double duty - to be successful as a model no longer requires a famous name. With models emerging as the clear winners this season, the decline in using celebrities to front campaigns is evidence that fashion is once again taking models – and what they do – seriously.

To go from all-American classic to avant-garde contemporary in the blink of an eye takes skill, and it is something Rhoda has in abundance. Regardless of where fashion goes next, the ability to be truly versatile will never go out of style.




HELEN TOPE

MODELS CONNECT

How to become a model

In preparing yourself for a life in front of the lens, it is essential to do your research. By being intelligent in your approach, you can make the business of building a career a lot less painful.

There are a huge number of agencies out there, and doing your research – which agency signs ‘x’ type of model – will save you a lot of heartache. There are many different types of modelling, and if you are not suitable for one, it doesn’t necessarily exclude you from another.

· Be realistic. If you’re best suited to commercial modelling, only pursuing high-fashion agencies will be a very lonely and frustrating experience.

Know your limitations, but also know your selling points. What is it about you that would make a great model? Stand in front of the mirror – pose, pout, but most importantly, assess. Be honest with yourself, and be open to possibilities you may not have considered. High-fashion modelling may be one of the most covetous areas of the business, but many commercial models earn more than their high-fashion counterparts, simply because there is more work to go round.

· Undoubtedly the most important stage in the process to becoming a model is mental attitude. Developing a thick skin is crucial – rejection is part and parcel of the modelling experience. Even the most successful names in the industry aren’t perfect for every single campaign or magazine cover.

· Upkeep is essential. To be a working model, you must be in peak physical condition. Keeping fit is not just about muscle tone, but also stamina – a successful model can often work long hours and keeping fit and healthy is half the battle won. It’s a model cliché as old as the hills, but plenty of water is also a must. It will hydrate your skin, making it healthy, glowing and eminently photographable.

· Being disciplined is fundamental to approaching a career in the modelling business. Focus and discipline aren’t the most exciting tools in your armoury, but if you’re serious about wanting a modelling career, you have to take modelling itself seriously. A model set on reaching the top puts the work first. Partying can wait – most models only have a short window of opportunity, and it’s up to you to make the most of it.

· Be prepared to push yourself – a model’s reputation rests squarely on their previous work. No matter how good you are, there is always room for improvement. No model was born knowing how to create a great photo: it takes time and practice.

· Perhaps the most important thing to consider when thinking about a modelling career is money management. Whether you are just starting out, or further down the line as a more established face, work can be patchy. You can find yourself working around the clock one month, and sitting at home twiddling your thumbs the next. Spend wisely, save what you can and in the early days a second source of income will be vital.

Modelling is rarely 9-5: the hours can be exhausting and the competition for work unrelenting, but the pay-offs can be substantial. Not only in terms of financial reward, but being able to do the thing you love every single day. If you succeed as a model, appreciate it. You’ll be doing something you love for a living, and life doesn’t get any better than that.

How Models Connect can help

Now that I’ve sold you on the dream, it’s time for reality. Getting noticed in the modelling industry is tough. Making yourself visible is no easy task, and it is precisely that which will get you noticed. Models Connect can help you make that progression from ‘aspiring’ model to ‘hired’.

By registering with Models Connect, you can gain access to our list of clients, who scour the Models Connect database every day, looking for a model that fits a particular brief. Models Connect acts as an intermediary, offering regular updates to clients of new Models Connect members who have recently registered. The result? You become instantly visible – and bookable.

Joining Models Connect is a straightforward process. Fill in the online registration form at http://www.modelsconnect.net/, and upload two recent photos of yourself: one face-on head shot and a full-length body shot. Choose the shots carefully – they should be taken against a plain background and resist the temptation to pose. Adopt a neutral expression as this gives clients the best chance of determining if you match what they are looking for. Bear in mind that these photos will be the first impression you will make with prospective clients. Take this part of the process seriously as it may make the difference between being booked and being left on the sidelines.

After you have uploaded 2 photos you are happy with, your account will be reviewed by a member of staff within 5 working days of your initial application. Once your application has been approved, a personal booker will be assigned to you and will be in touch.

As a footnote, Models Connect receives upwards of 2000 applications a month, therefore any applications not filled in fully or missing uploaded photos will result in your account being terminated, and you will have to begin the registration process again.

Assuming you’ve filled in all your details correctly and uploaded your photos, what happens next? Your lovely new profile will then appear on the Models Connect database which is viewed by clients on a daily basis. If for example a client needs to find a girl between 18 and 21, 5’8” with red hair, and that description matches you perfectly, your profile will be drawn up in the search and will be available for the client to view more closely.

If the client views your profile and decides you might be worth contacting, they will either make direct contact with you by email, or by sending a message via the Models Connect website. This will be relayed onto you, so you can take further action.

One crucial benefit of Models Connect is that all clients are screened beforehand: you can only be contacted by Models Connect’s trusted and experienced client-base which includes several properly accredited and reputable agencies, and professionals from advertising and media. Building connections is all part of a model’s career, and by registering with Models Connect, you’re getting a head start.

Another benefit of Models Connect is that you are not just limited to sitting around and waiting to be contacted. You can use Models Connect proactively to maximise your own career prospects. You can manage your profile by sending some of your uploaded photos and details to anyone you like, and even go a step further and have your own webpage hosted on the Models Connect website. Self-promotion is nothing to shy away from: it could make all the difference.

While Models Connect offers a new technology solution for models just starting out, there are other less reputable sites and agencies out there and being able to recognise a scam is very important. You want your experience of the modelling world to be a positive one – not one where you end up dejected, discouraged and seriously out of pocket.

How to avoid scams

The key to avoiding modelling scams (Models Connect Scam section) is that if they promise you the earth, their ability to deliver on that promise is set at zero. The top agencies are experts in what doctors refer to as ‘managing expectations’. As you probably have figured out for yourself, there is no such thing as guaranteed success in the modelling industry. The fashion world is notoriously fickle – what is right one week may be out of vogue the next.

When undertaking research, the internet can prove to be your best friend. However, type ‘modelling’ into any search engine and you will come up against some of the greatest pitfalls too. If you receive or see any of the following, avoid like the plague:

· Online invites (via Facebook or any chatroom);

· Companies inviting you to pay large sums of cash to attend an ‘Assessment Day’ with a ‘top photographer’ to grade your suitability for the modelling world.

There is a booming industry catering to the aspirations of would-be models, and it is something you need to be aware of. You will have seen the leaflets - a studio will offer you a professional makeover followed by a professional photo-shoot with a professional photographer. It’s worth noting how many times their literature will use the word ‘professional’.

At best, these studios can offer a day of harmless fun, dressing up and a few snaps. At worst, they can be predatory companies preying on the hopes and ambitions of would-be models. If any of these studios offer you ‘professional’ advice (there’s that word again!) in return for purchasing a set of photographs, turn them down flat. These firms, whatever they may say, have no clout with the real modelling world.

Bear in mind that these makeover studios are in the business of making money, not discovering talent. If you’re still not convinced, refer to the Models Connect Scam section advice on makeover and portfolio photographs (www.modelsconnect.net/?page=66) the difference between a makeover shoot and a fashion portfolio is night and day.

However, modelling is not a totally gratis gig. There are costs that you will be expected to meet:

Travel expenses to and from castings and shoots
Grooming (hair, make-up, skincare, fitness)
Z-cards (these are a model’s ‘business card’ which you would be expected to take with you on any casting to leave with a client). Some agencies will pay for the printing expenses themselves, but others may charge you a fee.

When starting out a career in modelling, it is important to factor in these expenses. Grooming alone is a continuous expense and, at times, expensive.

The thing to keep in mind is that modelling agencies do not charge upfront, but recoup costs once you start booking jobs. They take a percentage of your total fee, and that is how modelling agencies make their money. When you do well, they do well.

Finally, and more seriously, if you get to the point where contracts are involved, be wary and read all legal documents before signing anything. Check credits, check client lists, testimonials – check everything. Don’t be afraid to get legal advice before signing anything – any legitimate agent will not be offended by this.

Most importantly, trust your instincts and repeat after me: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

HELEN TOPE