CAN ONE MAKE IT AS A FASHION MODEL?

A fashion model is a person who practices modelling as his or her profession, that is he or she uses her body and face to display clothes and become what the designer wants her to be and what he wants the model to represent, and the model is paid for that. In an ideal world we would all be at least six feet tall with slender bodies and immaculate looks. The fashion model is the depiction of the fashion designers preference and therefore will posses physical attributes that are out of the norm. If you succeed, a career in fashion modelling can be highly rewarding with the chance to meet the best professionals in the industry, with opportunities to appear on the covers of top fashion magazines and promote top brands' products, the possibilities are endless.

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Can one make it as a fashion model?

A model is a blank canvas on which the designer's fantasies and creations are painted upon, and the models who achieve this brilliantly are the most often used. During a catwalk show the fashion models will move along the catwalk, walking and turning to display clothes in front of an audience. In photographic and advertising a fashion model will pose for photographers in a studio or on location and follow directions from the photographer. A fashion model works closely with stylists, hair and make-up artists, producers and directors. However, fashion modelling is not always as glamorous as it seems. A fashion model will also spend much time going to castings for jobs, keeping in contact with the fashion model agency and looking after his or her apperance. I honestly think  that one can make it as a fashion model if they are determined, hard working and also have interest in fashion.

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Here are three designers that I believe are the best in South Africa:

1. JJ Schoeman is one of South Africa's top Fashion Designers since the 90's.
2. David Tlale is an award winning and Johannesburg based Fashion Designer who stands out from the crowds.
3. Gert Johan Coetzee is a former recipient of the Cape Town Fashion Festival's award for Most Promising Designer in South Africa.

SHOULD ONE AGREE WITH THE MODELLING INDUSTRY'S DEFINITION OF BEAUTY??

After reading a comment made by one of my followers on my blog about what is legitimate and what is not legitimate in the modelling industry, the question of how should one define beauty came to mind. Beauty is the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether arising from sensory manifestations as shape or colour, a meaningful design or pattern, or something else such as personality in which high spiritual qualities are manifest. Before reading any further, what would you say beauty is and how would you define it?



Alek Wek
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Through the years, our perception of beauty has gone from fat to thin. I think that the modelling industry should look for someone who is presentable, not necessarily  beautiful or skinny, but someone who has passion for modelling and knows what the industry is all about. The industry usually prefers a girl with less meat on her bones and who will look good on camera. Take Grace Jones and Alek Wek, they are not particularly models that are claimed beautiful (by the media) however, through their passion for modelling they are amongst the most ranked models in the world.



Grace Jones
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 I believe that many women feel left out by the modelling industry. Petite women are one of many groups that are not represented by the media and the modelling industry, the standard of beauty promoted by the media and modelling industry represent an unrealistic, rare and unattainable ideal. however, Bella Petite http://www.bellapetite.com/ offers encouragement and support to petite women trying to succeed in the modelling industry.

"It is foolish to wish for beauty. Sensible people never either desire it for themselves or care about it in others. If the mind be but well cultivated, and the heart well disposed, no one ever cares for the exterior"- ANNE BRONTE.

ANOREXIA... WHY CAN'T WE LOOK THE WAY WE WANT?





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"Looking good sells"... "Clothes do look better on slim models than fat models, unless the model has hour-glass figure". Fashion models and celebrities have always been blamed by society (parents, teachers, media, politicians and even other models themselves) for encouraging anorexia. Let's face it, fashion magazines edit "flaws" from their pictures to the effect that most pictures appear to be air-brushed. There are studies which showed that males prefer females with 0.7 waist/hip ratio because it looks more attractive and sexy. So? Why can't we look the way we want? A lot of women have problems with their belly, breasts and figure and I feel we shouldn't be worried about how we look because we all look great!

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ANOREXIA

Anorexia is an eating disorder, this disorder is thought to be common among people involved in activities where thinness is especially looked upon, such as modeling. It becomes a totally different scenario when it comes to anorexia, people can't be against skinny people because its a psychological disease and some people find it easier to be confident to cut down on food because of how they look.



Woolworths has recently come under five from consumers for an ad campaign for its Studio W range of clothing featured on models who look painfully thin. The brand's Facebook page, "Woolworths SA",was inundated with comments from folllowers calling the campaign "a terrible advert for your brand",and accusing it of promoting anorexia.http://www.iafrica.com/. It is sad that we have a very few anorexia campaigns in South Africa compared to the United States, because I feel it is a serious disease that needs to be given attention. It is about time we accept who we are and revel in it.

WHAT IS LEGITIMATE AND WHAT IS NOT LEGITIMATE IN THE MODELLING INDUSTRY?

There is a whole industry built around taking advantage of your dream of becoming a model. The modelling industry thrives on your enthusiasm, your ignorance and your money. But mostly it thrives on the uncertainty and lack of information generally available on modelling. In the modelling industry, it is far more likely for you to fall into a rip-off situation while trying to become a model than to find an actual legitimate path to actually see if modelling is for you.

With modelling, it can be hard to tell the difference at times as to what is legitimate and what is not legitimate. A legitimate modelling agency makes money when you make money or actually provides a service that in most cases leads to actual paid work. A non-legitimate agency thrives on your money that you pay to them and it never leads to any significant work. When you start contacting modelling agencies, remember to read as much about the agency as possible before you contact or visit them. the more you know about the agency, the more informed you will be about the legitimacy of the establishment. It's important to start your modelling career with real professionals, so be careful, as not everyone is as trustworthy as they might seem. Here are three modelling agencies that I believe are thee best suited to reach your success:

1.http://www.promodels.co.za/ 
2.http://www.iconsmodels.com/
3.http://www.gapa.co.za/