Models & Photographers: How to recognize a real model?

A gifted body, a sympathetic charisma and of course the “certain something” – this is how pretty young women imagine their good prospects for a well-paid modeling career. But reality also demands further attributes, depending on the model industry, hard work in front of and behind the camera as well as absolute stress resistance. What distinguishes a real model from a dreamy, fashion-conscious girl is above all the professional orientation, which is subject to income tax. Catwalks are only the few glamorous highlights in the mercilessly demanding advertising world.

Tip! Interview with model agency owner Stephan Czaja (CM Models): Become a model

Requirements for a model in the fashion industry

Young, beautiful, slim and tall, these are the attributes model agencies are looking for when they want to hire fashion models. A real model, however, is characterized from the outset by these attributes:

• The correct size and a very slim figure
• A face and a look that matches the respective fashion themes (at best as many as possible)
• The model career as full-time, at least part-time activity
• Loadability under the stress of photo shootings or catwalk operations
• adaptability to the wishes of designers

Tattoos & Co in the model world

Fashionable habits such as wearing visible tattoos or piercings are generally not welcomed in the fashion industry. If the other attributes are correct, this can still be an exciting advantage for niche topics. Fields of work for a real model are runway shows, advertisements, catalogue sessions and photo shoots for special magazine requirements. A real model always carries one thing with him: a folder as versatile as possible, as thick as possible, as advantageous as possible with photos of himself and the best or all or the most successful shootings of the last two to seven years.

Which model for which industry

A real model can also become a person who only fulfils the strict requirements of the glamour industry fashion to a limited extent. Because there are three roughly definable categories for different model types:

• Fashion or Editorial Models

They have the best chances of getting involved near the fashion metropolises of Hamburg, Düsseldorf, limited Cologne and Munich. They are – once engaged – paid princely if they adapt to the strict requirements for a long time.

• Commercial Models

The famous “dozen face” can actually lead to a single housewife, a die-hard single or a student in need of orientation being engaged for advertising purposes in the fashion industry. For commercial purposes such figures and faces are in demand, in which as everyone as possible somehow recognizes themselves. Nevertheless, even such visually average models must be strict with themselves and tolerant with the specifications. Because only in this combination do those optical impressions emerge which the advertising industry would like to suggest to us with views from almost daily life. Instead of a pot figure, the charisma counts here. Above all, the individual peculiarities of commercial models should create recognition in as many people as possible, and this should be positive for the product and the performer.

• Erotic Models

Beauty is undoubtedly an advantage in this industry. But only in connection with an erotic charisma candidates of both sexes have chances to be booked for such special shootings and shows. In addition to optical advantages, a real model has the unconditional will to be professionally active in this industry for a long time. Whether a fashion agency or a commercial interested party or even the erotic industry is interested in a cooperation depends on the natural prerequisites that every aspirant (and every aspirant, especially herself) brings to the profession.