We celebrate the difference

In order to have your wishes granted you need to answer my questions:

Have you ever had that distinct shine in your stereo heart while going through the sassy,saucy Xtra glossy pages of VOGUE?

Have you ever dreamt about wandering around Les Champs Elysées like a model rocking the runaway?

And finally, have you ever looked twice at your mirror imagining yourself as Adrina Lima?

If your answer is YES then with modeling you’re obsessed and I’m here to give you a few tips about becoming the best. 

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL MODEL TODAY?

Back in the 90s, the answer was more straightforward than today, it was endless legs with a cheeky personality along with beautiful traits. Yet today that concept has changed a great deal, letting a certain question run around on a mouse wheel:

IF MODELING IS NOT JUST ABOUT HAVING A PRETTY FACE THEN WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

Along with the obvious criteria of height being at least 5'9" (1,75 cm) feet and body measurements being: bust of 34", waist of 24" and hips of 34" for female models, and 6’ feet (1,82 cm) (height) for male models.

Today, we find other requirements that helped shape the industry into a more sophisticated one. These characteristics hold down multiple qualities that assure the respect of the newly followed policies.

Qualities that are bound to allow you a more disciplined life.

So to hard work and dedication you need to add determination and to resilience and persistence, add resistance just to build up the sufficient needed strength when you are 13 hours into shooting and still counting, or shooting in hard conditions that need to be surmounted or traveling between countries monthly or most importantly, when hustling between gigs endlessly.

Joan Smalls heads to the desert for the March 2018 cover of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia

In addition to that, you need to inhold a thick skin for the right of passage rejection that you will learn to strategically embrace after a while because modeling is one of those skills where practice makes perfect and the more experiences you have, the more you’re most likely to create that I have what it takes kind of attitude. 

Furthermore, another essential prerequisite is to be photogenic and a head-turning magnet, that never ceases to impress with the variety of poses up her/his arsenal flaunting away her/his good features in the right angles with a confidence language that assures the good turnout of the pictures, almost like they’re from a fantasy book.

Besides that, having a real understanding of the industry is a key element in pushing you towards being a professional through and through.

From being early to appointments to being open-minded and flexible with setting them.From being indulgent to extensive traveling schedules to embodying great self-reliance skills. From working on yourself by practicing getting comfortable in heels or other shoes you don’t normally wear to establishing and rehearsing your signature walk. Together with making sure you lead a healthy lifestyle which will reflect positively in keeping you on the track of being the absolute best version of yourself at all times, the same way as an athlete or a dancer is. 

Gigi Hadid for Vogue Korea, 2017

One of the most crucial factors of becoming a model and establishing a successful career is to have a well-rounded modeling portfolio that highlights your great qualities through first-rate, remarkable images.

However, since you need all the exposure you can get to move up the ladder in the modeling industry, you ought to curate both types of portfolios. The first one is the traditional hard copy that features your finest natural 8 to 12 images(headshots and body shots) accompanied with a brief overview of your modeling experiences. The second one is an online version where you will get to showcase the breadth of your experience in the right way along with attaining the easiness of sending it to people via email.

PS: Creating a portfolio is not an easy process but it’s a great asset in intriguing casting agents and presenting them with what you can bring to the table. Therefore it needs to be updated constantly as you gain more experience.

Having gone through multiple drastic changes, modeling agencies today take highly into consideration the number of followers on social media when weighing whether to sign you or not. So make sure to use your platform in creating that community of followers to inspire and aspire from.

The industry's mantra has always been a two-sided coin, one where you’ll have someone in your corner who can help guide your career and the other one consists of skipping the middleman and doing your research in order to make a list of the agencies you’ll apply to, because they can help refine your book, set up go-sees, and help direct your career.

Furthermore, another thought to keep in mind is that nowadays, the perception of the beauty standards and the method of getting the ideal model has completely shifted through introducing the paradox of perfect imperfections to the game, graciously allowing (Full lips, sleepy eyes, a gap in your teeth, beauty marks, etc) to be auspicious when it comes to being remembered by casting agents.

So embrace your imperfections, you never know they may be your reason for selection!

Always use your discretionary powers to know which tasks to undertake and which ones to avoid so that your reputation is not tarnished.

NOW YOU CAN GO HAVE SOME FUN IN SHOWING THEM HOW IT’S DONE.