Fashion Model

This career is for those individuals who are interested in becoming fashion models. People who are attributed with appealing physical characteristics and figures are naturally inclined to make it into the competitive world of fashion modeling. You must be ready to accept criticism from all corners, and be ready to work on your modeling ability throughout your career.

If you are blessed with the perfect figure, you’re still young and you have a clear face with little or no body hair, you might have what it takes to succeed in one of the most competitive professions in the world today. This career path is suitable for people who enjoy flexible work timings and who have a general interest in fashion.

Fashion modeling is the most preferred field in the modeling industry, and fashion models tend to be well paid. Fashion models are generally handpicked by modeling agencies at a very young age, often as young as 13 in the case of women and 16 in the case of men. People with aesthetically pleasing appearances have a distinct advantage.

There is a very fine line between success and failure in terms of modeling. The job is very demanding, stressful and varied. It may involve long periods with no work, and long hours when work is available. Getting started is difficult as there is no formal procedure in place in most places for the recruitment of models. Fashion modeling involves skillfully promoting accessories and clothes to the media and consumers in an appealing way.

The job may entail working on catwalks, going to photograph shoots and even appearing on television. A successful model in one country may not be able to find jobs in another country because different markets seem to be favoring models of different ethnicities. Agencies in the Asia Pacific region tend to favor Latino models whereas Indian agencies tend to go for models from India or Europe.

Many countries have enforced regulations regulating the minimum weight of models allowed. Many European nations have banned size zero female models owing to concerns about the health of thousands of underweight models in the region.

It is impossible to predict the yearly salary of a fashion model as wages depend on how much work you do, level of experience and who you work for. On average, spending a day on the catwalk can pay anywhere between £100 and £3000 per day. Fashion campaigns can pay up to £100,000 per day if you are a known name in the industry.

As a beginner, a model makes about Rs. 4,000- Rs. 6,000 per shoot or show. After three to four years, one might get Rs. 15,000- Rs. 20,000. A supermodel can earn Rs. 50,000, after which the sky is the limit. Models working in TV commercials are paid more than Rs. 20,000 per day. The money depends on your looks and body. A beautiful face on a well-toned body can command handsome money, even if you are just a fresher.

You can expect increments regularly as your modeling repeater builds up. Your agency might provide you with several benefits, but these are normally deducted from your final payment as per your contract.

Life in the fashion modeling career is not always as glamorous as it is made to seem. Once you get a contract from an agency, you might be required to work long hours and interact with a large number of people. The work is incredibly stressful, and there are a lot of people who you are constantly required to please. The work rarely gets monotonous, and you’re unlikely to have two days with the same work. You are generally required to work at various locations. Photo shoots may be outdoors, but most shows are indoors in an air conditioned environment.

Even though fashion modeling is not quite as glamorous as it seems, there are a large number of perks associated with becoming a fashion model. You often get to keep the clothes you model in, and fashion textile companies often send you products that did not sell quite enough during the season.

Bonuses are also in the form of fashion accessories and clothes. Besides that, many modeling agencies provide you free access to a physical fitness trainer. Once you make it big, you are often picked up by acting agencies too. Moreover, you are often invited to social events that you otherwise may not have access to!

One of the major downsides of modeling is that it may not always be steady money, and you could lose your job at any point if you haven’t signed a binding contract. Moreover, you must face constant criticism, often completely unnecessary in nature.

The criticism can reduce your self esteem considerably. What you wear often ends up becoming who you are, and people do not judge you beyond that. Modeling auditions may involve 200-300 girls from which only a handful are chosen and so getting a steady job can be rather difficult.

Fashion modeling is one of the most competitive professions around the world. Breaking into the industry itself is very difficult and it often depends more on luck than skill. You might benefit from being at the right place at the right time. Even surviving in the industry is very difficult because of the sheer amount of competition around. You need to be very good at what you do in order to succeed as a fashion model, as there are a lot of people aspiring to be models.

Fashion modeling has opportunities in all urban centers, but globally, Los Angeles, New York City, London, Paris and Sydney stand out in terms of opportunities. In India, opportunities are available in Kolkata and Mumbai, along with other large cities.

Contact a good modelling agency or a fashion photographer to get a portfolio made. Once it's done, send it to as many modelling and advertisement agencies as you can. Keep an eye out for auditions as you might get a good break. With reality TV going big, try to get into shows to get noticed