Be Natural

 

Take care of yourself

If you really want to be a model you need to start taking care of your looks. As the way you look will depend whether you get the job or not. It's important to have healthy skin, nails and hair. Remember before photo shoots to have a good sleep so your eyes won't look tired. You should drink a lot of water and eat healthy.  You need to be aware of the fact that your face, hair and the whole body is what matters in the industry. So you really have to take care of yourself. 

The healthier you look, the prettier you really are. 

It really is as simple as that! It would also be better if you avoided having hair extensions, fake tan, fake eye-lashes, fake nails  (and if you decide to have them, choose the ones that look natural not freaky!). You should look good and natural. By showing your natural beauty the potentional agents and employers can tell how they can work with your body and your looks, they don't need to see a ready image but an image they can create with your help and for the campaign needs. 

Show your potential

When it comes to your portfolio you should have both: the natural looks images and some original and glamour ones to show your possibilities. So don't be afraid to pose in original, unusual clothes and hairstyles. It shows your flexibility and potential.

Kate Moss

We were thinking about writing a post dedicated to Kate for a long time and finally It's been realized as her birthday was only two days ago!

The fact that we would like to have the whole post about her is because she's an exceptional person, and what's more she's British and fabulous!

Kate Moss (Katherine Ann Moss) was born 16 January 1974 in Addiscombe, Croydon, London. She is an English model who have appeared on over 50 magazine covers and in magazine spreads. Kate Moss is especially known for her trademark slim figure, prominent cheek bones, high-profile relationships and party lifestyle.

If you didn't know her and have seen her for the first time you wouldn't say she's a model material. She's only 5 ft 7.5 in (1.72 m) and doesn't really have a face of a model (especially at the times when she was starting her career - early 90s). The thing that helped her to get into modelling is definietely her personality.

 

Moss was discovered in 1988 at the age of 14 by Sarah Doukas, the founder of Storm Model Management, at JFK Airport in New York City, after a holiday in the Bahamas. Moss's career began when Corinne Day shot black-and-white photographs of her, styled by Melanie Ward, for British magazine The Face when she was 16, in a photo shoot titled "The 3rd Summer of Love". Moss then went on to become the "anti-supermodel" of the 1990s in contrast to the "supermodels" of the moment, such as Cindy Crawford, Elle Macpherson, Claudia Schiffer, and Naomi Campbell, who were known for their curvaceous and tall figures.

Being a famous and desirable model she had a drug problems what caused the big brands to remove her from their campaigns. But she managed to came back. And this is another reason she is an exceptional person and a model. What's more she managed to have her own brand - Top Shop which is doing very well. 

A £1.5m ($2.8m) 100% gold statue was made of Moss in 2008 as part of a British Museum exhibition. Entitled Siren, the 50 kg (110 lb) hollow statue was made by Marc Quinn, who described Moss as "the ideal beauty of the moment". The statue is said to be the largest gold statue to be created since the era of Ancient Egypt.

Quinn had previously unveiled a painted-bronze, life-size sculpture of Moss in a contorted yoga pose, titled Sphinx.

Knowing the story of Kate you should be more confident about yourselves! And even if you don't look like the super models nowadays it doesn't mean that by entering into the industry you will change the pattern and the way models should look like!

New Era For Mature Models

The professional life expectancy of a top model was never good. When asked about the prospects of a group of twentysomethings, Cathy Gould, the director of Elite Model Management, said: "They are too old to succeed in a field where much of the talent is recruited out of school."

However, a big change is under way in this most image-obsessed of businesses. While waif-like youngsters were once the order of the day, it is now glamorous women in their forties and fifties who are the new stars of the industry - taking the plum contracts and fronting international campaigns for major fashion houses and cosmetics companies.

Demand for mature women is such that leading modelling agencies on both sides of the Atlantic revealed to The Independent on Sunday that they are struggling to cope with the number of bookings.

Mature models are models that are older than typical models. Age is not the key factor, but rather appearance. A mature face, with a great smile and bright eyes is still quite a marketable commodity. However the standard is that mature models are over their 30s.

Becoming more than just a trend, many mature male and female models are becoming permanent fixtures on the catwalks of many prestigious fashion designers of today. The women or men who interested in fashion modeling you can register here.

With those days long gone these women are far from becoming has-been, strutting their stuff on the catwalk well into there fifties. These women are not booked because of their age but because of their look.

Unlike youngsters, most people in their middle to senior years of life approach modeling with a little modest anxiety wondering if they really do have what it takes to be a mature model community. Male models have always worked well past there 20s into there 50s. Often just getting started in modeling in their late teens, age barriers have never kept males limited.

It is a trend that has taken many in the modelling industry by surprise. At London-based Models 1, one of Europe's leading agencies, they have begun re-signing older models, who may have left the profession years earlier to have families or pursue alternative careers in the assumption that their modelling days were over.

Branding experts and marketing managers have seen the effect that resurgent older models such as Twiggy and Marie Helvin - who recently made her professional comeback at the age of 50 - can have on product sales, and are queuing up to replicate it. Last year, Dove soap became one of the first major brands to apply a radical new strategy, using 95-year-old Irene Sinclair as part of its "Campaign for Real Beauty".

One British model given a second lease of life by the phenomenon is Angie Hill, who signed her first, new, major beauty contract - with cosmetics giant Garnier- last year, at the age of 42. "When I was 24 I thought I was too old," said Ms Hill, who appeared on the cover of numerous magazines during the 1980s, including Cosmopolitan, Elle and Marie Claire.

"I had two children and realised I couldn't compete with 16-year-olds, so I quit and started working with my husband in fashion design."

Then last year, Ms Hill - who hails from south London but now lives in Los Angeles - was pushed firmly back into the spotlight by Garnier.

So don't be afraid if you think you're too old and give it a try (or ask your mums to do so! or even gradmas!)

Model Competitions For Aspiring Models

Entering a model competition might be a good idea to skyrocket your modelling career. If you're successful you will get a contract and could start your modelling career straight away. It's good if you're prepared for that, know what to do, how to pose etc. 

You may do the training during the test shoot at Candi Models...

Anyway as there are many contests you can find on the web and not all of them are the real ones we would like to present you the most prestigious ones and well knows that you could enter.

1. Elite Model Look

This is an international contest which gives you an opportunity to be noticed by the biggest players in the industry - the designers, agents, stylists and photographers that will guide you and help you with your career. The winners of this competition have appeared on fashion shows around the world and were on covers of major fashion magazines. All thanks to Elite Model Look experience.

The contest has been created in 1983 and has become an international, prestigious event for aspiring models. Every year elite model look team travels around the world to find the top models of the future.

2. Make Me The Next Model

Competition being organised each year by Next company - one of Britain’s most popular brands in association with Storm Model agency. Next is looking for male and female models to sign contract with them. The winners get 2000 pounds worth Next Gift Cards, introduction to Storm Model Agency and a chance to start in a next photo shoot. The 2011 contest has been closed now so we have to wait for the openings of 2012 which should be any time soon! You just need to register on their website and the online public will choose the candidates. Top 250 will be invited to London for a special one-day course at Next's Runway Academy. Then the judges will choose top 50 which will proceed to the Grand Final of the competition.

3. Top Model UK

The finalists are selected from 1,000's of entries from different backgrounds, all hoping to get a chance to start a professional career on runways and fashion shows. Being a finalist is already a great experience as the candidates need to cope with media, press, the professional training is given as well as choreography and all the contacts within the industry.

4. Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model

To enter this competition you need to have the right to live or work in Britain and you must meet the height requirement of 5'8", and be between the ages of 18-23. Even if you don't win the competition you still can get a change to appear in fashion industry as this competition is a TV show so you can be discovered by someone not exclusively from the programme's team. You will have a chance to meet super models (like Ellen Mcpherson) and other celebrities which are members of the jury.

5. Top Model Of Colour

Top Model of Colour International (TMC) is a modelling competition, which is now in its 7th year and is open to models from across the world, whom are of African, Caribbean, Hispanic, Oriental, African, Asian & Dual heritage ethnicity. Top Model of Colour competition is providing models with exposure to the modelling industry. Top Model of Colour is the only competition of its kind in the UK, Europe & Africa and it receives thousands of applications each year from hopefuls vying to be Top Model of Colour in their respective countries. The reach of Top Model of Colour is extremely diverse, not only nationally spread throughout the UK with both female and male contestants, but it is also taking place in a number of other countries across the world, including the Netherlands, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Cameroon and the Gambia, with many more soon to join. Top Model of Colour runs every year and is opened to female and male models aged between 18 – 30 years of age and a minimum height of 5.1”. 

Creator of Top Model of Colour, Sola Oyebade said: “Based on the modelling industry in the UK and across the world currently, there is no doubt that the industry generally has not yet realised, or is not yet willing to accept the need for employing and using more models of colour in their advertising campaigns. Top Model of Colour will continually play a pivotal role in promoting models of colour and to be a catalyst for change in the industry”.

Plus-Size Models

 

The world of fashion for years has been reserved for super slim models. That's why everytime some magazine or a company decides to hire plus-size models for their shoot, people pay more attention to it and talk about it. Usually they are thankful that someone have decided to show realistic women on the advert. The above photo comes from french edition of Elle Magazine.

It's been headline-grabbing stuff over here in the UK, following on from the furore caused by Mark Fast's decision to use curvier models in his catwalk show for London Fashion Week last year. It seems that while we're tiring of emaciated teenage models parading around in designer gear, we're not sure what to make of larger ladies doing the same either.

 

So, what do you think? Is there a place for plus-size women in the fashion industry? Is it progress, or is it a publicity stunt to attract more readers- and morever, do these readers want to see it? How would you react if UK Elle did the same?

Velvet d'Amour, a US model who lives in Paris, has conquered both fashion and TV at size 28. She has been a catwalk model for Gaultier and Galliano and is now a popular TV commentator.

Shops and websites for larger women are becoming highly visible. Parisian fashion writer Sakina, whose blog Saks and the City is widely read, told the Observer that the Elle cover was a "wonderful initiative".

"Fashion has created a gap between itself and real women. From skinny, to curvy, to fat, the population is made of very different bodies and the contrast between the women represented in fashion or advertising has been so important that most women don't feel good about themselves. I, too, have had body issues: I tried to fight what I genetically am because I always thought that being beautiful could never mean being curvy" - Velvet said.

To introduce you more to the fashion world of curvier models see below the top 3 plus-size top models:

 

1. Whitney Thompson

Season 10 of America’s Next Top Model was when plus-size models went prime time. That’s because a 5’10”, blond bombshell in a size 10 dress beat out scores of bony, generic wannabe models to become the first plus-size girl to win. As part of her prize package, the Jacksonville native won a contract with Elite Model Management and a sponsorship deal with CoverGirl.

Even though ANTM host TyraBanks suggested Whitney Thompson was more of a “full-figured model” than a plus-size one, the zesty Floridian has already broken down barriers and paved the way to mainstream success for bigger girls who dream of the glamorous life of a fashion model.

 

2. Chloe Marshall

This vivacious Brit is proof of just how far plus-size models have come. No longer content to grace magazine pages or fashion runways, they are now invading beauty pageants too. Chloe Marshall is a finalist for the Miss England title, already having beat out seven presumably skinny girls for the title of Miss Surrey. Miss England will be crowned in July 2008, but Chloe Marshall already has a juicy contract with agency Models Plus to fall back on. She oozes confidence, is as bubbly as they come and has a bright future ahead of her, win or lose.

3. Toccara Jones

 

This statuesque black beauty completely obliterates the tired preconceived notion of blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty. She first came into the public eye as a contestant on America’s Next Top Model. Competing against frail, starving waifs, the 5’7” citizen of Dayton more than held her own, claiming the show’s coveted “CoverGirl of the Week” title four times. Toccara Jones was eventually voted off the show, but she parlayed the exposure into a contract with renowned plus-size model agency Wilhelmina.

The phenomenal success of the girls above is proof of how our views on beauty are changing. Some countries are legislating super-skinny models out of existence, which is admirable (if you aren’t a super-skinny model), but also a bit unnecessary. Plus-size models are becoming increasingly prevalent. Once a niche market, they are now finding themselves at the forefront of fashion. It’s a refreshing change, especially for the long-neglected man who likes a bit of meat on his lady’s bones;)

Frequently Asked Questions - What Are Your Worries And Concerns

Hi Guys

After talking to our consultants who answer your calls we have decided to create a post about questions that bother you the most – this way maybe we will clear up some things for you.

Why do I need a portfolio?

Lots of you ask us why do you need a portfolio. A set of professional photos showing different aspects of your face and body is like a resume which you need to apply for a job. Having a portfolio you can send it not only to apply for model agencies but also to any other modelling job that different companies and venues are posting about. You can easily find on web ads for models where they require you to send your images. If you wish to be a model and do not have good photos, having a portfolio is a good point to start.

Why do I have to give deposit?

When inviting you to attend a test photo shoot we ask you for a deposit. We need it to make sure you will attend the photo shoot day as we will book a make up artists and photographers for you. If you come and you are not happy with the photo shoot you will get the deposit back. So you really don't have to worry about that. We just need it to do the bookings of our staff.

Why I cannot attend the test photo shoot by myself?

Some of you would like to attend the photo shoot by yourself and we advise not to. It is better to come with someone so you can get some advice, watch the photos together and make the decisions together. Sometimes you can see yourself slightly different than other people and having someone with you helps you to be sure about your look.

How much will I be paid for modelling?

This is the question everyone would like to know at the beginning of their career.

Unfortunately we do not know the answer for that. We will help you to get in touch with modelling agencies and on our page we post some job offers you can apply to. We also give you tips and advice how to look for modelling job. We hope that providing you with the best portfolio and webfolio will help you get into modelling. At least you have something to start with. You can apply for various kinds of modelling jobs with the portfolio we have prepared for you.

The Photoshoot Day

Welcome Everybody in 2012!

We hope this year will bring all of you lots of success and joy in your lives!

If you're considering to register with Candi Models and attend a test photo shoot we've decided to tell you some more in here about the day itself.

First of all check the time of your appointment and make sure you know where we are located.

Pack with you some outfits - the ones you think suit you the best. It would be good if they were somehow original so someone looking at your picture will remember  the photo because of your original look (and also because you look good of course!) It can be a hat, fur or interesting dress or anything you think would be appropriate. Bring something casual tas well o show your natural sight but also something glamorous to show that you are able to fit into different looks.

Once you arrive to our Studios you will be introduced to one of our makeup artists who will explain you what to do. 

You will be also given a consultation form where you could write what are your expectations of the day, which features you wish to hide and which to expose more. You will consult it with our photographer. 

Remember, don't afraid to ask them anything, there are no stupid questions! 

The makeup artist will start with a natural look because that will be your first shoot.

You will be given a makeup and a hairstyling as well. You can bring your own makeup if you wish and consult on it with the makeup artist but you don't have to - they have all is needed to create different looks.

Depending of how many different outfits you've brought you will have different looks (clothes, makeup, hairstyle). After that, our specialist will have a look at your photos and ask you to the room to consult the photo shoot. It's good to come with someone so you can ask for advice and have a look at your photos together. The photos may be used as your modelling portfolio if you wish to have one.

We work with very professional stuff who've been working on different fashion venues and shows so you can be sure you will be in the best hands!

Looking forward seeing how your photoshoot goes!