This Industry Isn't Always Fair

I think just about every model has a love/hate relationship with the industry. Probably the most frustrating thing about this business is that there are so many do’s and don’ts that you’re supposed to follow and yet there are still those exceptions to the rule that make things very unfair.

For example, I had a casting for a hair show. I showed up early and waited patiently with the other 30 models who showed up. The people holding the casting were presenting a new line of hair care products and were looking for models to showcase the new brand.

Luckily, they weren’t planning on cutting or colouring. The lady in charge thanked us for showing up early and on time and explained that they would be pulling girls up in small groups to evaluate their hair and that the rest of us could relax and wait until we were called.

The first group was about 7-9 girls with really long hair down their back. One of the stylists explained that some of the styles they needed required a lot of length while those with shorter hair would be required for the edgier looks. While they brushed, braided and played with the girls’ hair, the rest of us talked amongst ourselves.

Three girls walked into the casting 10-15 minutes late but were still accepted into the audition and were added to the group of girls being considered. While I and a number of the other girls thought it was crazy for anyone late to be allowed to participate, we kept our mouths shut. It is a business after all and you can’t let your emotions get the best of you.

After about 15 minutes, the lady in charge came to the rest of us and said, “Thank you for your time ladies, the casting is over and we have found our models.” Needless to say, there was a moment of shock, confusion and utter silence. Model to model glanced at each other as if to say, “Are they for real?” But as is custom, we gathered our things, smiled politely and thanked them (of course, all of us were cussing up a storm on the way out of the building!). The three girls who came late got the gig and two of the three girls had worked for the stylists before. Goes to show that it is definitely who you know.

Of course I was upset, as were the rest of the girls who wasted their time sitting in a room with each other while the stylists made their pick without giving any of us a chance. Honestly, if they only wanted girls with super long hair, that is what they should have told our agencies. To reward someone who is late to a casting is beyond me and I didn’t think it was fair that they openly announced which models had worked with them before (who ended up making the cut).

In my opinion, it was a waste of time and effort but that’s what happens. Life isn’t fair and neither is modelling. It just goes to show that no matter how well you follow the rules, there will always be instances where those who break them get the gig…but that doesn’t mean that you should do the same. It may not pay off right away, but stick to your good habits and eventually you will be rewarded. For every missed opportunity, there will always be something bigger and better xxx

No Pain, No Gain

I can’t even count how many times I have heard that saying ‘No pain. No Gain’ I never really understood what it meant when I was younger but, now that I have grown up (a little), I’ve realized that it’s a lesson that many women, especially models, have had to learn and endure throughout their lives.

For models, pain is a part of the job. From bruised, cut, and blistered feet from runways, to posing in extreme weather conditions, they’ve experienced it all.

Models are often forced into shoes that are too small or too big that not only destroy their feet (visibly and internally), but can also be the cause of runway spills and sprained ankles. In fact, make-up artists know to bring body make-up for post fashion week shoots in order to cover up the battle scars that adorn these runway models. As if that wasn’t enough, because of timing in the fashion industry, it isn’t uncommon for models to be posing in spring/ summer looks in freezing temperatures or in winter garments in the middle of the summer heat. While posing in Antarctica for the 2013 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, Kate Upton reportedly suffered from frostbite. Telling The Today Show: “When I came back, I was losing hearing and eyesight because my body was shutting down, it was working so hard.”

Physical pain is not the only thing that models experience while on the job. Some models are asked to (overcome their fears and) pose with dangerous animals like, snakes, spiders, exotic cats, and even sharks. Which, to those who are extremely fearful of these creatures, can be just as painful as a sprained ankle. In 2012, Cara Delevingne posed with a tarantula over her right eye for the cover of i-D magazine and models Roberta Mancino and Hannah Fraser posed underwater with 30-foot whale sharks off the coast of Oslab in the Philippines. While these creatures are usually accompanied by a specialist and safety precautions are taken, the fear these models house is still prominent and something that must be overcome in order to get the shot.

Models may experience the worst of it, but society will always find a way to make “regular” women go through pain for fashion as well. We cringe from imagining the pain that corsets must have caused women in the 19th and early 20th centuries, yet we fall for the standard six-inch stiletto pumps, heavy designer bags and low-rise skinny jeans. We are always so quick to fall for the next trend without taking into account what they might be doing to our bodies.

Looking back, it doesn’t seem like women have learned much from their corset-wearing ancestors (who were most-likely just following an old trend). While they might be a little more educated in the serious side effects that certain fashions can cause, the need to fit in and be on trend trumps health risks and continues to be an issue amongst fashionistas everywhere in a never ending cycle xxx