Behind The Modeling Industry

Whenever we watch ultimately gorgeous models sashay down the runway or express extreme emotion in an editorial, we always look to them in awe with eyes popping out of their sockets and mouth open wide enough for a bee to enter and not even notice it. But what we do not know is that the modeling industry is probably one of the most difficult industries there is. Maybe even one of the filthiest. So, I wrote this article which reveals some modeling truths. As you read this, I need you to pretend you’re a Caucasian top model. Think of Sasha Pivovarova, Lily Donaldson or Jessica Stam. I want you to imagine you’re among them and I’ll take care of the rest. All ready? Let’s go!

Competition

It’s Go-See day. You’re running around Paris, New York, Milan or whatever fashion captial you choose. As you enter a designer’s store, ready to show your thing off to him/her, smiling widely to show off an extra spark, your smile suddenly turned into a smirk. You just saw (model name here), your toughest competition. Know that this girl doesn’t know you hate her and is the one whom you can’t really stand — the one whom you’d rather slap in public than walk the runway with. Unfortunately, you can’t do both because as a model you have to portray a good image. Back to the Go-See day, you see her leaving her regards to the designer as she is about to leave. At the sight of you, she smiles broadly and waves to you. You have no choice but to wave and smile back at her. The designer welcomes you and prepares you for your walk. That model waits for you, insisting you have coffee after you’ve done your thing. Again, you’re trapped, so you agree. After you’re done, you say goodbye and leave the shop smiling at each other but at the back of your mind, you want to strangle her with that belt on display. Oh God, you have to stand her for 30 minutes while you chatter and sip coffee.

Racism

I have to make you switch characters for this one. Now, imagine you’re a black model, once again on a hunt for a runway job for the fashion week is drawing near. You prepare yourself with a bright, cheery attitude to greet the designer but as you enter, the designer’s expression was the opposite as yours. He still prepared you though and let you walk. Afterwards, while waiting for the designer and say goodbye, you overheard him on the phone saying “You never told me she was black. I told you, I need Caucasian girls.”. At this, you were totally devastated but you hid it because you can hear the designer approaching. He tells you “You’re a very pretty girl. I love your walk but you’re not exactly what we’re looking for.”

Critics

Back to being a Caucasian now, imagine you’ve appeared in a dozen editorials. People go “Oohh..” and “Ahh..” as they see your photographs. However, one person notices something; your mouth is open in every single photograph there is! First, you don’t mind but as time passed, the issue spread like wildfire and whenever you appear at an editorial, people wouldn’t even bother praising your good work and would just go, “Ugh. Doesn’t she ever close her mouth?! She thinks it’s so pretty but it’s actually annoying!”

Downfall

  • Season: The season is over. Old trends are being dumped in a thrift shop as designers make way for a new one. But wait! Articles say blacks would rule the runway this season! No!!! What would happen to you?! You’re white and there’s no way you’re gonna beg on your knees just for people to hire you! You decided that because you’re good, designers would still be hiring you and you conclude that the articles you read were wrong. But come Go-See day, you only got booked for 15 fashion shows around the world compared to your record last season which was 25 fashion shows only in New York.
  • Overexposure: At only a year in the modeling industry, you can proudly say that you’ve been here, done that. I mean, in just a year you graced the covers of every fashion magazine there is at least once (you’ve appeared on Vogue US five times), opened and closed most major fashion shows during the Fashion Week, got booked for around 70 fashion shows around the globe and did around 20 editorials. What an achievement in a year! Proud as you may be, people are already getting tired of you. So are designers and photographers. Eventually, no one books you anymore.

See? Isn’t it hard to be a model? So, before you wish to be that girl on the runway or the one on that editorial, think first.