From: pcg@panix.com (Paul Gallagher)
Subject: Article about black models
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 23:44:08 GMT
Organization: PANIX Public Access Unix, NYC


Essence, April 1991 v21 n12 p7(7)

Title:       They shoot models, don't they? (what it takes to become a top
             model)

Author:     Gregory, Deborah




So you want to be a superstar model, smiling on the covers of glossy
magazines? Well, you'll need to have more than a pretty face and a great
shape! Here top Black models and agency insiders tell what it takes to make
it.

In the office of Bethann Management Co. in New York City, the phones are
ringing off the hook. Bethann Hardison, owner of this downtown model agency,
is twirling her dreadlocks while on the phone: "Lor, come on now, stop
pretending you're too sick to make the booking!" Turns out Lor (of the famous
Lor-Tensia and Dor-Tensia identical-twins duo) is sick as a dog. She just got
back from a print job in Mexico and couldn't crawl on another plane if you
paid her a couple of thousand dollars (which is precisely what this missed job
in Florida is paying). Hardison, herself a retired "diva" model, hangs up the
phone and shakes her head: "When I was in this business everything was shot in
one place. Now you have to run to Florida for a one-day booking, then to
California for another two. It ain't easy getting on that plane just to make
some money!"

Suddenly one of the bookers jumps up and pulls at her 'fro in frustration: "I
do not believe this. How can a client ask for a Black model, then turn one
down 'cause she's too black?"

"Ooh, child, you know what that means, she don't want no Negroid features, she
wants that refined look," drawls Hardison while sucking in her cheekbones and
posing like a mannequin. Welcome to the glamorous world of modeling.

MODEL, MODEL ON THE WALL

On the walls of Elite Model Management in New York, one of the largest
agencies in the world, are rows and rows of framed magazine covers featuring
their superstar models, almost all of them white. As a matter of fact, out of
the 200 or so models they represent, only 14 are Black--and that includes both
Iman and Naomi Campbell. At the Ford Model Agency the numbers don't get any
better--8 out of 180. "For every Black model who breaks into the business this
year, thousands will be turned down by the agencies," says Dee
Simmons-Edelstein, director of the Black-owned Grace Del Marco Agency in New
York. Think you have what it takes to break into modeling against such stiff
odds for Black women? While having legs like Tina Turner's, being taller than
all your girlfriends and possessing a face that stops folks in their tracks is
a good start, it takes a lot more than that to be cover-girl material. For
starters, you must be photogenic. Rosmarie Chalem, director of the women's
division at the Zoli Model Agency, New York, points out: "A girl could walk in
and she's dropdead gorgeous but in the photo she comes across like a big
pancake--her features are flat, there's no life in her face. Then another girl
comes in and she's average but she photographs fantastically--her cheekbones
jump off the page, her eyes are brilliant, her smile is exceptional."

"To get an idea if you have a face the camera will love, start studying yours
in the mirror," advises Bryan Duroche, an agent at Click Model Management in
New York. "Are your eyes close together or far apart? Wide-set ones are best.
Are both sides of your face the same, or is one side bigger than the other?
The camera is kinder to a face with equal proportions." What's the shape of
your face? If it's square or oval, you've got a better chance; long ones don't
photograph well. Do your cheekbones come off chiseled when photographed?
Fullness around the cheeks (which has nothing to do with weight) won't cut it.
And if you get a nice little triangular shape to your jawline when you smile,
you may just be "Click" perfect!

TURNING HEADS IS NOT ENOUGH

"Agencies and clients want to work with models who are reliable, dedicated
and, above all, extremely professional," says Simmons-Edelstein. The girls who
bring the "party" to work and continue it once they leave don't last in this
business. This brings us to another modeling must: high energy and the stamina
of a professional athlete. Prefer livin' easy as opposed to hard work? Then
you'll be much happier modeling in church fashion shows and looking into
another career! Equally important is an extroverted and confident personality.
"If you don't love being the center of attention, this demanding profession is
not for you," explains Susan Jirovec, executive director of Plus Models, New
York. Last but not least, you've got to be able to sell! Model-on-the-rise
Karla Otis says, "You have to project total confidence when you walk into that
go-see. A client wants to feel you know exactly what you are doing. After all,
you are selling their products--not yours!"

HOOK THEM WITH A LOOK

Some looks are hotter than hot right now: Superstar model Naomi Campbell (on
the cover), with her 40-plus wig collection and flawfless bronze skills,
reigns supreme as the glamour girl of the moment--and she's got an annual
income of around $1 million to prove it. Then at the other end of the spectrum
is Kara Young. Her light-skinned beauty and "sweet' sophistication landed her
on the cover of Vogue; she rakes in a cool half million a year. At Wilhelmina
Models, Inc., in New York, Gina Verderese, assistant director of the women's
division, pulls out the photos of the two new Black teenage models (bringing
their Black model count to 12 out of 124) signed this year: One is a
beautifully brown Jamaican sister wearing a "Naomi" bob, the other a
gorgeously yellow "sweet" green-eyed beauty. Verderese explains, "Trudy and
Yvonna represent two very hot trends in Black models right now--either
strongly African or very `mixed'-looking with light eyes and light hair."

But while agencies scramble for wigged Naomis and sweet Kara lookalikes (run,
don't walk, to the agencies if you fill the bill!), a sister with a dignified
look all her own has strolled into the business. Twenty-two-year-old Roshumba,
sporting a close-cropped natural, rocketed to top-ten Black-model status
within three years in the late 1980's. Now she'd rather fight than switch: "I
got booked for an ad and they told me to bring some wigs. I showed up without
them and told the photographer, `Either shoot me with my 'fro or we don't do
it,'" Roshumba says, laughing--all the way to the bank with her $250,000
yearly income.

WHICH MARKET IS FOR YOU?

Editorial pages of top fashion magazines determine which models (Black and
white) will rise to the top. While the pay in editorial modeling is small
compared with advertising, being seen in magazines increases a model's chance
for more lucrative bookings. Fashion-oriented model agencies won't touch a new
girl who's under five feet nine or more than 21 years of age--or who isn't
"diva" material. Ideal measurements: 34-24-35. (And not an inch more on those
hips!) Because Black models don't get multimillion-dollar cosmetics campaigns,
the income of a top Black model is always less than that of her white
counterpart. Nonetheless, superstar model Gail O'Neill is still raking in the
serious coins--$1 million annually.

Runway. These models bring home the bacon with their perfect poise, slim hips,
broad shoulders and drop-dead style. On the catwalk, any look goes--if it
works. "One season the designers are mad for the `weave' girls, the next for
the African girls with boyish fades," laughs Oscar Reyes, a model agent at
Elite.

Got something unique about your look? Then the runways of the world are your
arena. But remember, there are no catwalk superstars under five feet nine or
with 37-inch hips--agencies and designers have no qualms about walking up to a
girl with a measuring tape! Some good news for us: Black runway models can
earn as much annually as their white counterparts--"about $150,000 to $300,000
a year--if they do all the markets [London, Milan, Paris, New York, Tokyo],"
says Robin Deal, assistant director of Mannequin IMG Models in New York. Some
of the Black models designers can't get enough of: Sonia Cole (an American
living in Paris), Rebecca Ayoko and Katoucha, who live in Paris, New
York-based Aria, Lu Celania Sierra and Coco Mitchell. Very hot on the current
scene: six-foot-tall Sebastian from California who took over Paris runways
with her fabulous androgynous appeal. Print, catalog. Here models who exude an
"all-American" type of Black beauty--nice white teeth and a fresh, healthy
appeal--go far. The real deal, according to Verderese: "There are still
catalogs that won't book Black models--they're stuck inthat white-bread mold!"
Seasoned catalog models like Wanakee and Akure still manage to pull in more
than $100,000 a year.

Commercial print. One of the best-kept secrets of the business. Black women
from age 18 to those with senior-citizen discounts can get in on this action,
posing for anything from fast-food chain ads to corporate brochures. Agencies
such as McDonald Richards, Inc., in New York have a large ethnic division
(Black, Latin, Asian) that's "extremely lucrative," says president Arthur
Bronfin. The look that sells here? Housewife, girl next door or working woman.
Requirements: five feet seven to five feet ten inches (no taller), good skin,
good teeth, dress size 6 to 10 and neat hair. "Forget that wild stuff. That's
not for us!" laughs Bronfin. The fresh face in demand: Debbie Corbin, who
earns $80,000 a year. Don't you deserve a break today? Within this category is
body-parts modeling, still a mainly white domain. Models with great legs, feet
and hands cash in on their bonus assets. These girls, however, all come from
the regular ranks of the agency. Agencies aren't interested in models who have
only one salable feature.

Large-size. A growing industry--but this doesn't mean you can grow, too! "If
you come in at one size you have to stay that size!" states T. Zazzera,
director of special markets at the Ford Model Agency. What the market
considers large, however, ain't all that large to us. "Ninety percent of the
print work (mostly catalog) goes to girls size 12 (36-26-37/38) or 14
(39-29-39/41) who are five feet nine to five feet eleven. Fitting models can
be anywhere from a size 12 to a 20, with a size 18 being a model five feet six
with 45-35-45 measurements." Not all big, beautiful women are created equal,
however. Top full-size model Peggy Dillard explains, "A white model's income
can go into six figures simply because she gets the catalog work for the
European market and Black models don't. The top for a Black girl would be
between $50,000 and $60,000." Hard facts: "The market for Black large-size
models is saturated with girls in their late twenties or early thirties,"
claims Zazzera. "There is only one void, and that's for junior-looking models
ages 16 to 21."

Petite. These models make up the smallest segment of the business, and there
are no "stars" in the petite market. What you'll need to be: five foot three
to five foot eight (yes, that's considered petite!), dress size 4 to 6 and
shoe size 6.

Older women. Agencies have opened new divisions to accommodate the demand for
so-called older women. (In modeling, once you're over 30, it's time to make a
reservation at a geriatric work home!) The only catch-22 here is getting
started. Agencies won't take on women who aren't already experienced models.
"But there isn't a spectacular-looking Black woman in her fifties with
salt-and-pepper hair in the market," says Zazzera. "I think someone like that
could come into the business and make some money." Top over-30 beauties Jany
Tomba and Gay Thomas both earn in the $50,000-per-year bracket.

TV commercials. These can be very lucrative. "Some models make as much as
$20,000 off one commercial," says Sue King, an agent at J. Michael Bloom and
Associates. The range is enormous: "We get calls with requests that range from
someone `model beautiful' to `pretty and bubbly' to `streety,'" says Sheryl
Abrams, another agent at Bloom. Model-actress Naima Hazelton's face is in big
demand not only because she's pretty but also because she has the ability to
"blend into the background," says Hazelton. "There are no stars in TV
commercials--clients won't book you if your face is too recognized from being
linked to another product."

HOW TO GET YOUR SLENDER FOOT IN THE DOOR

One morning at the open call at Elite, eight girls (four Black) are sitting in
the waiting area. They've filled out the applications and are nervously
waiting to be called on. Rule number one: Relax and exude confidence. Robin
Jones, the agency's scouting director, comes out and says to the first girl:
"I'm sorry, but we don't take girls under five feet nine or over 21." Rule
number two: Call the agency first for their requirements. Jones takes the
second girl into the back. Before the beauty, who is half-Black, half-Swedish,
hands over her portfolio to Jones, she says, "I thought I'd just come and
check it out." Rule number three: Be enthusiastic--and keep in mind that, as
Jones says, "We receive about 300 photos a week in the mail from wannabe
models, and I sometimes see 40 girls a day during open interviews--very few of
them get signed." Get the picture? Meditate, pray--do whatever you have to do
to get positive before you embark on this path.

The third girl Jones brings back is a light-skinned sister wearing white
frosted lipstick, heavy black eyeliner, beige pumps and black leather pants.
Jones quickly flips through her pictures before telling her she's a little too
sophisticated. When the girl leaves, Jones adds, "I should have told her she
was heavy, too!" Rules four, five and six: Don't go near an agency before you
get out that tape measure--any trained agent can guess the size of your hips
to within an inch. Dress simply--and youthfully. Skip the heels. If you've got
great legs, flaunt them by wearing a short skirt. "And forget the
sixties-looking eyeliner--muted makeup is best for your open interview. Agents
are interested in seeing the natural you," advises Simmons-Edelstein.

Rule number seven: Hit every agency in town, no matter how big or small. Says
top model Karen Alexander, "I got turned down by every agency in New York
except for this little start-up one called Legends that's not even around
anymore."

CLICKS THAT COUNT

Don't waste your money getting professional photos to show a fashion modeling
agency. "Two simple snapshots will do," states Robin Jones, "one that's head
on to see how your facial features photograph, and one that shows off your
body--a bathing-suit shot is good."

So don't spend thousands on a portfolio. Verderese says, "When Trudy walked in
she had one snapshot. I knew from looking at her and at the picture that she
was utterly fabulous. If an agency is interested, they'll send you out for
testings with reputable photographers." The cost to you? "From zero to $150,"
says Verderese. Remember, getting into an agency is just the beginning. You'll
spend six months to a year building a portfolio by doing tests.

LET YOUR FINGERS DO THE WALKING

To find a listing of all the agencies in your area, look under "model
agencies" in your local Yellow Pages. For a more in-depth listing of agencies
around the world, get a copy of the International Directory of Model and
Talent Agencies and Schools. For information, call (212) 688-7940 or (800)
223-1254 outside New York City. The Modeling Handbook by Eve Matheson (Henry
Holt and Company, $9.95) is a must for information on the various modeling
markets both here and abroad. Make sure to check out as well her listing of
model contests and model conventions. For a crash course in everything from
beauty basics to getting down to business, make a worthwhile investment by
buying Model: The Complete Guide to Becoming a Professional Model by Marie P.
Anderson (Doubleday, $17.95).

HAIR TODAY, GONE TOMORROW

To weave or not to weave? That is the question on so many Black models' minds.
"And it's not because they want to look white," explains Hardison, "but
because their hair gets damaged from all the abuse heaped on it by
hairdressers." One solution: Going short--which happens to be the hottest hair
trend, anyway. Karla Otis says, "Wavy weaves still linger on--but short hair
is `in' now. When I started in this business I thought my long hair was an
asset--but most hairdressers didn't know what to do with our hair!" Roshumba
opted for her short natural for much the same reasons: "When I first got to
Paris I had shoulder-length hair, but I couldn't stand anybody pulling at it
so I cut it off!"

Before you run out and get some wild creation, keep these guidelines in mind:
"Forget about dreadlocks, corn rows and braids that show," advises Hardison.
She gives a very famous example of a model look gone awry: "Veronica Webb
started out with me and she had this great short style. Then she put braid
extensions in her hair. Man, you've never seen anybody's work drop off so
drastically!" What's best in the beginning? "Keep your hair simple," advises
Jirovec. "I had this adorable Black girl come in with a weave down to her
butt. I told her she would have to cut it off. Needless to say, she was very
upset because she'd just spent six hours getting it put in the day before!"

PUT YOUR BEST FACE FORWARD

"It is an unspoken rule of the business that Black models must bring their own
foundation and powder to work," laughs Coco Mitchell. Dor-Tensia adds, "You'd
better if you don't want to end up looking ashy--or greasy!" To protect your
skin from drying out in the winter, Mitchell suggests "keeping a humidifier in
your bedroom--but only in the States. In Europe they don't give you any heat,
so you'd better sleep with your coat on--and a hat on your head!"

Still want to lead the glamorous life? If you think you've got what it takes
after reading this, then go ahead, strut your stuff, and don't forget to say
cheese!

Deborah Gregory headed for Paris in 1980 to pursue a life on the ramps. Armed
with $1,000 and an inexhaustible supply of vitamin pills, she landed with Cosa
Nostra Model Agency in Paris and Why Not in Milan. The former model is now
gratefully employed as a senior associate writer at a women's service magazine
where the only "traveling" required is from her cluttered desk to the Xerox
machine down the hall. Her girl-about-town features can also be seen in US
magazine.

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