Different Types of Modeling

Overview of Modeling Divisions Now your first step in getting started is determining what kind of modeling is right for you. What most people don’t know is that there are many different divisions within the modeling industry and it is up to you to determine those that best suit your type. The divisions are- Fashion Editorial Catalogue Runway Fit Plus Size Commercial Print Showroom Parts 40 Plus Beauty Fitness Promotional Tradeshow The models in some of these divisions should meet certain requirements to be submitted for jobs, so you are going to want to be honest with yourself to see where you fit in… When I started modeling, I was already 22 years old and only 5 foot seven. I knew that my height and age would always be a struggle for me when competing with the other fashion and runway models that were all over 5’9. The first overseas contract I landed was in Tokyo, Japan where 5’7 was a competitive height. I spent 3 years traveling all over the Asian markets to build a fashion portfolio- then used that experience to model in the European market. By then I had a portfolio book full of tear sheets and could compete with other models despite my height. But when I got tired of traveling, I headed to NYC where I wanted to continue my career. There I found that at 5’7 I was more suited to be a commercial print model where there are no height requirements and models worked into their senior years. While I did still do fashion and runway work from time to time, I chose not to focus my energy there because at the end of the day- I just wanted to work. Instead of pounding the pavement for castings that I was not right for- I focused on those divisions in the modeling industry where height was not a requirement. This is not to say that occasionally someone like Kate Moss (who is only 5’7) doesn’t break through these barriers to continue a longstanding fashion career but this instance is fewer and far between. So be honest with yourself and pursue only those divisions ...