Posture advice for models by Neon Models

For models, posture is critical. Posture affects how you come across, how healthy you look and how your clothing is displayed. Posture is an all over body thing, it’s not simply about a high head and straight back – though that’s a good place to start!

Posture advice for models

Most people think posture just means standing up poker straight, stick your chest out and look straight ahead. But it’s not as simple as that.

Body balance

The first thing to check is whether your body is balanced and straight. Stand in front of a mirror, with a straight vertical indicator behind you, such as a pole or doorframe. Does your head lean slightly to one side? Are your shoulders even? If not, try to get everything even and see how it feels. The first step is becoming aware of your posture, and where there may be imbalances. Once you’ve indentified areas for improvement, you can start to make corrections.

Of course this doesn’t mean that when you’re working as a model, you’ll never pose at an angle – but a model should be a blank canvas, and any angles should be deliberate, not ingrained. This is particularly important for catwalk models.

Height and Lift

‘Stand up straight!’ Well, yes, good posture is about standing up straight – but people often strain to stand up straight by stretching their neck, arching their back and even going on tip toes. To get a real natural lift, and gain the most benefit of standing up straight, you need to think whole body. Start with your legs, make sure your standing foundation is firm, with an event weight on both feet. Legs should be straight but not locked. Them rather than focussing on the spine, think more about the chest. Take a deep breath and feel your body lift and tyour spine extend as you do so. Make sure your heas is light on your neck, and isn’t leaning forward. Finally, ensure your chin is straight out (not up or down). Standing up straight in this way will give you natural even distribution of body weight and restore the natural curvature of the spine

Relax

One of the most common problems when attempting to improve posture, is that people get really tense and stiff – which is completely counter-productive. To combat this, give your arms and legs a shake out to make sure you’re not holding any tension, and take a few deep breaths. If you notice any particular areas of tension, focus on gently relaxing them. Another problem with tension is that it affects the balance and lift of your posture. For example, if one side of your neck has knots in it, your head will lean towards that side.

If you follow these steps, you’ll give yourself a much better chance of success in the modelling industry. To find out more, register on our website.

How Much Do Models Earn

This is a difficult question to answer and it’s tempting to say – how long is a piece of string? But of course, there are some guidelines and rules of thumb that we can apply to give a rough idea of how much models might earn.

At the lower end, you have your models who are just starting out. They are trying to make a name for themselves, so they’ll probably earn just over minimum wage, and they won’t get work more than a couple of times a month, while they’re building their portfolio.

Once the new model has become a bit more established, then they will start getting more regular work and can start commanding a higher fee. At this point, it makes a big difference what type of modelling the model wants to do, and how often they are willing and able to work. 

For example, if the model is suitable for high fashion shows (i.e. they meet the strict height requirements), then they could earn £500 - £1000 for a single weekend. If they are willing and able to work at shows every weekend, then they could earn between £2000 - £4000 per month. Of course, fashion shows aren’t thick and fast all year round, so this wouldn’t be sustainable all the time.

However, catalogue and commercial modelling is much more reliable and jobs are more numerous. This kind of work is also open to models with more gentle or classic looks. Commercial photo shoots could pay anything from £200 - £500 per day and may last from one to five days, or even more. This work can get tiring, but it’s a good way for a model to earn a regular income.

And of course at the very top end are the supermodels. These are the few and far between who have been lucky enough to become recognised household names. If you reach this status, then the sky’s the limit and you can commend extremely high fees and work as little or as often as you want!

Modelling jobs are waiting for you!

Register with Neon Models!

Modelling Myths

Modelling is a glamorous industry that many people dream about. As such, it is surrounded by a fair share of urban myths and legends. Here we demystify some of the more common ones, getting down to the truth of the matter.

Models can be divas

Most of us have heard the stories of the bad behaviour of models, such as Naomi Cambell’s violence and Kate Moss’s drug use, but if you think that is the norm for professional models, think again. The vast majority of models need to be consummate professionals and that means being charming and reliable to clients and agents, and taking care of their bodies. To make it as a model you need to have perfect skin and hair and a healthy body, so no partying or sunbathing allowed!

Models are usually discovered just hanging around the shopping centre

It’s true that there are always model scouts looking for new faces for the major modelling agencies, but you’ll be waiting a long time if you just hang around on town centre benches pouting. Thousands of girls (ad guys) are aspiring to be models at any given time, and modelling agencies are inundated with submissions of photos and stats.

All models make a lot of money

Certainly, the top supermodels and fashion models can make extremely large amounts of money from modelling advertising campaigns for the big brands, but modelling work is not always well paid to begin with nor is it regular. Many models can only work part time to begin with, as they build up their portfolio and reputation and start to get regular modelling work.

All models have to be skinny

It’s true, slender people will have a better chance of getting modelling work, but the industry is slowly moving away from the waif, skeletal ideal of models and hiring more ‘normal’ sizes and shapes. In reality, this ‘normal’ is still much slimmer than the real normal (the average size of a woman in the UK is 12 – 16, which is considered plus-size in the modelling industry),  but it means slim and healthy us preferable to skinny. Also, even if you are over a size 12, there may be modelling work available with a more specialist agency.

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Erykah Badu - the new face of Givenchy

Neon Models has learned that Riccardo Tisci, the creative director of Givenchy, has described the singer / actress / model as his ‘dream icon’ and put her at the front of the fashion house’s new campaign.

With race a central debate in the fashion industry at the moment, with non-whites being under-represented in relation to their proportion of society, in all areas from to modelling and design to cultural fashion influences, the appointment of Badu is being praised widely.

 

Tisci has long been in favour of diversity in his shows, and Badu’s clear association with African American identity, with her signature colourful headwraps and proud afro hair further supports this aim.

Badu’s career was launched back in 1997 with her debut album Baduizm, which enjoyed both critical and popular success.
In her youth, Badu changed the spelling of her first name from Erica to Erykah, because she said she believed her original name was a ‘slave’ name and the term ‘kah’ signifies her inner self.

Givenchy is one of the longest established Paris fashion houses and is known for blazing a trail into diversity and modernity, being the first label to feature a transsexual model in 2010.

Inspired by Erykah Badu success? Think you could do it better? Then register with Neon Models today!

Marine Vacth – France’s New Muse

Marine Vacth is not a new face in the fashion industry, as she her delicate features and huge blue eyes have seen her starring in campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent and Luois Vuitton, among others. But now the 22 year old French model is launching her acting career with the lead rols in Francois Ozon’s new film, Jeune et Jolie, which translates as Young and Beautiful.

The film is about a teenage girl who voluntarily decides to take up prostitution as a career told in four seasons and four songs. She lies about her age to rich older men, and hides it from her parents and friends, until an unexpected event forces her to face the real world.

Vacth has already been compared to several legendary French actresses, such as Marion Cotillard and Brigitte Bardot, but she is quick to brush off any ego-building, saying she is flattered, but she is only at the beginning of her career and just wants to take it one day at a time.

Another steamy French film has been released this week to high critical acclaim – Blue is the Warmest Colour a love story between two women, which explores in intimate detail the journey of first love.

Inspired by Marine Vacth's modelling success? Think you could do it better? Then register with Neon Models today!