Showing posts with label business of modeling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business of modeling. Show all posts

Sunday, September 29, 2019

The Business of Modeling: Money, Money, Money


“Coco Rocha, a model who has a management and ownership stake in Nomad Mgmt Modeling Agency and has served as brand director, works with models to help them develop strategies for their careers. She spoke to WWD about the lack of financial transparency in the modeling industry.

The bottom line? Models needs to read their contracts carefully and take the time to understand what they are signing.”  Lisa Lockwood, WWD


The business of modeling is just that: a business.  Supermodel Coco Rocha has evolved her career into sharing her expertise with new models both in front of the camera and on the business side of a model’s career. Her Coco Rocha Model Camp not only teaches models how to pose and model creatively, she also shares her knowledge of the enormous role social media now plays in a modeling today, and how to treat a modeling career as a business.  Agencies all over the world have had decades of developing a system by which a model is never fully aware of her earnings, debts to the agency for expenses, claimable taxes, or what the model’s rights and responsibilities truly are.  It is intentional and often models are made to feel that it will affect their work prospects if they ask for clear accounting on a regular basis, and in most cases the only explanation of accounting is in the initial contract a model signs when they agree to representation by an agency.  The onus falls on the model, often a teenager, to either agree to how the system operates, or to step back and reconsider working with the agency.  It isn’t right and without the industry taking a strong stand on clear accounting practices, it is up to the model to be informed, educated, and where possible well-advised by an independent accountant or lawyer. Getting paid for work and having receipts for expenses is tougher than you think in modeling, not to mention having everything needed for tax preparation.  No one, including legendary supermodels has escaped this complicated system unscathed, and Coco is seeking to inform models by explaining how it currently works and how to protect themselves as best they can.  In many cases agencies are not the cause of a delay in payment but a client that has not paid the agency.  Agencies bill on behalf of the model and often spend time and resources chasing payment themselves.  Of course this delay is past along to the model. Modeling is a business and being just a beautiful, talented model in front of the camera isn’t enough. Coco answers questions about financial responsibility, both on the side of the agent and model, and gives advice for managing this aspect of a model's career in her interview with Lisa Lockwood for WWD:





                                                                XOXO  Shelley



#businessofmodeling #howtogetintomodeling #modelingcontracts #howdomodelsgetpaid #modelingagenciesaccountingpractices #cocorocha #cocorochamodelcamp #modelingcareer #facethis.blogspot.com #ShelleyGoodstein

Saturday, August 10, 2019

Modeling Industry Leaders Call on Victoria's Secret to Join the RESPECT Program to Protect Models


BREAKING NEWS:

The Model Alliance has penned an open letter to Victoria’s Secret and its CEO John Mehas urging them to join the RESPECT Program and to commit to protecting models from predatory behavior and sexual misconduct.  Connection between alleged sex trafficker Jeffery Epstein and L Brands CEO Leslie Wexner, along with allegations of sexual assault naming several renowned VS photographers prompted the letter which has been signed by over one hundred models and industry powerhouses including editors and photographers.  To be clear, models have every right to expect fair treatment by everyone in the industry, to be safe, to be protected by those responsible for their careers, and to be given respect.  These are not just model issues, but human rights issues.   



Read the letter here, and follow the links below to see news coverage:

Model Alliance & TIME'S UP Call on Victoria's Secret to join the RESPECT Program

On Tuesday, the Model Alliance issued an open letter calling on Victoria’s Secret to protect its models and aspiring models from sexual misconduct by joining the RESPECT Program.

The letter came in response to multiple allegations of predatory behavior by Victoria's Secret-affiliated photographers Timur Emek, David Bellemere and Greg Kadel, and a recent article in the New York Times about the link between L Brands’ CEO Leslie Wexner and alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who reportedly lured and abused vulnerable girls by posing as a talent scout for Victoria's Secret.

Together, with over 100 models — including Christy Turlington Burns, Edie Campbell, Karen Elson, Milla Jovovich, Doutzen Kroes, Iskra Lawrence, Carolyn Murphy, Lyndsey Scott, and Gemma Ward—as well as industry supporters, photographers Inez and Vinoodh and former Glamour editor-in-chief Cindi Leive, and TIME'S UP, we urged Victoria’s Secret CEO John Mehas to take meaningful steps to remedy the situation and work towards prevention by joining the RESPECT Program — the only existing anti-sexual harassment program designed by and for models.

We are hopeful that Victoria's Secret will take these issues seriously, and use its power and influence to help address these concerns that have plagued the industry for far too long. We believe that if Victoria's Secret were to take a stand against these abuses and commit to meaningful change by joining the RESPECT Program, this would go a long way in helping our industry chart a new path forward. 

Since the release of the letter, many media outlets have covered our collective call to action. Please find links to some of the press coverage below.

Thank you for your support and belief that industry leaders like Victoria's Secret can and must do better by the modeling talent they rely on. We are grateful for your continued support.

Sincerely,

The Model Alliance Team


#Time4RESPECT



John Mehas, CEO
Victoria's Secret LLC
Three Limited Parkway
Columbus, Ohio 43230

Dear Mr. Mehas,

We are writing today to express our concern for the safety and wellbeing of the models and young women who aspire to model for Victoria’s Secret. In the past few weeks, we have heard numerous allegations of sexual assault, alleged rape, and sex trafficking of models and aspiring models. While these allegations may not have been aimed at Victoria's Secret directly, it is clear that your company has a crucial role to play in remedying the situation.  From the headlines about L Brands CEO Leslie Wexner’s close friend and associate, Jeffrey Epstein, to the allegations of sexual misconduct by photographers Timur Emek, David Bellemere, and Greg Kadel, it is deeply disturbing that these men appear to have leveraged their working relationships with Victoria’s Secret to lure and abuse vulnerable girls.
These stories are gut-wrenching and hit close to home for many of us who have encountered these kinds of abuses that are too often tolerated in our industry. We stand with the courageous women who have come forward and shared their stories, despite fears of retaliation or harm to their careers. It breaks our hearts to keep hearing these stories. We can and must do better. It is time for RESPECT.

The RESPECT Program—a program of the Model Alliance—is the only existing anti-sexual harassment program designed by and for models. Signatory companies make a binding commitment to require their employees, agents, vendors, photographers and other contractors to follow a code of conduct that protects everyone’s safety on the job, and reduces models’ vulnerability to mistreatment. Models have access to an independent, confidential complaint mechanism, with swift and fair resolution of complaints and appropriate consequences for abusers. Further, RESPECT includes a robust training program aimed toward prevention, to ensure that everyone understands their rights and responsibilities.

We are calling on Victoria’s Secret to take meaningful action to protect its talent and those who aspire to work with the company. Victoria’s Secret has the opportunity to be a leader, to use its power and influence to bring about the changes that are urgently needed in our industry. Every day, fashion brands, publishing companies, and agencies set the norms of what’s acceptable and what’s not in fashion. If Victoria’s Secret were to take a stand against these abuses and commit to meaningful change by joining the RESPECT Program, this would go a long way in helping our industry chart a new path forward.

Victoria’s Secret, change can start with you.  Together, we can lead the industry to RESPECT.  Join us.

Sincerely,
Model Alliance



                                                               XOXO Shelley

#businessofmodeling  #timesup  #modelalliance #modelsrights #sexualassaultinmodelingindustry #modelingindustrynews #victoriassecret #jeffreyepstein
#facethis.blogspot.com #ShelleyGoodstein











Monday, July 8, 2019

Business of Modeling: California Passes Talent Protections Act For Models and Entertainers

  

Sexual harassment and eating disorders will no longer be considered an acceptable part of the fashion and entertainment industry in California.  The Model Alliance worked with State Assembly Marc Levine to develop a new law requiring agencies to provide educational materials and resources to models and talent to teach them about sexual harassment and retaliation, and information on nutrition and healthy eating habits to avoid eating disorders. Parents of underage models will be required to receive training as well.  Giving models and talent the tools they need to empower them in their careers, the Model Alliance advocates for all models working in the USA.  


In 2018, the Model Alliance successfully championed the Talent Protections Act, which now requires talent agencies in California to provide educational materials on sexual harassment and eating disorders to their talent. Further, underage artists and their parents or legal guardians are required to complete training in sexual harassment prevention, retaliation, and reporting. 

How the Talent Protections Act Became Law

Beginning in 2016, the Model Alliance worked closely with Assembly Member Marc Levine to develop the Talent Protections Act. This legislation was informed by models’ testimony on sexual harassment and unhealthy dieting norms in the fashion industry, a survey conducted by the Model Alliance regarding models’ experiences of sexual harassment on the job, as well as data collected by the Model Alliance alongside researchers from Harvard University and Northeastern University in the largest research study to date on the prevalence of eating disorders in the modeling industry, published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders. The Model Alliance collaborated with Assembly Member Levine to ensure models’ lived experiences were taken seriously in the creation of the Talent Protections Act and to call for its support. 

On September 30, 2018, Governor Jerry Brown signed the Talent Protections Act into law. The Act took effect in January 2019.

Protections Under the New Law

The Talent Protections Act requires talent agencies to provide educational materials on sexual harassment prevention to their artists. Additionally, agencies must provide educational materials regarding eating disorders and nutrition to adult models. The Act also requires training in sexual harassment prevention, retaliation, and reporting resources for underage artists and their parent or legal guardian. The training must be administered by a third-party vendor approved by the California Labor Commissioner prior to obtaining an entertainment work permit in California.


Learn more about the Talent Protections Act (AB2338): Model Alliance


WWD Report:  WWD

                                                         XOXO Shelley



#talentprotectionsact #sexualharassmentinmodelingindustry  #eatingdisordersinmodelingindustry #modelalliance #businessofmodeling #facethis.blogspot.com #ShelleyGoodstein

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

New Minimum Age Restrictions For Models Declared

Modeling Newsflash: Industry Powerhouse Luxury Brand Owner Kering Declares New Hiring Age Minimum of 18 for All Its Labels


Gucci Runway via Vogue.com Photo by Getty Images

Today’s announcement that Kering, the luxury group behind Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga, among others, will only hire models over 18 to represent adults on its runway shows and photo shoots could change all of that. As one of the most powerful forces in the industry, Kering has the ability to enact change at a scale few can match, something its chairman and CEO, François-Henri Pinault, acknowledges. “As a global luxury group, we are conscious of the influence exerted on younger generations in particular by the images produced by our Houses,” he said in a statement. “We believe that we have a responsibility to put forward the best possible practices in the luxury sector and we hope to create a movement that will encourage others to follow suit.”


Read the full report on Vogue.com 

                                                               XOXO Shelley

#businessofmodeling #modelingindustrynews #Keringnounderagemodels #minimumageformodels #teenmodels #underagemodels #modelingindustryagerestrictions #facethis.blogspot.com #ShelleyGoodstein

Saturday, September 8, 2018

This Year’s Model Uniform Gets a Chic Update:


New York Fashion Week kicked into high gear with a flurry of back to back castings for the world’s busiest models running here and there trying to fit it all in.  Gorgeous models were bombarded by paparazzi as they paraded into the Victoria’s Secret casting, long legs with long strides, confident smiles, and looking every bit like VS stars.  Even models who have booked the show in the past have to do the casting each year to prove they are still in peak condition and able to bring their A game.  Newbies have to beam star power if they want to stand out and be noticed.  Props to these models for going for it and putting their best foot forward when they are up against supermodels, all vying for a spot on the VS runway.  







Fashion week castings are an endurance test but that doesn’t mean the models can scrimp on personal style.  This year’s trend is much more dressed up than in years past with the models wearing chic blouses, shorts, mini skirts and off the shoulder looks.  Strappy high heels and booties are a model-must-have for castings and show off the legs.  Most models stick to black and white styles, denim, and leather.  Adding a bold color guarantees she won’t go unnoticed. This year’s purses tend to be small with a shoulder strap.  The model uniform this season is classic and strong with an emphasis on a more sophisticated look than we have seen in the past, as the models up their game, proving they are the right choice for designers to represent their brands.  











New faces and model hopefuls can learn a lot from these pros on how to dress to approach agencies, to go on castings, and to present their own “brand’ in the best possible light.  Great hair and very light makeup are all you need to finish off the look.  Look like a pro and they will know you are treating your modeling aspirations as the business that it is.  Fake it until you make it.  Show you belong in the business and have respect for the professionals with whom you wish to work.  










 Good luck girls! We hope to see you on the runaway! 

                 
                                                            XOXO Shelley


#NYFWcastings #modeluniform #VScasting #SS2019shows #businessofmodeling #modelcastings #NewYorkFashionWeek #newfacesmodels #facethis.blogspot.com #ShelleyGoodstein 

Friday, August 17, 2018

Teen Models: How Young Is Too Young?


The modeling and fashion industries are in the process of redefining standards of employment and treatment of models, due in part to the #MeToo movement, and frankly, it’s about time.  Now that power players like Conde Nast are creating employment and work standards that address the imbalance of power and abuse of models the rest of the industry is beginning, however slowly, to wake up and get on board.  


Vogue has gone as far as to take a stance on the use of models under the age of eighteen and is throwing it’s powerhouse weight into the equation to affect change, declaring that all models appearing in Vogue editorials be eighteen or over, that the model will have the right to express their approval over poses and styling, and that the models will not be left alone with a single person while on set.  Conde Nast also has a code of conduct that applies to every person on set that is a condition of employment with their magazines.  Finally, some protection for models, young or not so young, giving them a voice and security while working. 





I spoke to a few of my friends who modeled both in NYC abroad during the nineties and into the 2000’s and their experiences over time and location demonstrate that modeling as a teenager is just as volatile now for current models as it was then.  They recount stories of girls as young as fourteen sent to Tokyo to model for months at a time without a parental chaperone, girls aged fifteen and sixteen modeling in Paris and throughout Europe without completing tenth grade and without proper funds to support them leaving them very vulnerable to exploitation.  Models under eighteen have not finished growing or maturing and are not ready physically or emotionally to handle the pressures of the industry.  Bodies and faces change during these teen years and a super tall, willowy girl could find herself in hot demand doing shows for free or in for exchange clothes one minute, and thrown aside and forgotten the next minute when she develops any slight curves at all.  Having an understanding of the business aspects of the industry is rarely possible for any new model and agencies are not always forth-coming with the necessary advice and information to help models make informed decisions.  


There is a place for models under eighteen years old in the industry at a more local level so that  they can continue and finish school, learn about the business through regional print work and fashion shows, to practice in front of the camera, and most of all the gain maturity and finish growing into their adult body and face.  Local mother agents and agencies are able to spend time developing these new faces so that by age eighteen they are mature enough to handle all the things the industry will throw at them, good and bad.  Time to grow a bit of a thicker skin and have a better sense of self in order to stand up for themselves and deal with rejection.  There doesn’t need to be this sense of urgency that a model needs to have established her career by sixteen or seventeen.  Those who peak early are often the ones to disappear or burn out before they are out of their teen years.  A model needs to be able to make the most of the experience and benefit through the opportunities modeling can provide such as traveling to other countries, working with amazing creative people, and developing her own identity, both for herself and her brand.



There is so much to be done to protect models internationally to improve working conditions, and Vogue’s firm stance on underage models is a great step forward in affecting change industry wide, including the fashion and beauty industries and their own hiring and work practices.  Vogue no longer wants to be a part of the exploitation of teenage models and is pushing the fashion universe to adopt the same level of integrity.  Step by step the modeling world is catching up in labor rights but there is still such a long way to go.  Thankfully Vogue is taking the position of leader in bring the business up to acceptable standards. 

                                                               XOXO Shelley

#businessofmodeling #modelsrights  #underagemodelscontroversy #teenmodelstooyoung #minimumageformodels #facethis.blogspot.com #ShelleyGoodstein 

Monday, August 6, 2018

A Model’s Secret - How To Find The Right Modeling Agency for YOU


The right representation can make of break a model so choosing the right agency is a crucial step in the development of your career.  It is daunting for all of us and simply knowing what agencies to approach can be difficult, depending on where you live and what sort of markets are available to you.  After a lengthy modeling career I have had my share of experiences with agencies and I am often asked for advice about getting started in the business.  

I’ve written posts to answer many of these questions such as how to get scouted and how to identify the right modeling market for your type and look to help take some of the mystery out of the situation for model-hopefuls. You can read them here at these links:



Modeling is a business so treat it like a business:  It is important to remember that you are trying to break into a field where you are an independent contractor, will be working freelance, and interacting with other contractors, agencies, and clients, so treating it like a proper business right from the start is the correct approach.  When meeting with potential agencies or scouts it is in your best interest to be as informed as you can about the industry ahead of time so that you can ask the right questions.  Do not hesitate to ask for clarity when you are confused or overwhelmed with information.  It is a nervous situation to begin with so mentally preparing your questions ahead of time makes good business sense and every proper agent and scout will be glad to take the time to answer all your questions.  


Agencies and bookers: personalities and atmosphere counts: Meeting with several agents before making a decision to sign a contract for representation allows you to compare business practices, get a feeling for the energy, atmosphere, and vibe of an agency, and see which booker’s personalities fit with your own.  Getting off on the right foot in the relationship is important and if your personalities clash then that’s not a good sign, and you can’t expect that to improve or not be an issue over time. You want a booker who is really in your corner, will fight to help you get ahead, will open doors for you, have your back, and will always be there to help guide and educate you about the business and have time for you.  If your overall sense of the agency isn’t positive, or you find it overly quiet or maybe frantic, then visit other agencies. Signing with an agency just to say you have representation is not a good way to start your career, and you will spend more time trying to figure out how to extricate yourself from the contract than you will advancing your career.  Go with your gut instincts.


No one comes to the business without a lot of questions and the lack of information and guidance can be intimidating so do your research and get informed.  I’ll answer your questions if I can, so leave a message!

                                                 XOXO Shelley  

#getscouted #businessofmodeling #howtobreakintomodeling #seekingrepresentation #findtherightmodelingagency #newfacesmodels #modelingindustryinfo #facethis.blogspot.com #ShelleyGoodstein