Model Management

Model management is a very important aspect of the fashion industry. It ties together fashion designers, photographers, models, the business aspect, events, promotions, fashion magazines and fashion shoots and allows models to work on their talents without all the business obligations. In fact, many agencies manage countless models, using online and print catalogues for promoting their talents and connecting them to work.

Most models use agents to do their model management, though some beginners without an agent or current work may attempt to do this themselves. It is not only about building a resume of work and a gallery of photos, but by providing specific details about themselves that help potential clients choose the right model for their projects.

Model management involves many things, and it is a twenty four hour business that keeps a constant flow going. The process begins by creating portfolios and profiles. Next model managers set about scouting for work and projects that fashion design houses and magazines may be doing throughout the year, and recommend the models that they believe will fit the criteria required by the houses. They will then liaise with photographers and search through related fashion events and promotions advertisers for requests for models, formulating arrangements for meetings, model introductions and finally the details of each shoot and where and when the model or models will have to be.

This type of management is not about making a fast buck, but about promoting and developing an art form that helps the fashion industry and other industries promote their services and products to the consumer market worldwide. This can include advertising for insurance to television car spots, from public events to private gatherings. Each project is carefully evaluated to ascertain which talented model fits the bill. In a world where looks and beauty are melded into one, despite the common consensus that beauty is skin deep, the need for attractive and entertaining individuals of all ages is constantly in demand.

When not attending to the sales side of the business, model managers scout for new talent. The majority to the time this comes through people who walk through their doors with their own portfolio in hand, but on some occasions these people will be seen in public places and invited to try out for a possible modeling career. Model managers or agents will assess what is needed to get the talent of the newer models into the limelight. They will recommend and arrange for classes and training in such areas as posture, catwalking, turns, carriage, grace, and even how to dress. In some cases they may even recommend acting classes to allow the new models to learn how to stand up in front of an audience and show off the clothes that designers are trying to present to buyers, with the hope that these new fashions will become popular with both the general public and more affluent consumers.

Model management is not an easy profession and one that requires considerable patience and a keen understanding of modeling and the fashion world. It is the glue that keeps the industry bound together and ticking over.