Awhile back I stopped by The Agency Arizona: They’re kind enough to help us out with models when we do higher-profile fashion shoots, and since I had never actually said hello in person, dropping off tear sheets gave me a perfect excuse.

They have an ENTIRE WALL of comp cards — each model’s shows off his or her different looks and lists their measurements and sizes — and I was mesmerized. I probably could have stayed there all day just looking at the different pictures and analyzing their features.

While I was there, I was amazed how the bookers honed in on things not apparent to my untrained eye. I’d see a woman with a beautiful body and crazy-long legs; they’d point out she also has a long torso, which makes it harder to book her in shows.

When I left, I felt kind of stupid, like I just found out I’d been operating with my critical abilities set at “sluggish” the whole time.

So when I watched last night’s episode of “Make Me a Supermodel,” the newest reality series to hit Bravo, and learned that America would be voting for the winner, I was dubious. Does America really know what to look for? Heck, *I* don’t even know what to look for, apparently.

For example, would America look at contestant Katy, pictured at left, and say, “You need to work on your body”? (Because the correct answer is: Yes. Yes, she does.)

Lauren Wessinger, a booker at The Agency Arizona, says there are some specifics that modeling agents and bookers look for — but they’re always malleable, too.

Example: Girls should be 5′9″ … but if they’re younger and will probably grow some more, that requirement isn’t set in stone.

One must: “We definitely look at their shoulders,” Lauren said. “We’re looking for square shoulders — it’s a bone structure thing they can’t control, it’s something they’re born with. Long legs, obviously.”

And a proportionate body — which fits into clothes well. That long torso limits the model above because her waist might be lower than 85% of the clothing out there, which means a bad fit … which means the clothing doesn’t look its best … which means the client’s not pleased.

And while symmetry comes into play, uniqueness is important — there are a billion Scottsdale blondes, but would this girl stand out in a crowd? “Just because someone doesn’t look like ‘typical supermodel gorgeous,’ sometimes their quirky looks actually make them more appealing.”

I asked Lauren about personality: “They’re using 13-year-olds from Lithuania who don’t even speak English. How does personality even come into play?” She says it comes through on film and during shows. “We had a casting yesterday and we kept telling the models, ‘They like friendliness.’ ”

sammit

WHAT SAM WORE: 1/17/08
The shirt: Long-sleeved lightweight crew-neck cotton sweater by Gap (one of a multitude of gray sweaters)
The pants: Ruffer-X denim jeans — with spandex! they’re stretchy! — by Buffalo (Last Chance, 2005?)
The shoes: 720 sneakers by New Balance (Sports Authority, December 2007)
The scent: Lemon Essential Oil Eau de Toilette by The Art of Shaving

sammit

Posted in: Uncategorized |

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.