The Sunday News
Rutendo Chidawanyika
WOMEN seem to have dominated the modelling market for a long time. From Naomi Campell to Gigi Hadid, models from different generations have become iconic, and their names are synonymous with beauty and style. However, male models are making huge waves in the modelling world, and are becoming icons in their own right.
There are different types of male models
Commercial
It is with commercial work that you can really start to think about modelling as a career. Commercial modelling covers a wide range of non-catwalk work for a specific range. Catalogues, print, online are considered to be commercial work, as are trade shows and TV.
Fitness
Of all the categories, fitness models are most likely to be self-represented. The breadth of fitness model body type is wide from lithe and athletic to the huge and hulk like – but it will be proportional. Fitness models must build for aesthetics, which requires a specific kind of training and diet.
Catwalk
These are models who wear designer clothes for each season’s runways in different countries and city. Catwalks are increasingly about disseminating images via social media rather than persuading a buyer to invest. Models seeking catwalk work may have to go for a number of castings, to be assessed if they are suitable for a part.
Parts
If your body doesn’t quite make the grade, perhaps a part of you — your hands, or your feet. This is the work of part models. While it’s important that a pair of hands be glove/jewellery sample size, they need to also be slender, straight, free of any blemishes, even skin tone and uniform of nail. Definitely not the part for builders.
Plus size
The demand for male plus size models is on the up. As the name suggests, these man are typically heavier than the standard, with larger dimensions and are sometimes but not always taller or more muscular.
Editorial
Shooting fashion images for magazines and online titles. The goal is more about entertainment and less about commerciality, it is the kind of work that allows a model to make more of a statement.
Before you decide on what type of model you want to be: discover your strengths. Do you have ripped abs perfect for fitness models? Or long legs and chiselled jaws for catwalk? Once you have discovered your strength it will help you narrow your focus when starting your career.
Familiarise yourself with being on camera. It’s normal to feel nervous at first, the more you practice in front of the camera the more natural it will become. There is more to modelling than natural good looks. You need to learn your angles and how to work them for the photographer. Nobody has a 100 percent perfect face therefore, practice in front of the mirror is good.
Just like any other career, modelling requires an investment of time and money when starting out. You don’t wake up one day with experience, a portfolio and agency. Build a portfolio! A model portfolio is like a resume. It’s what you use to approach agencies with and what agencies use to represent you. Build a great portfolio, having amateur portfolio is like having handwritten resume. Don’t sell yourself short.
Gain exposure! These days a lot of models are scouted on Instagram and other social networking sites. Create a pro account separate to your personal one and start tagging agencies in your posts. Do build connections in the modelling industry. You can even volunteer on unpaid jobs, this will help get your name out there. But be careful not to get exploited in the name of “exposure”.
Last but not least be persistent. Some models get work instantly, some after a while and some never make it. There is no knowing the outcome. Just because you don’t get accepted the first or the eleventh time, it doesn’t mean you should give up. You need thick skin to make it in this industry and persistence pays.
However, this job comes with downs. Be ready to have your social life regularly disrupted. Modelling work doesn’t follow the 8am – 5pm pattern, there can be long periods of not working at all. In most cases models cover their own expenses.
Polish your people skills. A successful male model, is the one that repeatedly gets re-booked, he can put his ego aside and work well with the rest of the team.-Additional information from Online sources
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Social media: Rutendo Chidawanyika/Eye on fashion
