Creative writer/editor with wide-ranging expertise in marketing, corporate communications, and journalism. Focus on clear, direct messaging to generate sales and increase customer traffic. Experience includes:
- Retail selling copy
- Columns on the arts and music for an alternative newsweekly
- Public Relations
- Corporate/Institutional Communications
SUPPLIES
- Camera
- Internet and/or telephone
Overview
Becoming a model for Delia's catalog or any catalog is a mixture of luck, talent and hard work. To start, review the official model hiring policy, as stated on Delia's.com:
"We appreciate your interest in becoming a Delia's model. For legal reasons, however, we are limited to hiring our models through agencies. If you are serious about pursuing a career in modeling, it would be in your best interest to try to sign with a national agency."
Here are the steps you will need to sign with a national agency. This won't guarantee a job with Delia's or any other particular client, but it will give any new model the opportunity and experience she needs to build a career.
Step 1
First you will need to have photos of yourself taken to submit to modeling agencies. Include two close-ups, smiling and unsmiling, and one full-length shot. No makeup is best. Professional photos are not necessary---any photo that clearly shows agencies how you look will do. Stay away from complicated backgrounds and extreme poses. Photos should show the natural, real you.
Step 2
Since Delia's only hires models through agencies, the next step is to sign on with a modeling agency. See below for some national agencies to try. Pay close attention to the application requirements for each agency. Some prefer digital photos via email, while others ask for printed photos sent through regular U.S. mail. Get your best photos together and send your application in to several agencies.
Step 3
Another way to find an agency is to attend an open call casting. Many agencies have regular open calls where they meet prospective models in person. You will need to have copies of your photos available to leave with the casting agent. Check the websites below or call an agency in your area to you to see when the next open call will be scheduled.
TIPS AND WARNINGS
- TIP : Ask a friend to help you select your application photos. They will be more objective about which ones look like the real you.
Casting requirements change from season to season, so resubmit photos to agencies every six to 12 months, or whenever you have a major change in your look, such as a dramatically different haircut, new hair color, weight loss or gain, or getting taller.
Research agencies you are considering. A visit to their websites will tell you whether they are national and what types of models they work with. Often times, the website will also give you an idea of what kind of clients they work with.
Don't be discouraged if you don't hear back from the agency. Most agencies take on few models as a rule, and there are always many more applicants than jobs.
- WARNING : Reputable modeling agencies are paid by clients like Delia's, never by models. If an agency requests a large payment from you for photography, makeup or other services be careful. Make sure you know exactly what you are paying for.
You don't need expensive professional photography to apply to a modeling agency. Beware of costly portfolio packages---most agencies prefer simple photography.
All modeling assignments should come from your agency. Working directly with a photographer or client can lead to nonpayment, legal issues and sometimes dangerous situations.
Resources
