Aw, an aspiring model made me a video!

Aw. Recently an aspiring model made me a video about being a shorter model and acknowledged my tips and advice. Since it was so thoughtful I decided to share it here:




This was part of our email chat about "being a shorter model"

Dear Tori,

Models are all sizes, ethnicities and shapes, and you could get modeling work but perhaps you would not be working all around the world, jet set, or be a fashion model, but you can still get work as a model, as a shorter girl. So height should not be a factor of: If you can. It is more about you believin' in you, and thinking you can, and focusing on marketing yourself to the right agencies, the work with models (and actors) of all types. Watch Tv commercials, look at ads for lifestyle commercial products such as skincare, hair care, shoes, you can tell the girls are not all "tall Giraffes" like I call them in my memoir.

I have managed to work with some great brands, and for a shorter girl she can find opportunity but mainly marketing yourself at the start as a commercial print model is best, just to get in the agency door, and get some experience, especially since fashion agencies will just slam the door in your face. Focus on print modeling agencies.

Here are also some posts on approaching aspiring designers, and how to get some experience which could help you land some agencies working with you. At the end of the day I am my own agent, I believe I am my best marketer. I do work with print agencies in NYC, but I have worked non-exclusively with them, and I am free to model and work with other agencies at the same time.

http://petitemodelingtips.blogspot.com/2009/08/does-short-girl-get-signed-to-modeling.html
http://petitemodelingtips.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-do-you-find-professional.html
http://petitemodelingtips.blogspot.com/2009/08/commercial-print-modeling-photos-for.html
http://petitemodelingtips.blogspot.com/2009/09/do-you-have-model-compcard-you-should.html

Basically I took it upon myself to make my compcards, market them, and improve my photos, approach better photographers, and over time got opportunities. No one said "you should model" or anything. At first it was about vanity and I wrote about that in my memoir, but then it became more of a passion and I put a lot of my life into it, I wanted to do it. Self marketing is ALOT about getting opportunities when your short. And just simply trying. Presenting that you can model, that you have something to offer is important, and sometimes modeling comes down to "just being what they are looking for today." So it is a constant hustle, work, time, and involves a lot of ambition and self- motivation.

Keep striving girl,

Isobella