The Runway Diva Says.....

A New Year, A New You!!

2009-01-02T11:22:00.001-05:00

"What you have accomplished in the past is a much stronger example than talking about what you are capable of doing in the future. Actions do speak louder than words!"
- Catherine Pulsifer

Happy New Year Family!

A new day has dawned and a new year is upon us. Despite the gloomy economy, 2008 managed to be a stellar year in accomplishments for and by plus sized women around the world. Among the highlights:

In Fashion:

• Toccara became the first plus sized model to appear in the pages of Vogue Italia.
• Crystal Renn became the first plus sized model to make the cover of and get a 14-page layout in Elle Italia.
• Plus Size Designer Abby Z. opened her flagship store in Soho.
• Milan opened Fashion Week with designer Elena Miro’s plus sized collection.

In Music:

• Jordin Sparks won an American Music Award.
• Jennifer Hudson, Maiysha, Jazmine Sullivan & Ledisi all received Grammy nominations!
• Rolling Stone Magazine declares Aretha Franklin “The Greatest Singer of All Time!”

And in Television:

• DeShawn Snow manages to come out smelling like a rose on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta”.
• Mia Amber holds her own against Janice Dickinson on “The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency”.
• Whitney Thompson becomes the 1st Plus Sized Model to win on “America’s Next Top Model”.
• The Plus Model Episode of “Made” wins a Daytime Emmy for the series!

And a few disappointments:

• P. Diddy & Rip The Runway 2008 – After unsuccessfully trying to eliminate the plus sized showcase from the show; producers cut the segment down to 2 minutes 37 seconds (from start to finish) making the most popular segment of the show the shortest segment in the history of the broadcast.

• Wyclef Jean – Who had the nerve to believe (and say) that 200 1bs. would actually break a damn stage!

• Essence Magazine’s Plus Size Issue – Came and went without so much as a whimper.

• Rosie Live! – Well I’m not gonna waste anymore space panning this one…the critics already did a real nice job of that.

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.”
- Edith Lovejoy Pierce

The world is changing right before our eyes, with a new president set to take office in a few weeks; along with a first lady with a vision….change is most definitely on the horizon. With every New Year comes a new chapter in our lives. Perhaps this would be a good time to rethink some of the ways that we’ve viewed things regarding our careers this past year.

Take a moment and ask yourselves:

• What worked for me last year and what didn’t?
• What do I toss and what do I keep?
• How do adjust my view and attitude to make 2009 more successful than 2008 was?
• How do I become a better plus sized model in 2009?

The answers to all these questions and many others lie deep inside YOU.

This year I challenge you to:

• View your career achievements positively rather than negatively.
• Highlight your accomplishments and
• Examine your missteps,
• Pinpoint your mistakes, correct them and
• Learn from them immediately.
• Visualize where you see your career going this year.
• Put together a “to-do” list for yourself and then cross of each goal as it’s reached.

Get out of your own way. Get your finances in order, plan ahead and make smart, intelligent choices in regard to your career in plus modeling. Reinvesting in your career is a smart choice (i.e. - When you get a nice payday, set aside a percentage to cover your next shoot/test).

Don’t hate. Be genuinely happy when something good happens for someone else. Take comfort in knowing that your turn at bat is right around the corner.

Talent alone won't make you a success. Neither will being in the right place at the right time, unless you are ready. The most important question is: “Are you ready?”

REMEMBER:

• Preparation is KEY!
• Do your homework.
• Use the Internet to research everything about modeling thoroughly.
• Listen to good advice when it’s given to you.
• Hone your skills.
• Don’t get stuck in a rut.
• Be flexible and willing to reinvent yourself whenever necessary.
• Diligence and persistence are essential for success.
• Be READY for success when YOUR turn at bat comes.

“Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better person.”

~Benjamin Franklin

A New Year, A New YOU!

The first day of the New Year is like a rebirth of sorts. Like a clean page, a blank slate or a chance to start anew. All the sins of excess on Independence Day, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years Eve are forgiven today.

Lol…Resolutions are a beautiful thing aren’t they?

This year make a pledge to leave the past in the past. Forget the petty dramas and messes from 2008. It is time for a new focus. We have to challenge ourselves to think outside of the box and move forward. As you can see plus sized women are moving mountains and forcing the industry to change it way of thinking. The good thing about change is that it tends to have a ripple effect across the board. Resolve to make the changes that will work best for you.

The realization of my life hit me over the head in April 2005. That was my “wake-up” or “Aha” moment. It was the moment that I sat at my desk and realized that the very ordinary life that I was living for the last 20 years couldn’t POSSIBLY be the life that the Creator had mapped out for me. I KNEW in my soul that I was special and destined for great things. And I knew in that moment that I would never get them sitting behind that desk comfortable in my regular paycheck & benefits. I knew I would never get all was waiting for me by being afraid to step out on faith and live. I vowed to follow my dreams in that moment and I have never looked back. Has the ride been terrifying? Absolutely. It has definitely been the scariest ride I have ever taken but I wouldn’t go back to my old life for all the money in the world.

Is your life feeling a little bit stale to you? Do you feel like you’re on a treadmill going nowhere? Resolve to try and do things a little differently this year.

• Go ahead and make that promise to yourself to lose that extra 10-15 pounds (I know I am!),
• Blow the dust off that Billy Blanks DVD and get that body moving.
• Get a partner to work out with if you’re not a self-starter.
• Resolve to drink more water and get more sleep.
• Update your book and/or pictures if necessary.
• Start thinking about new healthy ways of eating.
• Remember to take a 15-20 minutes of “Me” time for yourself once a day.
• If that’s too daunting for you – start small; take a short, brisk walk after lunch or dinner but do SOMETHING.

Commit to being the best YOU that you can be. I am rooting for you all! The time for “Unity in the Plus Community!” is right now! Make 2009 your best year ever!

Peace Love & Prosperity in the Coming Year!

Is it time for a Plus Model Coalition?

2008-12-01T22:29:00.000-05:00

Is It Time For A Plus Model Coalition?

With the end of 2008 rapidly approaching, I thought I would for go my usual “Model Behavior” series and leave a little bit of “food for thought” with you to chew on to nourish and fortify you for the new year.

At the beginning of 2008, a few of my close friends got special invites to a very exclusive meeting at an undisclosed location. I found out later from these friends that this meeting included most if not all of the African-American movers and shakers in the modeling industry. It was a resurrection of the Black Girls Coalition, an organization determined to change the status quo in the fashion industry. This particular meeting’s mediator was none other than one of BGC’s founding members Bethann Hardison.

Check out the excerpt from a story that ran in The Observer:
(www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/nov/02/bethann-hardison-black-models)

“It's been the biggest fashion story of the year and it's had nothing to do with harem pants, the coat versus the cape, or the alluring comeback of the brogue. An industry not known for its crises of confidence has been forced to ask itself some uncomfortable questions. Might there be something nearing apartheid inside the pages of the glossy magazines and on the runways of the international designer collections? Is fashion racist?

The debate - some say long overdue - would not have been kick-started without a woman called Bethann Hardison. The first black saleswoman in the Garment District of New York in the Sixties and a runway model in the Seventies, she spent the Eighties and Nineties as one of the few black women with her own modeling agency (for black and white clients). She's so celebrated in the business that she's known mostly by her first name only, like Naomi and Iman, to each of whom she also happens to be a long-time confidante and mentor.

Over the past 14 months she's held campaign meetings in New York to speak out about a subject that has been largely taboo in the fashion industry. These are protest groups like no other - a cross between a rambunctious church service and the coolest party you have ever been to. Here, the likes of Naomi Campbell, Liya Kebede, Iman, Tyson Beckford and Veronica Webb squeeze into a room with some of the fashion world's biggest players such as André Leon Talley, editor-at-large of American Vogue and designer Vera Wang, as well as casting agents, stylists and representatives from the modeling agencies.

At each meeting, Hardison sits at the front and beckons people she knows to stand up and speak. 'I knew I could make things happen,' she says. 'I knew I could make the rest of the industry feel self-conscious about what was going on.'

I wholeheartedly agree on the need for the BGC, I saw the need when it was conceived and I see an even more urgent need for it now! Someone HAS to monitor the “shot callers” who consistently send out the ridiculous message to the majority of the population that “beauty begins at a size zero”. Black models have long been discriminated against in fashion but plus-sized models are literally ignored across the board in fashion, music and media. It’s as if we don’t even exist and (if we are seen at all) the bigger you are the fewer opportunities you are allowed. But what really puzzles me is that I know for a fact that there were several representatives of the Plus Model industry in attendance at that meeting; yet whenever someone tried to bring up the issues concerning plus-sized models-- I am told that at every turn the conversation was abruptly shut down and after several attempts; they were told quite rudely that no one was interested in hearing the plight of plus-sized models at this meeting.

It is interesting that the last paragraph of the above excerpt says that “she sits at the front and beckons people she knows to stand up and speak” but what of those people that she DOESN’T know, those whose interests include subjects that hold no interest for her. Do the voices of those that they represent not deserve a moment to have the floor?

This puzzled me. Black women are known for their diversity and most of all for their luscious curves – Statistics show that over 2/3 of the population is a size 14 and larger, therefore how can you NOT include plus models in a coalition for models??? That doesn’t make sense to me at all – to exclude a certain group of models from a so-called “coalition” of models IS discriminatory in itself…. Isn’t it? Perhaps a name change to “The Skinny Black Models Coalition” is in order.

Initially, these reports incensed me but once the stories had a chance to marinate within me, it got me to thinking:

Is it time for a Plus Models Coalition?

Q: Is it time for us to step up to the plate and form a group that monitors the fashion/entertainment industry and calls them on the carpet for discriminatory practices?

Q: And if it is indeed time, how do we do it and do it correctly so that united we become a force to be reckoned with?

I have tried to touch on the subject of “Unity in the Plus Community” in several online forums, usually in the form of a posting that I believe might ignite anger and/or disgust amongst us. (i.e. a certain celebrity interrupting his concert to ask women who weighed over 200 pounds NOT to come up and join him on stage – for fear of breaking it”). Unfortunately, that rarely happens – what I find is that most of us will take the attitude of “Oh well, he or she is not talking to me, so I won’t pay this any mind.”

Where is the anger? Where is the ire? Why do we not immediately unite to boycott the artist(s) who made the slur? If someone makes a homophobic or anti-Semitic remark, those groups will close ranks immediately and SHUT THINGS DOWN immediately if an apology and/or some sort of retraction doesn’t immediately follow! They threaten to boycott businesses and go right for the offender’s pockets because they know that a unified organization targeting their money can hurt them. They respect their power and go out of their way not to offend. We as a community don’t react like that. If I had been in that audience I would have taken my 200 plus pounds straight to the box office and demanded a refund! No one in their right mind should have to shell out their hard earned money to see their favorite performer(s) and then be insulted. Remember that the plus-size apparel market reports numbers upwards of 45 billion annually spent on clothing alone. There is power in our spending dollars – but only if we choose to wield it.

Q: How do we begin and who will be amongst the organizers, the mobilizers and the Board of Directors of such a group?

Several people have mentioned to me (and others) about a need for this type of organization because of the rampant discriminatory practices in the plus modeling industry. But the problem is that no one person wants to take on the responsibility because it’s extremely time consuming and has the potential to become a financial burden on a single person. I think that the founding board should be a diverse mix but ALL members should have a following and or connections in the industry.

Q: How do we get the veterans and/or models that are actually working steadily to get on board and unite with the coalition?

No one ever wants to rock the boat when things are going well, so it will be hard to get the models that are working to get on board because they are fearful of being blackballed and losing the few crumbs that are being tossed to them. It’s easy to join a group if you are not working and feel like you are being slighted, but if you can’t get the successful girls to unite and join their “sister models in the struggle” to make the situation better for all – then we might wind up not being taken seriously by the industry or worse yet--written off as a bunch of disgruntled fat girls.

Q: How do we stop the in fighting amongst ourselves long enough to get the job done?

I don’t believe this is the time to argue about “Who is plus enough to be in the plus model club”. The fact is that in fashion plus-sizes begin at 10-12 and there is definitely strength in numbers, so perhaps we should begin with what is within the parameters of “plus-sized” and then work our way from there. The foundation has to be built first and then the expansion can come. If we cannot come together for the common goal – the plan will never work.

As the New Year approaches, a groundbreaking new President is about to take office and change is most definitely on the horizon. It has been a pretty decent year for plus-sized women in Fashion (Whitney wins ANTM, Toccara in Vogue Italia), Film & Music (Jennifer Hudson Wins Oscar for Dreamgirls and then releases a hit debut album) and Television (word has it that Kim Kearney AKA “Poprah” from VH1’s “I Want To Work For Diddy” will get her own dating show!)…And that makes me happy! Things are looking up for my curvy divas but they can always be better.

Perhaps it’s finally time to fight for more realistic changes to take place in the business of fashion. We no longer have the luxury of being complacent in where we are – comfortable is dangerous in this business – it’s usually a sign that you are not progressing. Perhaps it is time that we begin to create our own heroes and celebrities and no longer wait for someone else to proclaim them for us.

As 2008 comes to an end, I ask that you take this “food for thought” and chew it slowly and as you chew, savor and taste every single bite. Let these thoughts inspire and motivate you into paving new ground and blazing new trails for the plus community in the coming year. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this subject.

Finally, Happy Holidays Family, I thank you for all for making this column a phenomenal success! I love reading all of the wonderful emails of encouragement that you send me regarding this column. It has been a wonderful year for me and I look forward to sharing a successful and prosperous new year with everyone!

Please be safe and enjoy your holiday season and continued success into the New Year!

What’s in YOUR Model Bag?

2008-11-01T00:01:00.007-04:00

What’s a “model bag” you ask?

The Model Bag is indispensable in the life of a plus sized model; as a matter of fact it is indispensable in the life of ANY model. Your model bag holds the “tools of your trade” which may vary from city to city and model to model. In time and with some experience under your belt, you will learn what to carry in it and eventually you will be able to anticipate what your clients will want.

I recently took a poll of some of my model girlfriends (both veterans and newbies) and asked them to send me a list of their top 10-15 “must have” items in their model bags. I then took the responses I collected both from them and from information obtained from the internet, I compiled a working list of what a serious model should keep on hand at all times. This is what I came up with…..

Let’s start with the “bag” itself:

Over the last 20 years I can honestly say I have performed hundreds of shows and I can recall the early years of dragging several heavy bags with me going back and forth to show, shoots & rehearsals. I say “dragging” because in the early days of my career folks were just getting around to putting wheels on luggage and it wasn’t always affordable then. Trust me when I tell you that it is NOT cute to lug around 3-4 heavy bags on the subways of New York or up and down the East Coast! I practically wore my shoulders and back out from doing that very thing for many years. So I strongly suggest that you use a wheeled bag of some sort.

Does Size Matter?

Yes, very much so. I would try to keep the size of your model bag to no larger than the size of a standard airplane carry-on bag (between 19” and 22”).

I know that 22” may seem pretty small to a plus sized model but you’d be surprised at what you can fit in that bag. Anyone who has done a fashion show at all knows that there is a usually a limited amount of space allotted to a model to prep and dress in. Models who come on set with more than one suitcase or with a bag large enough to carry a body in it can eat up space quickly and often times can wreak havoc with the heavy model traffic in the backstage area (i.e. people tripping over your bag(s) trying to move back & forth between segments). Ideally you want to find a bag that you can either prop on top of a chair (since that’s what you are usually given to “set up” your space with) or slide underneath it to keep it out of the way.

Now if you are like me and have feet that are a size 10 or larger (I wear a size 12), you are probably thinking “I can fill up that little bag with my shoes alone”. And I feel your pain here because it’s so true – the bigger your feet are, the more likely it is that you will have to supply your own shoes (and this happens even in the mainstream shows). Big shoes can eat up your bag space quickly. To remedy that problem I found this little lifesaver in the form of a shoe bag many years ago and trust me when I tell you that I never leave home without it!

A shoe bag is a nylon bag with enough compartments for 6 or 8 pairs of shoes (and if you’re a creative packer, like I am – you can sneak a few more in). Unless you are specifically asked to bring a certain number or type of shoe – more than 8 pairs is really excessive. Most rolling suitcases come equipped with a bag clamp on top and you can latch your shoe bag handles onto that for effortless travel. You can find a 6-shoe bag online at Lillian Vernon (http://www.lillianvernon.com/) and an 8-shoe bag at Walter Drake (http://www.wdrake.com/)

and it retails for about $15 to $20 dollars and believe me when I tell you it’s money well spent. This bag travels really well and because I am so paranoid about airlines losing my bags – THIS is generally the bag that I will carry on a flight with me. I rarely check my shoe bag on a flight because I can quickly replace or borrow the other items in my bag in any city should it get lost or delayed but my shoes? Obviously those will be harder if not impossible for me to replace on the spot.

“Must have” items for your model bag:

Keep in mind that you will probably have more luck at adding the below items in your bag if you fill it as many with “travel sized” products as possible. You can keep the full sized items at home and refill the dispensers as necessary.

Hanging Toiletry Bag – This will come in handy in keeping your bag organized and neat. An expandable bag is a good idea because it holds a lot, can hang when it is fully expanded and when it’s closed it only takes up a small amount of room in your model bag.

In your toiletry bag you should try to keep it stocked with the following items:

· Band-aids/Mini first aid kit/mini sewing kit – Because accidents can and do happen!
· Clear nail polish – The polish is for the occasional run in your pantyhose and of course to add a shiny new top coat to your manicure if necessary.
· Nail file/Clipper/ Krazy Glue – Because nails break and snag clothing Krazy Glue is good for a temporary patch job and it’s also good for repairing jewelry on the spot.
· Double Sided Tape – For plunging necklines and to make a quick invisible hem if needed.
· False Eyelashes & Glue – Because often times makeup artists don’t carry them or they don’t have enough on hand for everyone. Note: If you’re going to carry them – you’d better know how to put them on!
· Concealers/Foundation Makeup/Mascara & Eyeliner – For the times when the makeup artist is late, is a no-show and/or doesn’t have foundation in your color.
· Deodorant/Wash Cloth/Baby Wipes/Soap – For freshening up after long hours on the set.
· Toothbrush/Toothpaste/Mouthwash/Floss/Mints or Gum – Because fresh breath counts – Always!
· Lotion/Baby Oil Gel – To combat occasional dry or ashy skin and to keep your feet, hands and legs nice and soft. Note: Use the baby oil gel carefully and sparingly – you don’t want to risk getting oil stains on the clothing.
· Hairpins/Hairbrush/Comb/Scrunchies – For controlling wayward hair and for quick touch ups or quick styling changes.
· Pencil Sharpener – For sharpening your eyeliner and/or eyebrow pencils. Have you ever tried to line your eyes with a pencil that needed sharpening or that you tried to sharpen with a scissor or knife? One word: Painful.
· Visine / Saline Solution – For dry and/or irritated eyes and for when your contact lenses need lubricating.
· Makeup Net/Scarf – For keeping the designer’s garments make up free as you get fitted or change clothes during shows and shoots.
· Makeup Remover, Q-Tips & Cotton balls – For gently removing the makeup from your skin after a show or shoot. Makeup remover is better than soap and water because it has ingredients that help breakdown the makeup quickly for easy removal. Q-tips for cleaning the makeup residue from the corner of your eyes on set. Cotton balls are good for removing mascara and eye shadows from the delicate skin area around the eyes.
· A couple of pencils (with erasers) – Erasers make really good earring backs in a pinch and they work especially well with heavier bejeweled earrings.
· Straws – Use these to drink beverages with on set to keep your lipstick on and to avoid staining your teeth.
· Safety pins – For immediate fixes when a zipper breaks, a garment rips or a clasp breaks on a piece of jewelry.
· Airbrush legs/Bronzer - If you are like me and have a few scars leftover from childhood or have varicose veins; leg makeup and or bronzer can help to give you a nice even overall tone.
· A Small Mirror – So you can apply your makeup and touch up your makeup when necessary.
· Fresh individual mascara brushes and lip brushes – You might need to use or borrow someone else’s mascara, lipstick or gloss in a pinch. To avoid transference of germs use a fresh new applicator every time.

Note: The more items that you can place in your toiletry bag the more room you will have for adding other things to your actual bag.

Accessories/”Bling” Earrings/Sunglasses - Most designers already have a specific “look” in mind when accessorizing their garments, generally when a model does a “mainstream” shows, the designer will bring along the accessories that they wish to accompany their clothing on the runway, so you don’t have to pack your entire jewelry bag. Occasionally on the local level the same thing will occur but when it doesn’t (which is more often the case) it helps to keep a few pieces (a gold or silver bangle, a rhinestone hoop, stud or a “bling” earring) will usually come in handy in a pinch. A standard pair of black or brown tinted sunglasses (I like the Jackie O. look myself) is a good thing to keep on hand too!

Body Foundation/waist nipper/Spanx/Nude and Black Undergarments & A Strapless or Convertible Bra – A plus sized model should never come out of her house without a proper body foundation. Actually a smart model will keep several different ones on hand. A Spanx is a requirement because it keeps the “jiggle factor” down to a minimum. But if you are over a size 14 or you have a little more “junk in your trunk” than most, you will probably need something in addition to a Spanx to keep everything in place. Your foundation(s) should come in both nude and black and a convertible bra in the same colors will drastically lessen the number of bras you need to pack.

Black Slacks/Turtleneck/Little Black Dress and/or Camisole – There will be many a time when you will walk for a designer who is showing furs, hats and/or accessories; the designer will usually ask that a model wear all black underneath the coat or head to toe black so that the fur, hat and/or accessory remains the focus of the showcase. Since black is always considered chic you should keep it in your bag because you never know what last minute invitation may pop up and you’ll always have something stylish to wear.

Robe – Models spend an inordinate amount of time in their underwear or nude. Nothing can make you more uncomfortable than having to prance around naked in a room filled with strangers. Keep it in your bag always.

Comfortable Active Wear or Yoga Pants – Good for lounging around in as you sit in hair and makeup and also useful when you have a lot of down time between shots. You will need to either wear of bring something that’s easy to get in and out of when you are on the set of show or spending long hours backstage for a show.

A Crisp White Shirt – A white shirt can go a long way when you are shooting pictures. You can dress it up or dress it down. It’s sexy and versatile and it photographs like a dream and when your clothing isn’t up to par, a simple white shirt and some accessories can get you an awesome photo!

Curling & Flat Irons and Ponytails & Wigs – Because I don’t have hair anymore, I ALWAYS keep a wig or two in my bag in case I or the designer wants to mix up the looks. When I had hair, I absolutely LOVED wearing a clip on ponytail in varying lengths. It’s a quick look that’s very simple and chic. With the mainstream shows you don’t generally need to pack a curling iron because the hair people usually bring all the tools that they need. But it is definitely a good idea to keep one in your bag when doing local fashion show. You might have to pull it out at the last minute and do your own hair if the hair people are running behind or are totally overwhelmed.

Slippers/flip flops – To protect your feet while you are walking around on set and to give your feet and legs a break before you put on heels.

Sneakers/Gym Shoes – I used to keep a simple pair of white Keds in my bag back in the day. I find that they are not really a necessity any more but it may vary from designer to designer. You’ll probably need them more if you are doing catalog shoots but it’s better to ask beforehand if you need to pack them.

Pantyhose & Black Tights – Some designers like them and some don’t; it’s smart to keep a few pairs in the zippered pouch part of your bag just in case. I would suggest you have a few pairs in nude or suntan, black and perhaps a gold or silver shimmer color.

Snacks & Bottled Water (Fruit & Nuts, Trail Mix, Energy Bars/Drinks) – Not every producer will be thoughtful enough to supply the models with food & beverages on set. More than likely you won’t have a chance to run out and get something to eat (unless you are waiting for hair and makeup and have some down time). It’s good to keep some trail mix bars, some nuts and/or fruit along with a bottle of water in your bag to keep you hydrated and to keep your energy and blood sugar levels up while you wait. Note: Try to pack snacks that are not greasy and/or messy to eat.

Camera – This is a personal choice of mine. I like to document my life experiences and the people that I meet while I am working. I try not to ever leave home without my camera. Memories are priceless.

Music (CD or IPod) or a Good Book or Magazine - You will find as you progress in your career that you spend a great deal of the time on set waiting for things to begin. It’s a good idea to pack an iPod or bring a book to read during the down time. You will avoid trouble and on set drama this way.

Small Totes Umbrella & Shawl or Pashmina – Because weather can be so very unpredictable. I keep the Pashmina shawl with me because I don’t like air conditioning and I am always cold.

Static Guard and/or Tide To Go - To control annoying static cling on clothing and for immediate stain removal.

Makeup Brushes or a Brush Roll - Having learned much from my early experiences of make up artists treating me like I had the plague – I always toss my brush roll (the bag I keep my brushes in) in my bag, so that when necessary – I have the proper tools to apply my make up.

If you've ever searched in vain for that errant lip brush or wondered where that enormous blush brush could have disappeared, you already understand the importance of owning a quality makeup brush bag. This is a fantastic investment for anyone who regularly employs cosmetic brushes as part of her daily regime. Not only does it keep them clean and separated from each other, it also provides brushes with an ideal storage space and it won’t take up too much space in your model bag.

The following should go without saying but I’m going to say it again anyway just in case you don’t know. The veterans and the pros in this game already know that you NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT these 6 things:

Your Appointment Book – So you can keep track of how your day is lining up and so that you know where you are headed next.

Small Notepad for taking notes or a Journal– You will probably learn something or meet someone new on every set or at every show. Remember to write things down.

Cell Phone/Blackberry – A model is on call at all times. Put your phone or blackberry on the vibrate setting when on set to keep from disrupting things but always keep it on.

Composite Cards – You can meet a new potential client anytime and anywhere. Your comp card is your business/calling card. If you’re going to call yourself a model you should always have a few on your person.

Portfolio – And that potential client might want to take a look at your book. It helps to have it handy.

Vouchers - Proof of work performed – it’s how you get paid, keep a few in your bag at all times.

Remember This: Having a properly stocked model bag will make you much easier to work with and will convey to others that you are professional. So pack it carefully and remember to check it after a few shows/gigs and restock as necessary. Remember, your looks, your attitude and your professionalism will either make or break you in this industry. It’s always better to be well prepared than unprepared. Add or edit things as you feel you need to but always keep your bag packed and ready to go at a moment's notice!

Continued Success!

Fine Tuning Your Runway "Strut"

2008-10-01T06:00:00.006-04:00

Ever since I appeared as a contestant on the first season of Mo’Nique’s F.A.T. Chance, I have gotten questions on a daily basis regarding runway coaching or tips on how to make someone’s “strut” better. Well, in my opinion “there ain’t nothing to it but to do it”, but I have put together a “can’t miss” list of things you need to “tighten your runway game up”!

Stretching & Warming Up – I cannot stress enough how very important it is to warm up and stretch your muscles BEFORE you put on a pair of heels and even THINK of hitting a runway. Have you ever done a show and had to stand around in 3” or 4” pumps and your feet or legs start to cramp? Have you ever been in a show where you continuously had to change heel heights for different outfits? Have you ever been on a runway in mid strut and gotten a cramp and had to try and “walk” it out without screaming or letting the audience know? It’s not pretty people and it happens all the time. A 5-10 minute stretching routine is a great way to avoid foot & leg cramps as well as muscle spasms in the middle of a show.

The routine does not have to be difficult; you can start with the basics here:

Warming up or stretching before walking prepares the mind, heart, muscles and joints for the runway. Warming up lowers blood pressure, improves blood flow to the heart, increases muscle temperature and makes muscles more pliable. Warm up for five minutes at an easy walking pace before stretching, never stretch cold muscles or you risk tearing them. Stretching creates flexibility and can make your walk more comfortable.

Stretch all the major muscle groups used when walking. Slowly apply each stretch listed below; stretch until tension, but not pain, is felt. Hold each stretch for at least 15 seconds. Do not bounce up and down while stretching. Breathe normally. These low-intensity exercises should last from five to 15 minutes.

Quadricep Stretch - Stand erect, holding onto a wall or post for support. Bend your knee behind you so that you can grasp your foot, holding your heel against your buttock. Stand up straight and push your knee gently back as far as you can. (Your hand just keeps your heel in place. Some people find it more comfortable to use the opposite hand.) Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, and then switch sides.

Calf Stretch - Stand an arm's-length from the wall or a support. Lean into wall, bracing yourself with your arms. Place one leg forward with your knee bent (this leg will not bear any weight). Keep your other leg back, with your knee straight and your heel down. Keeping your back straight; move your hips toward the wall until you feel a stretch. Hold 30 seconds. Relax. And then repeat with other leg.

Achilles Stretch - From the calf stretch position, bend your back knee so that the angle is changed to stretch the Achilles tendon. Keep your heel down. Hold 15 to 30 seconds, and then switch legs.

Ankles and Feet Stretch - Balance on your left leg, supporting yourself by holding onto something or someone for support. Point your right foot/toes forward. Gently rotate to make small circles your foot. Alternate/change legs and repeat procedure.

Lastly, place your feet together. Hold onto a wall or ledge for balance then push up and down your toes for 10/20 seconds.

Always try to do this warm up routine before you begin walking and remember do slowly and gently without bouncing.

It’s ALL About the Shoe – One of the very first mistakes that a new model makes when learning runway for the first time is choosing the wrong shoe to practice in. If you have never worn a pair of heels before you should start out small, around a 2 ½ inch heel should do it. The shoe should be a closed back pump with a sturdy heel to hold your foot well and to help keep you balanced.

I would also suggest that you try and “break” your shoes in before you begin practicing, nothing is more annoying than trying to focus on your walking in a brand new shoe that’s pinching your feet.

FYI - I am totally against beginners in runway training wearing stiletto heels – just like anything else, you really do have to “learn” how to wear a stiletto and if you have never worn a heel before, you will need to find your balance first. Wearing a stiletto this early in the learning process will only give you wobbly ankles.

These same rules apply to wedge shoes, mules, ankle strap shoes (with no back to hold your foot steady) and any shoe that is OVER 3 inches in height are out when you are a beginner.

Also, any heel that’s UNDER 2 ½ inches in height; (i.e. the “cobbie cuddler wide width shoes with the “lemon peel” heel and “kitten heels”) are no-no on the runway as well.

Finding the Runways in Your City – There are so many virtual runways in New York City – heck in ANY city for that matter that it’s mind-boggling. You only have to open your eyes to see them. All you need is a good 15-20 feet (the more the better) of unencumbered space to practice your strut on, and fortunately for New Yorkers, there’s more than enough space available to you. A few good examples are sidewalks, subway walkways, hallways, empty parking lots, supermarket aisles, crosswalks, dead end streets, malls, parks, driveways etc…the list is endless. ANY place you can get your walk on is a good place to start.

Check out some of the examples below:

FYI – Keep in mind that you want to try and utilize the above suggestions at a time when pedestrian traffic is fairly light and automobile traffic is virtually non existent. You really don’t want to try this during your city’s busy rush hour period.

Keeping Your Head in the Game – In order to truly get your strut down pat, you have to be “ON’ 24/7, even if it’s only inwardly. What I mean by “inwardly” is that you must be thinking like a model at all times. For me that means when you are making that quick run to the grocery store, when you are dropping your child off to school, when you are walking to the gym or on your way to work; you should be thinking that from the moment your feet touch the pavement – you are on a runway. I find that music helps make practicing easier (I have a special playlist on my iPod called “Strut” specifically for this purpose). I suggest that you put together a playlist of a variety of songs, put on your headphones and get walking! Now keep in mind that I don’t mean you should be practicing turns, pivots & poses as you walk to work or school…lol…if you do that you will probably get some strange looks or reactions from passersby. But you should use every available opportunity to get some runway practice in (i.e. being constantly aware of the 3 “P’s – Poise, Posture & Personality at all times) IF you are serious about what you are doing. And the best part is that you don’t have to wear your pumps to practice when doing your every day chores or routines. Whatever you happen to have on your feet at that moment is just fine.

FYI – A smart model will try a variety of different types of music to walk to – not just what’s hot on the top 40 radio playlist at the moment. Select music that has a different beat or tempo or perhaps something with a different “feel” to it. Try to figure out what sort of mood or feeling the music puts you in and then try to convey that in your “walk”. You never know what type of music you will be walking to, so it helps to be familiar with them all.

Finding your Swagger – I bet most of you are asking yourselves, er…What’s a “Swagger”?

1. How one presents him or herself to the world, the ability to handle a situation with a sense of calm and uncanny grace. The ability to maintain a healthy level of self-confidence without appearing arrogant.

2. The seeming effortlessness to a person's admired style, the way they walk, talk and dress.

3. The inability to be easily shaken by anyone or anything.

Now you know.

But knowing the definition is the easy part, finding and unleashing it is probably harder than actually learning how to walk. Focus, drive & determination are all crucial in developing your swagger, but more importantly, you have to be about YOU, completely confident (but not arrogant) in who you are and what you want to do. You cannot find your swagger, if you are still unable to look in the mirror and love all that you see (including the parts you don’t like), you will not find your swagger if you are worried about what other people think or say about you (and if you are worried, modeling probably isn’t the business for you). You must be able to be the picture of grace & poise even if you are wearing the most horrific clothing in the world. You must be comfortable in your skin and master the ability to never let people see you sweat. You will know you have found your swagger when folks can’t take to take their eyes off of you or stop talking about you when you are on a runway because YOU OWN IT!

Now break out that iPod, put your headphones on and GET TO STEPPING!!!!

See you on the runway!

"WHEN YOU DO THE COMMON THINGS IN LIFE IN AN UNCOMMON WAY, YOU WILL COMMAND THE ATTENTION OF THE WORLD."
-George Washington Carver

Model Behavior - Making it Work on the Local Level

2008-09-01T08:00:00.001-04:00

The majority of my columns have been devoted to talking about what the business is about in the upper echelon of the plus modeling industry (i.e. the “signed” model) but few people ever talk about how to make your career work from a local/regional standpoint or “The Underground” as I like to call it. Let’s face it, the vast majority of aspiring models won’t make it beyond the local level and that can be because of a number of factors. The reality of the business is that maybe 25% of aspiring models will reach that brass ring that’s known as “the signed model”. The other 75% will either quit or remain working at a local level.

I signed a contract with Wilhelmina Models in 1995 but before that I had been honing my skills on the local level since the 80’s. I worked in church fashion shows, nightclub fashion shows, model competitions; I joined modeling groups and entered beauty pageants as well. These experiences definitely helped prepare me for “life in the big leagues” (lol) as well as making it possible for me to travel all over the US, the Caribbean and even Europe! I took the years of working locally as an opportunity to “fill up my bag of tricks” until the right time came along for me to use them.

Many of you are not aware of the differences between working as a signed agency model and an unsigned model working locally. The signed model has the resources and backing of her agency behind her while the unsigned model is a sole proprietor. Trust me when I tell you this; you CAN thrive as a model working locally but the rules of the game are different and that’s what I want to talk about this month.

Basic Requirements – Ahhh…now THIS is the beauty of working locally! Most if not all of the strict standards (height, weight, etc) imposed on agency models do NOT apply here. This is where the petite plus gal, the size 20 or larger model, the 6 foot 3 model and the sister with that big bold blonde Afro or those beautiful red locks can thrive. When doing local shows the emphasis is generally on putting bodies in the seats (i.e. filling up the room) rather than having everyone looking the same or be a certain size. Because of the emphasis on getting the venue sold out a new producer will more than likely get as many models as he or she can because they have to find a way to pay for the production that they are trying to put on. The upside of this is that an aspiring model with little or no experience can use this as an opportunity to learn some new skills but unfortunately, you will probably have to sell some tickets.

Selling Tickets – I know a lot of aspiring models who turn their noses up at the mere thought of having to sell tickets, many think it’s beneath them. Selling tickets is a way of life in the Underground and there are certain types of shows where you might even have to bring your own clothing to wear in the show! (Lol we all have to start somewhere). Well, I hate to break the news to you but if you are just starting out and no one knows who you are and what you can do….you will probably have to sell some tickets just to get in the show, that’s just how it goes. Once you build up your skills and/or reputation for being a show stopper (and please know that doing 2-3 shows will probably NOT make you a runway diva overnight!) then you can begin to negotiate to either get a percentage of what you sell or omit the ticket selling completely. Most producers want to keep the model that everyone leaves the show talking about (in a good way of course) or the model that brings the crowd to their feet each time she graces the runway. It all depends on you and what you bring to the production. Will you have to sell tickets forever? Most certainly not, but if you are not blessed to be signed with an agency immediately – and you are just starting your career, you probably will have to do it for at least a year. When I entered the Maybelline Model of The Year Contest in 1995, the first thing all the contestants were told was that it was mandatory for each contestant to sell 10 tickets (at $15.00 each), there was absolutely no negotiation on this point; if you didn’t sell the tickets or buy them outright you could not enter the contest. I was very fortunate to have a sponsor who dressed me and supplied me with all that I needed but I STILL had to either sell or purchase those tickets (I bought mine outright and then resold them to my friends and family). The upside for me was not only did I recoup the monies I laid out because my family & friends scooped up those tickets quickly but I became the first plus sized model to ever win that title and my prize was a trip to Paris, France a place I had dreamed of visiting since I was a child!

One more thing: Don’t be surprised if the number of tickets you sell determines how many appearances you make on the runway. Unfortunately, this is the way that it works in the underground; if you are given a quota of 10 tickets to sell and you only sell 1 or 2 but another model sells the allotted 10 and then asks for 10 more – chances are the person who sold the most tickets will have more wardrobe changes. I have seen producers make wardrobe edits the night after all ticket monies have been turned in and a person who started out with 5 changes will arrive on set to find that she now only has 2 changes because she didn’t fulfill her end of the deal. Some producers will actually cut you from a show if you don’t sell ANY tickets. It’s usually not personal, that’s just the way it goes.

Application and/or Submission Fees – Okay, I will admit it – I don’t like paying these either but I HAVE paid a fee in the past to submit my photos for a contest. I have read on several plus modeling forums that anyone who asks you to pay an application or submission fee is not a legitimate company or they are not on the level. I have to disagree with that advice somewhat. I have worked behind the scenes on many a “starter” production and I understand that there is an overhead that comes with putting on a fashion production. A lot of the producers are first timers and usually have good intentions but little funding. What the producer will do to try and keep from bankrupting their company is to try and find a way to offset some of the overhead costs to you. I don’t really think that’s unfair as long as the “fee” is not some ridiculously large amount of money. It does cost quite a bit of money to put on a production. Studios and rehearsal spaces cost money to rent and staff will sometimes need to be hired to handle the high volume of model traffic. Keep in mind as always that even on a local level you should ALWAYS treat it like the business it is– NO ONE is putting on fashion shows out of the goodness of their hearts! The universal goal of ANY producer is always to make money – remember that!
When I entered the BBW Cover Model Search back in the 1980’s, I had to send in an application fee with my photos in order to be considered. The fee was a small one (maybe $20 dollars) I had a very good job at the time and I figured what the heck…you only live once! I even waited until the last day to submit and wound up having to Fedex my photos to make the deadline. Imagine my surprise when I received a call from the magazine a few weeks later informing me that I was one of the semi finalists and I would be flying out to Las Vegas for the final competition! As you might imagine that experience changed my life, so in my opinion spending that $20 dollars was well worth it to me.

I do, however, draw the line at application and/or submission fees that are $50 to $100 dollars and up to submit yourself, that’s when the situation starts to “smell funny” to me. Start to ask yourself questions: Have you been to or seen a production by this company before? Have any of your friends? Are they well organized or are they’re castings and shows totally chaotic? Do they have a website where you can check out some of their past shows? What venues are they using to put on their productions? Use your instincts here – if your gut is telling you that something is wrong – walk away because it usually is!

Honing your skills – One of the greatest gifts that I got from working in the Underground was all of the many skills that I acquired. I was in the prime of my youth when I began modeling and I did it mainly for the thrill of walking the runway, getting the enthusiasm and approval of the audience and (most of the time) wearing some of the most beautiful clothing I had ever seen. Back then there were a LOT of fashion shows happening on the East Coast and I worked steadily. Even then a smart producer/designer KNEW the importance of having at least 1 or 2 plus sized models in their shows. We were small in numbers but we were always the show stoppers! It was during those many shows and rehearsals that I learned how to fine tune my “strut”, I learned when to apply a straight “couture” walk and how to add a little “razzle-dazzle” when necessary. I learned how to “strike a pose”, “Chanel” turns, the classic “lean”, half turns, full turns, multiple turns, entrance and exit poses, how to put on and take off a jacket properly, how to “work” a reversible garment, how to walk in an evening gown with a long train WITHOUT tripping all over it – the list was endless! I learned how to do my makeup at a moment’s notice because you just never knew when the makeup staff would be overwhelmed or if someone didn’t want to do my makeup. I learned how to apply false eyelashes. Hair was never my strong suit but I learned enough about hair and wigs to be ready if I needed to do it myself. I pored over my pictures and videos from shows and learned how to work my face and body so that my pictures almost always came out good. I was so incredibly focused back then and because I loved it so, I never took a moment of the work for granted. It was here that I began to fill up my “bag of tricks” to pull out at a moment’s notice. I came to the table with so much to offer to a production that designers and producers began making special requests for me to be in their shows.

Knowing what to keep and what to toss – Mastering this is what truly makes you a “Runway Diva” in my eyes. The best thing about working in the underground is that a model that’s really on top of her game will know what to omit and what to keep as she ascends in the fashion industry. I saw some things in fashion shows back then that I just knew instinctively shouldn’t be done on a runway; other things I learned to omit by watching the responses of the producers and/or the audiences and then there are things that you can only use at certain types of shows. If you stay on top of your game and keep yourself informed about what is going on in the fashion industry – the dos and the don’ts should become obvious to you.

Working for free – The truth of the matter is this – IF you are not fortunate enough to have the strength of agent or agency backing; and you have zero or minimal skills – you WILL have to work for free for a little while - if you want to work. Some of you will probably find the thought of this distasteful but be honest with yourselves for a moment – you can’t honestly think that you can walk into an audition and demand top dollar for your services but you have no skills at all – that just doesn’t make sense in ANY area of life. To make the medicine go down a little easier I suggest that you look at it as a temporary bartering arrangement – the producer gets your services and you learn the skills that you need to progress in your career. The more skills you have mastered will determine how quickly you will become “in demand” as a plus model.

Alternate forms of payment – As your career progress and you find your presence being requested in various productions – that’s your tip off that you are on the right path. Depending on how long you have been on the “circuit” and the relationships you have cultivated with different producers/designers can help you determine a fair amount to charge. Keep in mind that often times a producer or designer is working with a limited budget and can’t afford to pay everyone cash – a lot of the newer productions barely break even these days. Perhaps you can work out an agreement with a designer to work in exchange for clothing. I had a closet full of “designer exclusives” for years because they either couldn’t afford to pay me or the amount they offered was so small that I got more out of getting 1 or 2 pieces of clothing. You can work for pictures also (but before you do that – you need to find out if the photos that you will get can actually be used in your book!). Sometimes I will do a favor for a “friend” or do a benefit or fundraiser and in lieu of my fee all I ask is that the producer pays for my transportation to and from my home – in a taxi. If the producer insists upon keeping you on set for 6-7 hours, you are well within your rights to ask to that lunch and/or dinner be supplied as well. If you KNOW you are a master at selling tickets or you come from a huge, supportive family or have a large amount of friends– after a few shows try to begin to negotiate with the producer to get a percentage (usually about 5 to 10%) of each ticket that you sell. If you are a strong ticket seller, a good producer will usually try to accommodate you to keep you. When I worked with Gwen DeVoe on Dangerous Curves…The Tour! She did this with her models and it worked like a charm – it was a great incentive for the models, it kept the house filled with folks, everyone was happy and no one went home feeling like they had been “pimped”. Everything is negotiable – it’s all up to you but know that you will have to “pay some dues” before the pay day begins.

Some of my greatest memories and strongest relationships have come from the men and women that I worked with in the underground when I was just starting out. I have had the pleasure of working alongside women who graced the runways of some of the biggest names in fashion and I have had the honor of working with some of the baddest plus sized sisters that you have never heard of and I learned immensely from watching them all do their thing. Back then it was less about business and more about simply feeling beautiful and enjoying what I was doing. But even then I was smart enough to know when it was time to begin to request payment for my services and when I had out grown the circuit and it was time to move on. So to my sisters working it out and thriving “underground” – I salute you! Keep on keeping on and never give up on your dreams. I encourage you all to continue to be brave and blaze a trail for others to follow because the world is changing as we speak.

“Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.” ~Earl Nightingale

Continued success!

Model Behavior - Plus Model Etiqutte

2008-08-01T12:30:00.001-04:00

The Fashion business has been around since forever and as with any business there are rules and guidelines that have been put in place to ensure that the BUSINESS runs smoothly. The plus model industry is no different; in addition to the rules and guidelines, there is a proper way to carry yourself on and off the set if you wish to continue to work in this industry and climb higher in your goals. I am pretty sure that I’ve covered some of these things in previous articles but of course some subjects bear repeating because apparently many of you just aren’t “getting” it or the information just isn’t getting through….so this month’s column is a gentle “reminder” from The Runway Diva to you……..

On Set Behavior…Attitude, Attitude, Attitude - To put it nicely; don’t bring it with you. Don’t believe every thing that you see on television, and trust me when I tell you that “Divaesque” behavior will not get you repeat business with clients. Show up with a pleasant attitude, rested, ready, willing and able to get to work immediately. Keep in mind that you are the “product” on set and the client already has a “vision” for how they want their product portrayed. That means that you may have to swallow your pride on many occasions…..
Don’t complain about or attempt to alter the makeup provided by the makeup artist. When you are on someone else’s dime and time there will be times when you will not like the makeup. There will be times when you won’t like the clothing. There will be times when you won’t like the hair either. It is important for you to know that it has very little to do with you and most of the time the production staff has already been instructed by the client before hand regarding the “look” that is needed for the shot and it usually has nothing to do with your personal tastes.

Rule of thumb: Keep your personal opinions to yourself unless they are asked for by the client or producers. If you don’t like your hair, makeup or clothing; Reach deep down inside of yourself and let your acting skills take over and become whoever and what ever character the client needs or wants you to be. THAT’S how you get repeat business from clients, by delivering the shot like a pro. “Act” like a model get the job done and then let it go. Remember that it’s business; it’s not personal.

Bringing Children & Spouses to the Set – This is never a good idea….even if you have prior consent from the producers. And showing up with guests in tow without prior permission may get you fired from a set. There is a balance that must be maintained on a photo shoot. As a model, you need to be 100% focused on the job at hand and that is impossible to do if you are distracted by unruly children and/or interfering spouses/mates. Even if your children are well behaved a parent will always be distracted by the constant need to “check in” on their child or children to make sure they are alright.

Bringing spouses or significant others to the set can also wreak havoc and cause a model to be inhibited about what they are doing or feel the need to get approval from their mates on a shot because they don’t want problems when they get home. This can ruin the delicate chemistry between the photographer and the model and it can make everyone involved in the shoot uncomfortable. The same thing applies to bringing spouses, children and/or friends to castings, meetings, appointments etc.

Rule of thumb: Plan ahead! Leave your child or children at home with your spouse or hire a babysitter to watch your child or children (at home) while you handle your business. You would never be able to bring guests along to your 9 to 5 job; the same rules are applicable in modeling.

Proper conduct when dealing with clients – Be respectful at all times; keep in mind that you work for the client and not the other way around. Be prepared, if you are being fitted or meeting with a client and they ask you to bring specific items (i.e. body foundation, bathing suits or matching bra and panty) follow the instructions to the letter. If a body foundation is required be a smart model and WEAR IT TO THE FITTING. You can always take it off after you are done. Running to the bathroom to change generally wastes everyone’s time. Bring a robe if you are uncomfortable sitting around in your bra & panty. The same thing applies with a thong; it is in poor taste to wear them to any fitting and can often make the client uncomfortable. And always keep a heel in your bag because you never know if the client will want to see you walk. Don’t take it upon yourself to improvise on the particulars or it could be the difference between you getting the job or losing it; your behavior can also be the determining factor in your agent gaining or losing a business relationship.

Rule of thumb: Carry yourselves accordingly. Dress as if you are going to a job interview because you are. Remember that your goal is to impress the client because you want them to know that you are the best person for the job, so it would behoove you to arrive looking like a model (that means “face on” and wearing clothing that shows you in your best light.) You are only fooling yourselves if you think that a client won’t “judge a book by its cover”.

Working well with Others – I have often dreamed of a new day in plus modeling where we can all get along and genuinely be happy for each other when something wonderful happens and an aspiring model’s career advances. I have heard enough horror stories about the way models treat other models to make my head spin. We see it all the time on reality television and in the movies and I am sure we have all seen it or experienced it personally at least once….you know, envy thinly disguised as jokes, off the cuff comments or backhanded compliments. Know the difference between being friendly and invading someone’s personal space. Don’t ask questions that are really none of your business and then get offended when you don’t get the answers you are seeking. Keep the bragging and boasting about your own personal career to a minimum, in a competitive business like plus modeling it only breeds an air of animosity and contempt. And that makes the air uncomfortable for everyone. Remember that although fashion is a big business it is a small world and often times you may have to work with people that you do not necessarily like personally.

Rule of thumb: Be nice; be polite but always be about YOUR business and try to avoid cliques and blackballing people who are trying to make a career in the same business that you are trying to be successful in. Remember that trying to sabotage someone else’s career is NEVER a good idea because the same people you meet on the way up; you’re probably going to have to deal with them on the way down. Human beings may or may not remember a kind gesture or word but they will never forget someone who was mean or rude to them.

Freelancing with different agencies – With the work in the plus model market being often times scarce and seasonal; these days most models refrain from signing exclusive contracts with one agency (unless they are being groomed). Often times a good model can maintain her career and lifestyle by freelancing with several different agencies. I actually have no problem with this as I have done it myself on many occasions. The conflict begins when you freelance with every agency that handles plus models in your city. All of the major agencies generally will get the same casting notices when there are gigs requiring plus models available. Confusion ensues when you get a call for the same casting from 3 different agents, who have already submitted you to the client. Unfortunately, you have the exact same composite card (each with a different sticker or logo) at every agency. Now the client is confused because 3 different agents have submitted you with the same card for the job and now you have put the client in the bind of deciding which agent he or she should go through to book you and trust me when I tell you that no matter which agency you decide to give the business to – it’s not going to be a good look for you in the long run; agents usually have relationships other agents and they all have LONG memories.

Rule of thumb: It’s better to freelance in several different markets in different regions rather than spreading your self thin in one city. If the above scenario happens more than once, you are going to have a big problem on your hands.

All that I have in mind when I write these columns is to educate you and to try and make your journey as plus sized models go smoother and easier than mine did. Aspiring plus models today are very fortunate because the internet is your friend; none of this information was available to me when I began my career so I had to find out a lot of things the hard way. Often times I had to make a way or carve out a niche for myself where there was none. I implore you to take my words and the advice that you get from the pros in this business seriously because we are only trying to help you avoid the mistakes that many of us made early on in our careers. Treat the business like a business and you can reap all the rewards and benefits that it has to offer.

Continued Success!

Model Behavior - How to Submit Your Photos Online or Via Mail

2008-07-02T12:05:00.000-04:00

A good part of my day consists of going through mail and online submissions from aspiring models. Aside from the basic information (Name, Address, Contact Information), there are very specific questions that are asked on an Online or Mail in Submission form. This information is as crucial to our decision to go forward in the meeting process as a photo is, yet it is the number one thing that aspiring models tend to OMIT from the forms when they submit.

There is usually a page on the site that tells you the TYPE of photos that you should submit as well. I simply don’t understand why models are so lax about the online submission form because there is no expiration date on it nor is there a specific time period in which you need to have it completed – you can submit online 24/7. So you have the time you need to get it right. Below is a list of common mistakes that most aspiring models make when submitting photographs online as well as tips to help you avoid the pitfalls of the submission process.

Your “Stats”

The information that is omitted most often is your statistics, more commonly known as your “stats”. On the submission form your Stats are typically your height, weight, bust, waist and hip measurements. I have covered the basics on getting started MANY times in this column, so I will assume that you already KNOW there’s a basic height requirement necessary to even get you through the doors of a modeling agency. Omitting the fact that you are only 5’2” on the submission form won’t help you slip through the cracks, it will only annoy us when you walk through the doors and we see INSTANTLY that you are not tall enough (even with your heels ON).

INSIDER TIP #1 – Your bust measurement is NOT the same thing as your bra size. Go get properly fitted for a bra, then write the bust measurement down and keep It somewhere in your files. You will be asked this information whenever you go on a casting. It’s important to know your measurements – ALL of them.

I must ask you aspiring models an important question now:

How lazy are you if you don’t take the time to fill out this form properly?

There is no reason to rush this process. Not knowing the information is absolutely, positively NO EXCUSE, because your measurements are with you EVERY DAY for the taking. Take the time to buy a measuring tape ($3-4 dollars at most), if you don’t already have one, call a friend (if you happen to be alone) and have them come over and help you take some proper measurements for yourself. Even if the measurements are “off a little” it will put us in the ball park in figuring out what your body really looks like. I recently received an online submission from a chick who must have thought she was being er…clever… by putting her height (6’0”) on the form and nothing else. You know that form got automatically deleted right? Oh yeah, and don’t bother fudging your measurements because they are not to your liking at the moment. If you stretch the truth about your measurements and we call you in for an interview and you don’t look anywhere CLOSE to what you put on your form…well let’s just say, you have already started off on the wrong foot by not being honest. Not good for building a business relationship.

INSIDER TIP #2 – Take the time to fill in the information on the submission form both accurately and completely. We are not going to call you back and ask you for the missing information. Where does an incomplete form go? In the “YOU ARE NOT SERIOUS” file and that goes right in the trash.

Your Photographs

Let’s say you’ve taken the above steps and gotten all the information needed to complete the form. All that’s left to do is to attach a couple of photographs right? Wrong…I would say that this would be the perfect time for you to read the form again and understand what type of photos the agent or producer is asking for before you go ahead an upload your photos. Most agencies don’t expect you to submit “professional” photographs. It’s nice if you have them (good ones of course) but if you don’t you can have a friend take some shots of you with a digital or disposable camera. Polaroid’s are fine here too. Most agencies will ask for TWO CURRENT photos, one a headshot and the other a full body shot.

A lot of agencies will ask for photos of a specific size as well. Both pictures should be clear enough that we can get a good idea of what you look like. Keep the clothing simple as well, a nice crisp shirt/blouse and a pair of jeans that fit you well is a good start. If you are sending photos in the mail, ALL of the enclosed photographs should have your name and contact information on the back of the photos.

Your headshots should be clear enough that we can see what your features look like with out having to guess and your body shots should not be so far away that we can’t make out anything (yes, people do submit photos like this – from like 50 feet away – go figure). You don’t have to spend extra money getting them retouched but if you know you were having serious issues with your skin or you had a huge, angry pimple in the center of your forehead when you took the picture – stop playing and take another when your skin has cleared up.

INSIDER TIP #3 – When choosing clothing to wear in your photographs, remember to be mindful of fabrics that are not forgiving to a few excess pounds. It would be a good idea to avoid choosing fabrics like Lycra and/or spandex, (particularly in shirts and tops) which have a tendency to cling exactly where we DON’T want it to. The same thing applies to wearing T-Shirts and/or other clothing with profanity laced slogans.

Poses - This is where things become hysterically funny to me. I think that some of you all have really been overdosing on “Top Model” because some of the crazy things you do in your photos simply astound me. If I get another picture of a chick that looks like she’s “smelling her armpits” or “sitting in a chair looking like she’s on the toilet” (ala the old Candies’ ads) in her photos…I swear I’m gonna scream!! The same thing applies to these new poses where models have their hands on their waists, shoulders and chest pushed forward but both their feet are pointed inwardly (think: extreme pigeon toes). Now I know that often times this can be a very high fashion look for some but unfortunately not everyone can pull this particular pose off and if not done correctly, you can come off looking quite crazy.

INSIDER TIP #4 – K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) rules definitely apply here (and NO, I am not calling anyone stupid). Don’t over think your photos. The pictures that you submit should not be too “posed” (ala “Mannequin modeling”) but you DO want to do things that look natural but still manage to convey life and energy in your photos.

Group Photos – Now I would think that common sense would kick in at the moment you pull out that picture of you (that YOU look really good in) & your friends at the bar on Pride Weekend, holding beers and playing pool and say to you “Don’t even THINK of sending this picture to an agency as a submission photo”. But I guarantee you it happens ALL the time. First of all, I am NOT going to take the time to figure out which of the women in the photograph is YOU. Secondly, we KNOW immediately that you are not serious about a career as a plus sized model if you submit a photo like this for consideration.

Too Dark/Too Light/Blurred Photos – I received an online submission recently from a chick whose skin tone was the color of dark chocolate, she had on a burgundy colored velvet dress AND she was positioned against a navy blue colored velvet fabric. She may have been quite beautiful but I couldn’t see a thing in that photo, the whole thing just looked really dark to me. And then there are photos that are overexposed or so overly lit that all of your features get washed out. Submitting a photograph that is blurred or out of focus is just plain lazy. And what does that say to us class? YOU ARE NOT SERIOUS!

Photos taken with your camera phone – This appears to be another new trend with younger aspiring plus models. I receive a lot of photos from young girls & women who think it’s cute to send me a photo that they took of themselves, in the mirror with their camera phone. Most pictures taken from a camera phone are low quality photos, usually slightly out of focus and they don’t get better if you enlarge them. This type of picture would probably look great on your MySpace page but it is NOT suitable for an online or mail in submission form. Don’t do it.

Too Much or Not Enough Makeup – Most of the submissions that we receive don’t make the cut because the aspiring models either have a TON of make up on, obscuring their true features or they flip the script completely and decide to wear no makeup at all, usually scaring the hell out of us.

INSIDER TIP #5 – Shoot for the “middle of the road” when it comes to makeup, use a light hand and apply a little foundation or powder to even out your skin tone, along with a little mascara and a neutral lipstick/gloss….that’s all you really need…then get in front of the camera and “WORK IT!”

Excessive Facial Hair – You would THINK that most aspiring models would already know that you should remove excessive hair BEFORE you take the photo…But I am adding this to this list of “no-no’s” because I SEE IT ALL THE TIME!!!! This includes (but is not limited to) Groucho Marx Eyebrows, Yosemite Sam Moustaches, Goatees, Beards & Mutton Chop Sideburns. Let’s be serious here, you already KNOW that a major agency is not going to look at you if you walk into their offices with all that hair – the same thing applies to the on-line submission. Go shave, pluck, wax your brows, see a professional, if necessary and get that taken care of BEFORE you take your photos.

Colored Contact Lenses & Sunglasses – Personally, I LOVE colored contacts…I actually have worn them quite a bit throughout my career. But usually when I am working, I wear clear lenses. Some of the new lenses can look quite natural but most are obviously artificial. My suggestion here is to submit photographs WITHOUT the contacts because we want to see what you REALLY look like. Does it make sense to WRITE your eye color as “brown” on the submission form and then SUBMIT photographs of you with ‘violet” colored lenses on? One more thing…don’t even THINK of wearing those “Cat Eyes” contacts in your photos. Sunglasses? I don’t care if they ARE Moschino or D&G, we can’t see your eyes – and that’s not a good thing. Don’t do it to yourself.

Rotating Your Pictures – Oooh…THIS is a serious “pet peeve” of mine! I gotta pose the question again people: HOW LAZY ARE YOU IF YOU DON’T BOTHER TO TAKE THE 1-2 MINUTES IT TAKES TO ROTATE A PICTURE???? It only takes a second to “right-click” on a photo to rotate it so that it appears upright, yet I get submissions every day from women who don’t bother to do this and I will be honest, I am NOT going to wear my neck out, leaning to the left or right, trying to look at a picture that hasn’t been rotated. It just tells me: YOU ARE NOT SERIOUS. Your submission is going right in the trash. Next!

INSIDER TIP #6 – If you find that (for whatever reason) you are unable to rotate your photo – find another photo to send.

Sexually Provocative or Explicit Photos/Videos– Lately I have been getting a lot of questions from models who aspire to be “Pin Up Models”, now I am not sure of WHO started this trend but I DO know that it’s not the type of model that we handle. I know absolutely NOTHING about this aspect of the business therefore I am not interested in seeing photos of you in your thong, you in your bra and/or panties or you spread eagle on your couch/bed/kitchen table with your breasts out. If you are submitting to us, it means you have already checked our site and you understand the type of business we handle. Don’t send in these types of photographs, it’s not a good look.

INSIDER TIP #7 - The same rules applies for email address that are sexually explicit or have sexual connotations to them it’s just not a good look and some folks will call your character in to question for using one (seriously). Get a professional email address, it let’s potential clients know that you are serious about what you are doing. Use your “play” email addresses for play – NOT business.

Deer in the Headlights Syndrome – It is important to convey some sort of emotion in ANY photo that you submit. Unfortunately, for some of us it’s one of the hardest things to master as a model. Most aspiring models confuse a “doe-eyed” soft, pretty look with a “Deer in the Headlights” (a wide eyed blank expression) look, where you look like a deer in the path of an oncoming truck, frozen where it stands. I find that this look comes across most when aspiring new models take pictures of themselves with their camera phones. The only thing that will help you over come this is to get in front of that mirror and camera and practice, practice, practice!

Multiple Submissions – If you have submitted your photos and didn’t get a response (see below) please DON’T hit me up on MySpace with a 2-page letter and those same photographs. Don’t mail me a letter along with your composite card that has THE SAME PHOTOS you submitted and then sent to me on MySpace. DON’T hit me up from my website and then send me THE SAME PHOTOS WITH THE SAME LETTER that you submitted online, sent to me on MySpace and then sent via the mail!!!! It’s only going to annoy me and you will only get the same response with the same pictures.

INSIDER TIP #8 – If you’re going to continue to try submitting photos, a smart, focused and driven model will, if she’s serious about her business, wait a few months before submitting again, meanwhile continuing to test to get better photos for the next time. The more you test, the more comfortable you become in front of a camera and the better your pictures will be. However, if you have submitted to the same 5 agencies 30 times already, honey give it a rest…they are simply not interested in you – Move on.

What It Means When You Get No Response To Your Submission(s) – Simply put, if you don’t get a response to your submission, it means that the agent and/or producer was not interested in what you submitted period. It doesn’t mean that you aren’t good enough; it doesn’t mean that you are unattractive; it doesn’t mean that you don’t have what it takes. It just means that, THAT particular agent is not interested in what you offered.

The tips and suggestions I have offered here are in no way a guarantee that you will get a response from every agency you submit to. However, it will greatly increase your chances of getting noticed if you get it right the first time out. These rules can also be applied to contests, competitions or any other project that you are thinking of submitting yourself for. The best advice I can give to any aspiring model is to learn your business and learn it well. Agents like to be inspired as well and they salivate over a model who is knows what she’s doing and is and stays on top of her business. The online submission form is one of the first steps in your budding career. I have given you all of the tools you need to get it right, don’t stumble here.

Good luck!

Reprinted with an addendum from the July 08 issue of Plus Model Magazine

Is it time for a “Spring Cleaning” of YOUR Career?

2008-06-03T00:40:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago I found myself in the difficult position of comforting a friend whose world had recently been turned upside down, when both her lover and her roommate abruptly moved out of her apartment on the same day. After watching her pack up the remaining belongings of her former lover and roommate and place them in bags to be given to Goodwill, I told her to try and think of all of the events that took place during the last few days as a “Spring Cleaning” of the closet of her life. It got me to thinking about “Spring Cleaning” from a model’s perspective and I wondered aloud….

Is it time for a “Spring Cleaning” of that “Closet” that’s otherwise known as your modeling career?

Let’s pull out that portfolio shall we? Open it up and take a long look…then ask yourself honestly:

Are the last photos that I shot over 6 months old?
Do I have photos in my book that are OVER 5 years old?
Do I have clippings from circular advertisements (i.e. K-Mart or Macy’s) in my book?
Does my book contain photos that are out of focus and/or dated?
Do I have photos in my book that no longer look like how I look NOW?

If you answered “Yes” to any of the above questions then it’s probably time for you to do a “Spring Cleaning” of your portfolio. If your photos are more than six months old and you aren’t getting many requests from your book, it’s probably time for you to think about testing again. On the other hand if you are still walking around with a book filled with pictures that are more than a few years old unless they are tear sheets, you should probably start removing those as well. Clients are always interested in seeing the work you’ve done but they are more interested in the “current” you.

Putting circular advertisements in your book is generally an across the board no-no. They are usually printed on newspaper quality paper and are cheaply printed and they just don’t look “professional” and that’s why most models (although we DO love getting the work don’t get it twisted) refrain from putting those particular “tears” in their books. If you have them in your book currently – EVEN if you have NO OTHER tear sheets…do yourself a favor and take them out. You can verbally TELL a client that you’ve done this sort of work if asked…you don’t HAVE to show them the actual circular. The same goes with tear sheet pages ripped from a mail order catalog. FYI, when you DO begin to acquire tear sheets please take a moment to make sure that they are evenly trimmed on all sides before you add them to your book. Neatness DOES count here - A neatly kept portfolio is a professional looking portfolio.

If you still have poor quality photos in your book from when you first started testing AND you have already gotten better photos from more recent photo shoots….then it’s time to remove all of the photos that are muddy, blurry, dated, out of focus, badly lit, overtly sexual, with poor hair and makeup jobs and just plain old bad quality photos from your book. The same goes for photos that do not show you off in a good light. Remember quality NOT quantity is what counts when it comes to building your portfolio. Start purging the photos that don’t flatter you from your book…You always want to show yourself off in the best possible light. If you have made drastic changes to your appearance since you first began building your book, such as an extreme weight loss or gain and/ or cosmetic surgery, then you will need to begin testing again and start filling your book up with photos of the way you look TODAY. No sense making clients mouths water for food they can no longer have. No one is interested in what you looked like 10 years ago.

Now that you’ve gone through your portfolio, let’s pull out those composite or Z cards….

Do you look like your current card? If you’ve changed your hair color or dropped a few sizes you will need to shoot a new comp card A.S.A.P. It is imperative that you show up to castings and jobs looking as close to the person that’s on your card as possible. If you give someone a card and they look startled and say “This is you?” while doing double takes from the card to you and back to the card…..yeah…you definitely need to shoot a new card.

Likewise if you have had the same card for more than six months and no one’s biting….the card isn’t working for you and you need to make an appointment with a photographer to start testing again.

Okay now let’s head to the closet and take a look at our wardrobe…..

Clothing: Start purging from your closets any garments that are stained, worn, missing buttons or clasps, heavily “pilled” (the fuzz balls or beads that magically appear on sweaters) or ill fitting as well as your “FAT” Clothes (lol…we all have them, clothes that fit you well when you were 30lbs heavier but you hang onto “just in case” you return to that size). You MOST certainly don’t want to bring those things on set with you to shoot in. Check your lingerie drawer make sure that you have the proper foundation garments in the proper colors (black, nude, white) to keep in your “Model Bag”. Check the foundation garments, if they are soiled, stretched out of shape, or your bras are missing hooks and eyes, or don’t support your breasts the way they used to; it’s time to go shopping for new ones. This would also be a good time to check your stock of panty hose and/or Spanx and refill as necessary.

Shoes: As a model your shoe game is VERY important and (the bigger your feet are – the more important it is), your annual spring cleaning would be a good reason to check the soles & heels on your shoes and then make appointments to get the lifts and/or soles replaced and fabric cleaned and repaired as needed. Toss any shoes that are worn beyond repair and if they hurt your feet, and this includes those "Payless Cobbie Cuddlers with The Lemon Peel Heel" (you know those wide width shoes with the 1 & 1/2 inch heel). If they “lean to the side” when you take them off or you can’t possibly walk or stand in them – sell or donate them to someone who can wear them proudly and pain free. Showing up on the set with worn down, out dated or dirty shoes is a big faux paus for any model.

Accessories: If your accessory drawer looks anything like mine…it is most definitely time for a spring cleaning of your jewelry box. Take out and toss anything that’s broken, tarnished, missing stones, snags your clothing, missing a match, never worn or isn’t your style. This also includes trinkets you got it as a gift and you lol…hate.

Makeup Tools & Cosmetics: Go through your makeup bag and toss any products that smell off or smell like ammonia (mascara & eyelash glues especially). Toss any lipsticks that feel waxy or taste funny on your lips. Get rid of broken foundations and/or cracked eye shadows that have spilled out and have ruined your bags. Throw out or give away colors that you don’t like or never wear. This would also be a good time to wash and condition your makeup brushes. If you’re a MAC Cosmetics girl, like I am, start collecting your “empties” in groups of six to return to the store for recycling and YOU get a free lip gloss, lipstick, eye shadow or pencil in exchange for EACH group of six empty product containers that you turn in!

Getting Organized: Stay on top of your paperwork! As a model who’s had the traumatizing experience of having to take an agent to court to collect back pay, I cannot stress to you how important it is for YOU TO STAY ON TOP OF YOUR PAPERWORK. Every 6 months is a good time to go through your paperwork and organize your vouchers by dates worked and then check them against your agency check stubs, so that you can track what jobs you have and haven’t been paid for. The same thing goes for receipts, gather them up, put them in order by category and then make copies for your files. Remember anything that you have to lay out the cash for in advance and then be reimbursed for later – you will need to keep a copy of the receipts for your files of what you paid and then turn in the originals with your voucher.

You should also be saving your receipts for any purchases toward your modeling career (photos, manicures, dry cleaning, clothing & shoe purchases, transportation, cosmetics…the list is endless) and then find a good accountant who can show you how you can be reimbursed for most if not all these expenses on your yearly tax returns.

If you have old checks that, for whatever reason, you have not cashed yet, cash them. A lot of checks are only valid for a few months and often times your agent will charge you additional fees if they have to void and/or reissue a check. A smart model will process her paychecks as soon as she receives them, it’s just good business.

It is not your agent’s job to keep track of your paperwork for you. It would behoove you to become your OWN personal assistant and stay on top of YOUR business. Remember, no voucher and/or no receipt means you can’t prove that you worked and if you can’t prove to the client that you worked….you won’t get paid for your work.

Now let’s head to the bathroom and take a look in the mirror:

Is your hairstyle the same style you have been wearing for the last 10 years? Is your hair a strange color: Crayola Red, Chromium Yellow, Electric Blue, Lime Green or Hot Pink? Perhaps it’s time for you to refresh your look. Would a new cut or color take years off your face? Perhaps some highlights or a rinse? Is your hair in bad need of deep conditioning or you need your ends trimmed? A fresh new cut for spring may be just the thing to turn things around for you! Do you wear wigs? Go through your wig bag and toss any wigs that are matted or have raggedy ends or outdated. Take your best wigs to the wig shop and ask them to wash and reset your wigs (if you can afford it) or you can do it yourself. Pick up the phone and make that appointment at your local beauty shop today!

But before you make that call….make sure you clear any drastic changes to your hair with your agent BEFORE you make that appointment.

Now, let’s move down to your face and let’s see what’s happening there…..

Are you still wearing the same “face” that you’ve had for the last 10 years?
Still rocking the MAC Vino lip liner with the pink lipstick filled in?
Are you (GASP!) still lining your lips with black eyeliner and then filling it in with gold and/or silver lipstick?
Are you lining your eyelids with white eye pencil?
Are you still wearing “Cleopatra” eyeliner or “Cleopatra Jones” eye makeup?
Is your foundation the correct color/shade?

If you are still doing ANY of the things on the above list it is definitely time for you to upgrade your look…it’s probably “dated” and making you look old. Go to any department store or a Sephora –like cosmetics store and get someone to help you choose the correct color foundation. Have them apply it and then GO OUTSIDE into the day light and then look at how it looks against your skin. If you look like a corpse or you look like you have a “mask” on then it’s the wrong color. Pick up the fashion magazines and start reading about what the current trends are in makeup then explore, experiment and play with new colors and shades to go with that new hairstyle. Then make a conscious decision to never wear white eyeliner OR line your lips in black EVER AGAIN!

The business of fashion is an ever changing one and in the words of Project Runway’s Heidi Klum, “As you know, in fashion, one day you are in…the next day you’re out!” In plus modeling “Spring Cleaning” is really about staying current and ahead of the trends. An annual spring cleaning of your book, look, wardrobe and business can only help you in your quest to be the best plus sized model you can be!

Reprinted with an addendum from the June 08 Issue of Plus Model Magazine

“Model” Behavior: – Taking YOUR Career Seriously (The Business of YOU)

2008-05-02T11:03:00.004-04:00

As I enter the 4 month period in my new position as a Model Booker for IPM Models, I gotta tell you….I come home every night with a new story about an aspiring model that crossed my path that day. Last month I could have easily written several more pages on the topic of Agency/Model Expectations but I only had a limited amount of space that I could work with. I promise you, I will do a second part to that article later, as many of you have given me plenty of material to pull from.

Throughout my career, I have encountered THOUSANDS of women in my travels who, when asked what they do for a living, will tell you without hesitation – I AM A MODEL. What I find is while everyone loves to SAY those four words; few are willing to seriously put in the time, money and effort it takes to have a successful career as a plus sized model. Most folks just want to SAY that because they like how it sounds and it probably makes them quite popular. It seems these days that EVERYONE thinks that they have “what it takes” to be a plus sized model and that’s what usually comes through the doors of the agency… quite literally “Everyone”. And nothing confirms that the last statement ISN’T true more than what I see at open calls and from email submissions.

I liken modeling to a high stakes world championship poker match. There are millions of dollars at stake; and there are definitive qualifications/requirements that you must to meet and rules you must know and follow, BEFORE you are allowed to participate. You CANNOT play if you don’t meet the qualifications and/or don’t know the rules. The same line of thinking applies to plus modeling and many of you don’t bother to take the time to learn the rules or you already know them and believe that you are the exception to the rule. Anyone who thinks that all you need is to be big and have a pretty face, is seriously fooling themselves. The business of plus modeling is a billion dollar business and if YOU don’t take YOUR business seriously, I promise you, you will wind up wasting a lot of your time and hard earned money.

Right now I am speaking directly to the aspiring model who is trying to ascend from a career on a local level to a career in the industry mainstream.

The rules of the game on the local level can be drastically different from the “industry standards” and I most definitely want to cover those topics as well at a later date.

Basic Qualifications:

a) Are you at least 5’8’ tall barefoot?

I have hired models who were 5’6” because their faces were extraordinary, they took great photos and they had that “something special” about them that made it hard for me to stop looking at them and that’s REALLY important if you want to be “the exception to the rule”. This is probably one of the easiest places to take some er…liberties with. But let’s face it I’m probably not going to sign you if you are 5’3”. There isn’t anything in the mainstream market for you at 5’3” at them moment besides the occasional fit jobs or “Real People” modeling.

b) Do You Have Clear Skin/Complexion?

I have covered this in past articles, I really do believe it’s self explanatory – clear skin is a must, so if your skin isn’t up to par yet…seek out a dermatologist, buy some Proactive, get some fade cream for the dark spots, drink more water – I don’t care WHAT you have to do, just do it BEFORE you come to see me. I can’t and won’t send you out to see clients if your skin is a mess! Get your skin together first! This way NO ONE’S time is wasted.

c) Are You Between Sizes 8 – 18?

Yes, I said a size 8! The industry is quietly discriminatory to plus sized models and many clients are reverting back to the old days of hiring a decidedly smaller model and then padding them up to make the clothes fit. Look more closely at some of the current window display ads for some of the major plus sized stores? Notice anything off? It doesn’t seem to matter that the models look like little girls playing in their mother’s clothing – all that seems to matter is that their faces are slimmer. The fashion industry has standards across the board for the type of model they are looking for because it’s a business and history has shown them what works and what does not. It seems to me that if you are outside of the size range that they are requesting and this is the business you SAY you want to be in, then why wouldn’t you get down to the size you need to be if you are as SERIOUS about your career as you say you are? The likelihood of the industry adjusting their standards to fit your personal needs is pretty much slim to none. It’s easier for you to come to them, the way they want – they simply are not going to come to you.

d) Are Your Measurements Fairly Even (i.e. 40-35-40)

Your measurements don’t have to be perfect, but they should be in balance. You have some liberties here as well. However if ONE of your measurements is grossly disproportionate (i.e. 40-35-60 or 60-38-40 etc.) or just plain odd, you are going to have a lot of problems with garments properly fitting your body. Some things can be adjusted with simple diet and exercise, while others might need more drastic steps. But again, it all depends on how seriously YOU take the BUSINESS of YOU.

e) Are Your Facial Features in Balance?

People rarely talk about this one; they’ll say it behind your back but will most likely be uncomfortable saying it in your face. Your features are very important as well, you can have the prettiest face in the world but if your features are not in alignment with the rest of your face –you’re going to have problems. When I first went to Wilhelmina seeking a contract, the first thing Susan Georget told me was that I could make a lot more money if I were willing to close the gap between my front teeth. I hesitated, mainly because I had become quite attached to my gap, for a few days and then I made an appointment to see my dentist to have it bonded. And she was right, I began working almost immediately and my smile is my “moneymaker” it’s the number 1 thing I am most requested for AND the bonding is removable, should I ever want my gap back. Extremely large foreheads, receding hairlines, noticeable scars, large or oddly shaped noses, lazy or crossed eyes, buck and/or protruding teeth, gaps are some of the facial flaws that might stand out in a picture first rather than your natural beauty. If you are not willing to fix the flaws that are detracting from your photos that says to me that you are not serious about the business you say you want to be in AND you probably won’t work much.

f) Are You Photogenic?

I have come across some very pretty women in my travels and since I usually have my camera with me, if I see someone who I think might have “the Look”, I will approach and ask them if I can take some photographs of them. Usually, I can tell from those few photos if I am going to give you my card or not. Pretty does not always equate photogenic just as Odd or quirky looks do not equate non-photogenic and trust me - the photogenic model is what ALL agencies are looking for. It’s the model that has the “IT” factor. It’s the chick who can convey emotion using her eyes alone. It’s the chick that can “get the shot” quickly and things like that. The first thing I’m going to look at in your photos is what jumps out at me first (and that’s where those “flaws” come in). At the end of the day, being a model is ALWAYS about YOU and the relationship you have with the CAMERA. I don’t think it’s anything that can be forced either, the camera doesn’t lie, it either loves you or it doesn’t. Before you spend a ridiculous amount of money on photographers & testing on your own, get yourself a digital camera (or a disposable one if digital isn’t in your budget yet) and have some start taking photos of you, so you can get comfortable in front of a camera and learn how your face works so you can determine if you have what the camera loves.

g) Are You Prepared Financially to Get Started Immediately?

The overhead for the new model can be quite high, and the first thing I am going to ask you if I am interested in signing you is: “Do you have a job and/or money?” If the answer to this is “no” or “not at the moment” then I am going to suggest that you come back when you have one or the other – preferably some immediate disposable income. You will need at LEAST $1500-$2000 to get started. If I am seriously interested in signing you then I want you to shoot/test with photographers that I already know can get the job done. Hair & makeup are generally included in the photographer costs but I will want to hire a stylist who can put together the looks that I want/need for you to start working quickly and that’s additional. Then you have to get composite cards and actual prints to put in your portfolios (yours and the in-house book) which you will have to pay for as well. If your agency has a website, you will probably have to pay an annual fee to be on it – and if it isn’t mandatory by the agencies yet, it will be soon. The lists of expenses associated with plus modeling can run high but that initial cost listed above should cover most of these things you need to get started.

h) Can you walk in a heel that’s at LEAST 2 ½ inches or higher?

While there is a distinct shortage of runway shows for plus models at the moment, you still will have to WEAR a heel most of the time AND you will need to be able to balance yourself in them. You will need to be able to carry yourself gracefully in those shoes so that when you are on the set taking photos you won’t look like you are uncomfortable or are in pain. If you don’t know how to walk when I sign you I probably won’t have a hissy fit, since I can teach you but most of you will NOT get the benefit of having an in house coach and private lessons are not cheap! Big changes are quietly happening in the plus model industry and I strongly suggest you learn how to develop your runway strut now. The Plus Academy (http://www.theplusacademy.com/) is an excellent school based in Manhattan that gives instructional runway classes.

i) Can You Handle Rejection Comfortably?

Heck, NONE of us like rejection but rejection is 75% of this business for most models and if you take every “no” personally, you are going to wear yourself out and/or down by always trying to “figure out what you did wrong”. Always remember that it’s almost never about YOU the model….it’s always about the client and the product that they are trying to sell. They might actually LOVE you as a person but perhaps you are simply not a right fit for what they are trying to sell. Say thank you, leave the audition and then shake it off and go on to your next audition without missing a beat. Try not to dwell on the jobs that you don’t get, it will only drive you crazy. It’s always business, almost never personal and if you can’t wrap your mind around that, this isn’t the business for you.

Speaking as someone who has already traveled down the road you are on, I implore you to take a moment to at LEAST learn the basic qualifications needed to begin a career as a plus model before you show up on the doorsteps of a major agency. The information IS out there and all you need is access to a computer or a book, do yourself a favor and find out as much as you can about the business you want to be in before you get started. Treat your open call as a job interview (Be properly groomed, wear proper undergarments, have the necessary documents/items needed and bring a pen!) and prepare accordingly because that’s exactly what it is. The Plus Sized industry is slowly changing right before our eyes. Will YOU be prepared when change comes?

One more thing, thanks for all of the wonderful comments and emails you all have been sending me; I am glad to be able to share my information with folks who need it. If you all have a specific topic that you’d like me to cover or a question that you need an answer to, you can send me an email at Origrunwaydiva@aol.com and I will be happy to accommodate you!

(reprinted from May 08 issue Plus Model Magazine)

“Surround yourself with positive people & positive things!”

Agency/Model Expectations: What Your Agent Expects from YOU

2008-04-02T10:58:00.003-04:00

“Model” Behavior Part 3 - Agency/Model Expectations

What YOUR Agent Expects from YOU

One of the biggest misconceptions in the plus modeling industry today is the belief that once you secure an agent – it’s all “gravy” from there, you don’t have to do anything but sit back and the work will just begin to pour in. Well anyone who has been in this situation learns quickly that this is most certainly NOT what happens, if anything you will have to work even harder once you sign on the dotted line. Many models come to me with preconceived notions of what we are supposed to do for you as “Your Agent” but what you really need to understand is this: There are certain things that are expected from YOU “The Model” when you sign on the dotted line with an agent or agency. And unless you have a clear cut understanding of what those expectations are…your career will quickly begin to feel like you are on a treadmill….Working hard but getting no where. So in an effort to prevent you from being on that treadmill; I put together a list of some of the things that your agent/booker will expect of you as an aspiring model if they decide to bring you on as a client.

Your Agent/Booker Expects:

· For YOU to be groomed – At all times! - I have held and participated in enough model castings to be absolutely horrified at the way some aspiring models choose to show up at castings and open calls. I have watched more women come through my office in ill fitting clothing, hair a mess, with no makeup on and/or dressed more provocatively then you can imagine.

Aspiring models, I have a question for you:

Why on earth would you come to a MODELING agency NOT looking your ABSOLUTE BEST??
And then expect me to cut you a break and sign you anyway??? Agents perk up when they get a chick that comes through their doors well groomed, well spoken and fashion forward (Note: I said fashion forward – NOT trendy). That means that’s less work that THEY have to do and MORE clients they can send you to see. Clients love to see beautiful women walk through their doors, they don’t want to see women whose hard lives show on their faces. It is imperative that you look your absolute best when you go on an audition or a casting. If you don’t wear make up everyday, at the very least keep your “face” (powder, mascara & lip gloss) in your bag at all times, so that when that last minute call for an audition comes, becoming “camera ready” is only a bathroom away.

Your Agent/Booker Expects:

· For YOU to be proactive & enthusiastic about YOUR career – Agents/Bookers LOVE models who are “hungry” and focused about their careers. If you don’t want to fall through the cracks and be forgotten by your agent/booker (and yes, this DOES happen), then you need call or send an email and check in with your agent at MINIMUM once a week, to “see if anything’s happening”. And know that a lot of those times, there won’t be anything happening at the moment but this simple action keeps you fresh in your booker’s mind and it shows that you are taking an interest in your career rather than sitting home waiting for the phone to ring.

Your Agent/Booker Expects:

· For YOU to be prepared to get to work on YOUR career immediately – It really hurts my feelings when a model with a whole lot of potential comes to me and SAYS she’s ready to get started but then blanches when I explain the costs involved with beginning a career as a plus sized model. The overhead is ridiculous and I can honestly say that you should be prepared to spend at LEAST $1500-$2000 dollars just to cover the costs of getting started. The first thing you have to do is “Test” with a “recommended” photographer to start putting your composite card together. Depending on the photographer, the rate can be as low as $500 and as high as $800 (hair & makeup are usually included). This is where most models will try to cut costs – and while it’s kinda “cool” if you have a “hook-up” with a photographer, if he can’t get the shots that we want on you then free or not, the photos are useless to us. We also don’t want the same photographer to shoot your entire book. We recommend certain photographers because we already KNOW they can produce the shots we want. Once YOU are more comfortable in front of the camera and can “deliver” the shot – you might be allowed more leeway with photographers that we may not be familiar with.

We generally will suggest that you hire a stylist ($200-$300) for your shoot to get the look and clothing you need. A stylist can see your body in a different light than you can AND they usually have access to clothing that you wouldn’t be able to get normally. I find that most models are pretty bad at styling themselves and there is nothing worse than spending hundreds of dollars on a photo shoot and the clothes look bad.

After the photos are done, to get you seen by clients quickly, your photos will need to be immediately uploaded to your agency’s website and that will probably run you another $200 (usually in the form of an annual fee).

Special note to all: There will be little room for you to avoid this particular fee (website) in the future, as I find that most clients prefer to go to a website and check out photos rather than receiving a whole bunch of comp cards in the mail to go through.

And since we are on the subject of composite cards, once your photos are selected, printed and retouched (and yeah, you have to pay for that too), you will need to get a comp card made to take along with you on your castings as well as a portfolio to put your photos in. Composite cards will generally run you about $150 for 100 cards. Agency rates for portfolios with your agency logo on it vary from agency to agency but you WILL have to pay for that as well.

Oh yeah…one more thing……there is NO fee to sign with an reputable agency, if someone asks you for a fee to sign a contract – leave skid marks getting away from them…they are trying to scam you out of your hard earned money.

If I think that you’ve got “It”, of course I am going to want to get you in front of a camera A.S.A.P.! I am not going to be interested in signing you if you can’t get your funds together for another 4-6 months – It will only waste your time and mine. Save up your money and come back and see me when you are fully prepared get started.

Your Agent/Booker Expects:

· For YOU to listen to & follow the advice that you are given and trust that we know what we are doing - Over the last few months, I have gotten more phone calls and emails that begin with the phrase “My agent over at “such and such” agency isn’t getting me any work, could I sign on with you?” Well the first thing I am going to ask you is to see your book and your cards. The problem generally lies in either, your book or your card, more than likely one or both are probably weak. If I sit down put a composite card together and after 3-6 months you aren’t getting any “hits” or requests for your presence off your card/book – then your card/book simply isn’t strong enough and it’s time to shoot new photos. Perhaps it’s your “look” that’s dated and it may be time to update yourself. It annoys me when models argue and/or ignore me and think they’re going to continue sitting on the board with that same old card (and trust me this happens all day long) that’s getting negative or no feedback at all. Unbeknownst to YOU, WE are already getting feedback from clients and they have no problems telling us what they like and don’t like about a particular model. This feedback is generally our motivation for telling you it’s time for you to shoot new pictures. If we advise you NOT to put the photos that are on your card, on our website and in your book on your MySpace/Black Planet pages then by all means, do what we ask. MySpace is notorious for having er…”questionable” folks check out your photos and then either steal them and use them for their own purposes. If someone contacts you regarding booking you and/or viewing your portfolio, send them the link to your agency’s website and let your agent take it from there.

Your Agent/Booker Expects:

· For YOU to know your worth – As a “Runway Diva” myself, I understand the joys of wanting to be in a show and walking the runway. Unfortunately, there is a considerable lack of runway work these days for plus sized models; so our only access to runway work are usually shows that are on the local level. And while these shows can definitely be fun, there comes a time when, as your career grows, there will be certain shows that you should choose to no longer be associated with. The time will come in every model’s life when you must ask yourself the “hard” questions:

Ø How will MY doing YOUR show benefit me?
Ø Am I being paid (be it cash, clothing or photos)?
Ø If my "pay' is in photo form - are these photographs that I can actually use in my book?
Ø Will there be someone influential in the audience who can further my career/dreams?
Ø Will my being in your show help or hurt my image?

If you ask yourselves the questions and are not satisfied with the answers, then you probably should not be doing that particular show/event. When YOU don’t know YOUR worth, it only makes our jobs harder. How can we ask/expect clients to pay market rates for you and you are out doing every cheesy $50 show that you are asked to be a part of. The top girls in this business won’t even be SEEN at poorly put together productions – they already know it’s all about protecting their “image”.

In the end the plus modeling business is the same as any other business – It is exactly that – A BUSINESS and you get out of it what you put into it. If you are expecting me to invest my time and resources in YOUR career then I will expect nothing less that the EXACT SAME commitment from you.

(reprinted from Apr 08 issue Plus Model Magazine)

The 7 Deadly Sins for a Plus Sized Model

2008-03-13T12:06:00.002-04:00

Part 2: The 7 Deadly Sins for a Plus Model

This month's article comes from my many experiences as a casting producer for Mo'Nique's F.A.T. Chance and from my new experiences as a model booker for IPM Models. We have weekly open calls and I repeatedly amazed at the lack of knowledge that aspiring plus sized models have about the tools needed to begin a career as a plus sized model. Listed below is a list that I have put together over the years and I like to call it "The 7 Deadly Sins of Plus Modeling." It consists of the things that I see over and over again in new aspiring models and I can pretty much guarantee that if you show up for a casting or and open call sporting one of the things on this list.....You will work infrequently or in most cases....not at all.

1. Bad Teeth/Gold Teeth - When was the last time you saw an advertisement (that wasn't for a dentist) using a model who had gold teeth, missing and/or bad teeth? Dare I say never? That's pretty much because those are not the sort of things that can sell a product and always remember that at the end of the day...it's ALWAYS about SELLING THE PRODUCT!! A beautiful smile can be captivating and it definitely can boost sales of a product. That's not to say that you cannot have a great career with not-so-great teeth, supermodel Paulina Porizkova managed to do this for years but the flip side of her story is that she took EXTRAORDINARY photos whether she smiled or not. But remember that her story is the exception NOT the rule.

Bottom line: See a dentist and get that smile in order before you start your career!

2. Body graffiti/Tattoos – I don't know what this new trend is regarding tattoos, a small tattoo can be beautiful – body graffiti is a totally different matter. Why would you think that someone is going to hire you for their ad campaign when you show up at the casting with a panther tattooed up and down the length of your leg OR your name is written in large script letters on your breast OR you have a memorial tribute to your mom emblazoned on your neck!!!?? It's MUCH easier for the client to go with someone who will not have the staff spending hours trying to cover up 5-6 tattoos.

Bottom Line: A small tattoo in a place that will generally NOT be photographed is cool any thing other than that and you risk losing the job to someone who's skin is unmarked.

3. Poor Personal Hygiene/Bad skin – I have been on many a set where a model shows up er..."less than fresh", this is just not good no matter how you slice it. You run the risk of soiling the clothes and becoming fodder for the gossip mills and possibly ruining your relationship with the client. Bad skin pretty much speaks for itself, models are supposed to be picture perfect and while most flaws these days can be fixed with retouching as I said earlier – it's much easier for the client to hire someone who has clear skin from the start.

Bottom Line: See a dermatologist about getting your skin cleared up and always keep a washcloth, soap, deodorant & wet wipes in your model bag at all times!

4. Bad Attitude/Low or No Energy – I have had women come to open calls who can barely speak loud enough for me to hear their names. I have interviewed women on the road who come in with some of the worst attitudes I have ever seen. The name of the game is "selling YOU". As a booker, I can get you the appointment to see a client but after that – it's all on you. You must be able to convey to that client that you are the best possible choice for them and they are making a big mistake if they miss out on all of the gloriousness that is you. You simply cannot do that if you walk in with a funky attitude or you are apathetic about everything that comes your way. It's much easier for the client to hire someone who THEY believe can sell their product. If you cannot impress me when you come to my open call, then why would I take the next step of signing you and setting you loose on a client who is used to me sending them the best of the best?

Bottom Line: Your attitude and energy speaks volumes to a potential client, if you know you woke up on the wrong side of the bed – get yourself together BEFORE you leave your home and if you simply cannot pull yourself together, STAY AT HOME. I believe it's better to pass on a casting than to show up and leave a bad taste in the client's mouth about you. Remember the model that has a bad day, is the model who doesn't work on that particular day.

5. Crazy Colored Hair/Hairstyles – Natural hair seems to be all the rage at the moment. While I happen to think that big, beautiful afros are wonderful, I also know that not everyone can pull off that look and quite frankly nothing limits your possibilities more than being a "one-trick pony". I have come across women who are so rigid about their hair that it's just ridiculous. If you insist upon wearing your hair the same way all the time, then I won't be able to work with you. It will keep you in that "box" labeled "Ethnic" and for a model who wants to be in the" mainstream" - that's just not a box that you want to be in. The same rules apply to that Kool-Aid red color that you just put in your hair last week or to the micro braids that you just spent a small fortune having done.

Bottom Line: Be a chameleon. Learn to adapt and overcome obstacles. If you are reluctant about applying chemicals to your natural hair, then invest in some excellent wigs and/or weaves. Try to avoid getting stuck in a fashion rut. Learn to reinvent yourself when necessary. Versatility is the key to success in this industry.

6. Poor posture/Low self esteem – A woman that has her stuff together walks tall, with her head held up high, ready to face the challenges of the world. This is exactly what you need to win over a casting director. Confidence is sexy and we all know that sexy sells. I see women all over the country who will TELL me that they love themselves and that they are confident but their body language tells me something completely different. Slumped over shoulders, the inability to look me in the eye when we are conversing, and even the way you dress are all tell tale signs of low self esteem. In the business of modeling where you get rejected 75% of the time everyday, there is absolutely no room for a model that is unsure of herself or doesn't feel good enough about herself to "make it happen". You won't last a minute in this business if you don't have your self esteem in check.

Bottom Line: It's only business, it's rarely personal. But if you cannot wrap your mind around the way things work in this business and/or you get angry each time you go on a casting that you don't get – find another business to be in, this one isn't for you.

7. Being Unprepared – Sigh...how many shows or sets have I been on where a model doesn't have all the things she needs in her bag. Be it shoes, a robe, body foundations, pantyhose, you name it, I have heard it. The veterans know that a model bag is the key. Ask in advance what you need to bring on set and then have it in your bag when you arrive. If you know you have big feet and always have to bring shoes with you, make sure you pack the basics (Black, gold, silver, maybe a white shoe and a clear one). You don't know what kind of substitution you will get if you don't have what you need in your bag...but I bet you won't like it.

Bottom Line: Be prepared at all times. You don't want to lose a job because you didn't bring what the client requested. Have your model bag on standby and ready to go at all times.

Now of course I could go on and on, but the 7 "Sins" that I have listed above are at the top of all of my lists. However an honorable mention goes out for the following lesser offenses: Outdated/Raggedy Shoes, Body Piercings and Ill fitting clothing. It takes a lot of work to make it as a successful plus sized model. If you think you have what it takes, I hope that you will read all of the articles that I write and then make changes as necessary.

I wish you all nothing but success!.

(reprinted from Mar 08 issue Plus Model Magazine)

"Model" Behavior

2008-02-11T19:09:00.000-05:00

As a veteran plus sized model with many years both behind and in front of the camera under my belt, I am shocked at the alarming trend of “Models Behaving Badly” amongst the growing number of aspiring plus sized models. I decided to pen this particular article after a dinner conversation among several industry notables turned to the subject of photo shoots and the behavior of the models. As veterans to the business we know there are rules spoken and unspoken as well as etiquette seen and unseen in the business of plus sized fashion. With it being a new year and all, I figured this would be a great time to start reviewing some them for those of you who are either already in or thinking of entering the plus model industry.

Punctuality – As a casting producer I have heard and seen MANY a horror story about models who show up hours late for castings, bookings and/or shows and many without any sort of excuse at all. Be warned, this is the kiss of death for ANY model whether you’re a newbie or a pro. Why? Because TIME IS MONEY, (even when YOU are not being paid). Producers spend LOTS of money to book studio time for castings. Clients spend LOTS of money for photographers for their campaigns. Photographers spend LOTS of money to rent space and hire a crew for a shoot. Agents spend LOTS of time and energy selling you to clients hoping to receive a return on their investment (YOU). And so on and so on…..Get the point? When a model shows up on the set late, leaves early or (Gasp!) doesn’t show up at all…EVERYONE pays for it – including you. Bad news spreads like wildfire in fashion circles and clients will be reluctant to hire you if you build a reputation for being unreliable.

 Be On Time!! Plan your route ahead of time if you know you have to travel. It’s better to be a few minutes early than late. A late model is a non-working model.

Open and Closed Sets – It is not uncommon to be a little nervous on the set of a photo shoot, particularly if it’s your first one and your nerves are a little unsteady. I don’t really care for the idea of bringing someone other than your agent or manager on set with you unless you are underage and parental presence is required. If you absolutely positively MUST have someone with you, please have the common courtesy to clear it in advance with either your Set Producers and/or photographer and then have your guest bring a good book to read. I STRONGLY recommend that you do NOT bring your husband/boyfriend/partner/significant other with you. Personal emotions can (and usually will) run high during photo sessions and that sort of energy can destroy the chemistry between the photographer & the model and ruin the entire shoot.

 Leave the personal bodyguard at home. His or her presence and/or opinions are not required on the set.

Questioning the Staff & Crew – This comes from a story of a model who came on to the set of a photo shoot with not a clue about what was involved in her job, from the hours she was booked to the rate of pay she was to receive. Not knowing who was in charge, she took it upon herself to ask anyone on set that she could find (Photographers, MUA’s, hairstylists, photographer assistants etc…everyone EXCEPT the producer) a million questions. This is another “no-no”. Not only does this make you look like a rank amateur who doesn’t know how to “handle her business” but it makes your agent look bad as well. These are all things that your agent should have briefed you with before you arrived on set or questions that YOU should have asked BEFORE you finalized the booking. At any rate, the only person you should be basing these questions to is the person who booked you for the gig. No one else on set knows the answers…it’s not their business to know your business– it’s YOURS.

 Talk to your agent/booker – know ALL the facts about the gig BEFORE you arrive at work.

Discussing Rates – Now I don’t know where this particular trend started but as long as I have been a working model, it has ALWAYS been in poor taste to discuss pay rates on (or off ) the set. There are many reasons that a model’s rate can (and will) vary. It can be a simple as the amount of experience that a model has versus a newbie or it may be that one model can be relied upon to “deliver” the shot quicker than another….the point is that it all depends upon the client and his or her particular tastes and budgets. It is foolish to assume that you would make the same rate as someone who may have more experience than you. Most models will clam up immediately if you mention the subject of rates and conversations like these can breed animosity between models and it makes everyone on the set uncomfortable. Models do talk and inevitably SOMEONE will blab about it and it WILL get back to the client.

 Discussing pay always makes people uncomfortable - Clients HATE it when models discuss rates and I guarantee you that if you do this – YOU WILL NEVER WORK FOR THAT CLIENT AGAIN. Make sure that YOU are getting the amount that you agreed on before you arrive and then don’t bring it up again.

Gossiping - We all know that most people in general can’t resist a juicy piece of gossip. So needless to say when you have to sit for 1 to 2 hours in a chair getting your hair and makeup done, you are pretty much held hostage by whoever is working on you. Or you could be backstage in group waiting for a show to begin. No matter the situation, more often than not someone will start talking, and for a model that’s new to the business, enthusiasm can take over and next thing you know you are just telling all of your business to a roomful of strangers. Newsflash! As big as the fashion industry is, it really is quite small; EVERYONE knows someone who knows someone else. And since people DO talk, a secret is never really a secret and you really don’t want your name to start tasting good in someone else’s mouth. Keep your personal dalliances, sexual preferences and off set behavior to yourself if you don’t want to be the topic of conversation.

 MYOB!!! Mind Your Own Business, be polite, bring a book or an IPod, relax and chill quietly until it’s time for you to go work!

Remember that a working model is the model who can get in, get the job done quickly and get out without incident.

Live Your Dreams!

**Reprinted from February 2008 issue of Plus Model Magazine**

Mannequin or "Freeze" Modeling

2008-01-11T19:02:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

When I was first given this assignment I thought it would actually be a breeze to write. As I googled “Mannequin Modeling” to get as much information as possible, I quickly realized that I had my work cut out for me because there appeared to be some confusion as to what “Mannequin Modeling” really is. So I put out some feelers to my model friends in the industry and the feedback was truly interesting.

Mannequin modeling, also known as “Freeze” modeling, is defined as:

“Learning how to be so stationary, that people are not sure if you are really real. Generally used for store windows or for an event to draw people in, the human model poses as a lifelike mannequin and may make subtle movements to attract onlookers and draw curiosity.”

The trend began in the mid 1970s, when Abraham & Straus’ Flagship Store which was located in Downtown Brooklyn, put Mannequin modeling on the map. Linda Timmins, head of the division at the time, selected one juvenile and one ingénue with "The Editorial Look" from each of the high schools across the Brooklyn and Manhattan areas. These "Mannequin Models" would pose for up to an hour at a time in the windows of the store as "Living Mannequins" wearing classic designer clothes to the fashions of the day designed by Nik Nik and Pierre Cardin. The living mannequins in the windows became and instant smash and eventually the store had to stop live mannequin modeling in their front store windows as the crowds became so large that they would stop traffic and it (the crowds) became a safety hazard. Ultimately, Abraham & Straus eventually had to restrict their living mannequins to model INSIDE their flagship store or face stiff penalties from the City of New York. But the ploy worked even with the models inside…the crowds would come every season to see them. But like all good things…the trend began to fade somewhat in the mid eighties with the rise of the “Supermodel”.

I recall seeing a resurfacing of the trend in the early 90’s when I was a new model on the scene and Brooklyn based designer Moshood used living mannequins to bring traffic to his Fort Greene boutique. As I began putting this article together, I thought of my own personal experiences in this field. I can only remember one. It was also in the 90’s and the setting was inside a mall in New Jersey. There were about 10 models, both male & female and we worked in half hour shifts. We were on platforms, in transparent cages, displaying clothes from different designers. Alas, my memories of this are not good ones, because being a bit of a “fidget” myself, I found it extremely hard to stand still for 45 minutes and NOT play around with the crowds. Many of the models that I interviewed for this article expressed the same or similar opinions. It requires a great amount of focus, concentration and some athletic ability to maintain a difficult pose for a long time.

Ashley Stewart used this technique a few years ago to draw attention to their new store on 34th Street and I also saw the technique in use at a recent Full Figured & Fabulous competition in Atlanta. Most recently we used mannequin modeling as an assignment on my episode of MTV’s MADE with Krystine Kauffman. We put her in lingerie and then had her pose in the windows for passersby, it was a great way to get her to be comfortable with her body in front of people and she did well… but unfortunately, the scene didn’t make the final edit.

The rate of pay depends on the client and it can vary drastically…On the local level, I have heard of rates being as low as $10.00 an hour to a flat rate for the day. There also seems to be a bit of confusion between Mannequin Modeling and Fit Modeling. The two divisions are vastly different, as with fit modeling it’s truly about the business. You are hired for your measurements and you are NOT allowed to make any changes to your body, lest you lose your job. But with a couple of steady clients, a few hours a week, a fit model can supplement your income lovely. Mannequin modeling, in my opinion seems to fall under the category of entertainment more than anything else.

Unlike in the 70’s, these days, with children are coming out of the womb wearing a size 12…there appears to be less of a need to appear to have the body attributes of an actual size 2 mannequin and more about how you look in the clothing you are placed in. I have seen a definite rise in the trend of using plus sized models in this manner to bring more attention to a store…The message seems to be timeless… If you can get them to stop and look at the window…you can get them to come inside. As stores and designers look for new and innovative ways to bring more attention to their businesses, I can definitely see more opportunities for aspiring models in this arena in the future.

Live Your Dreams!

*Reprinted from the December 2007 Issue of Plus Model Magazine*

Tips on NAILING your F.A.T. Chance Audition

2007-07-03T12:57:00.000-04:00

Subject: FAT CHANCE CHICAGO AUDITION

Dear Ms. Sharon,

I attended the Ms. F.A.T Chance audition last week in Chicago, and I must say that when I left there, I left very disgusted,disappointed & embarrassed. What was I thinking, that I spent so much time trying to put together a decent & lady-like outfit for that audition, for the judges to end up picking, the most half-dressed, boobs popping out, tight clothes wearing, don't fit looking, half naked big girls...WTF!!! Didn't it say on Moniques website to "wear clothes that fit"? It just made me feel,like nobody acknowledged or chose any of the poised, well dressed , or classy young women that were there & representing. Those same females that didn't have to be tight, loud and obnoxious. Is that really what tv and ratings are all about ? Is it really so bad to say that you are confident and want to be a "role model for all the plus size women of the world"?, and dress like one! Maybe I just don't understand what the competition is about, or is it about getting some ghetto hoochie that can get a makeover, and be molded into miss F.A.T ? I bet alot of those girls there would agree with me, that hoochies ( no disrespect to those that were picked), were all that was chosen in Chicago.

And don't let me start on one of the guys in your group. I don't know if he was a judge or what, but as I was coming out of the "interview room", one guy said "ladies we have snacks & water at the table". This other fool turned to him and said with a sarcastic laugh, and I quote," I don't think you need to tell them that there are snacks here, they'll find them". Now wtf did that mean? Am I just taking that comment the wrong way, or is it that, because I'm fat I don't need to be directed to the goodies, I should just automatically be able to sniff em' out like some hog? Please tell me "babygirl". Just so you know Im not angry or disgruntled because I didnt get picked. I made some new friends, and it was a learning experience for me. This was my second time trying out, and I doubt if I try out again, because it's obvious that Im just not what Monique's F.A.T Chance is looking for.

HOLLA BACK!

Sonya

It always disheartens me when someone doesn't get chosen for this competition and then decides to write me angry and funky letters to let off steam. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be a role model but I gotta tell you that if that's all you said....then I already know why you didn't get selected. But I digress....I have been receiving these sorts of letters since the casting ended and I have decided to reprint the blog I wrote on Oomph.net to respond to the negativity all at one time. I hope that you decide to read it and I hope that it helps you to understand what you need to do in order to stand out. It is SO much more about what's in your heart and less about how you dress.

If you decide to read the entire blog and wish to send me another email...please feel free to do so.

Thanks

Sharon

Greetings Family!

I am just returning home from the casting calls in Los Angeles, Chicago & Dallas. I had a wonderful time and just as I suspected, my inbox was filled with letters...a few from ladies who didn't get chosen but understood the overall vibe of the event and had a great time meeting and making new friends....the rest of the letters are from angry and/or disgruntled contestants who didn't make the cut.

I am posting pieces from each of the letters so you can get a "Feel" for the type of emails I am receiving:

"When we first got there and they took us into a room to be interviewed there was about 20 girls with me and no one had time to really say anything. I know you said it's not how you look it's about your story and believe me I am not upset because I wasn't chosen but, how are they supposed to hear our story if you are only given 15 seconds to talk? Alot of the women I talked to there were hurt some even crying because they were not chosen. I was under the impression that this pagent was all about women who are confident, and love the way that they look......."

"I thought a confident woment with presence and grace was what the judges were looking for but I guess I had it wrong. I was very upset and confused. The girls who were choosen from my group cried and had a sob story. I felt upset because I pride myself on being strong. I personally dont like to cry but I accept the fact that I might have to shed a couple of tears now and than but I dont try to for camera sake. I love me and I wear heels everyday. A FAT women to me is confident and assertive but I left feeling as though a FAT confident women wasn't what the producers wanted but a sad unconfident women. I'm none of those things."

"I remember you telling me before i even opened my moth was that" you look like Joanne, the season one winner". Obviously that was a bad thing because I was cut. Then later on as the day went on I seen more and more women get through that did not look put together."

"How do I shine under the nervous pressure?"

"Only a hand full (about 6 or 7) real FAT girls were chosen and the rest were these fake-a$$ FAT girls that were crying about how they wanted to lose weight and were uncomfortable being FAT, their families don't love them, blah, blah, blah."

As much as I would like to answer all of your emails personally, I am not able to do that at this time....so I will address the overall question in these letters:

What did I do wrong in my interview and how can I make it better?

As I have said from the beginning, there is no real "Trick" to "Wowing" the judges. You have to speak the story that is unique to you and you alone and you have to be passionate about whatever resonates in you. Passion does not necessarily mean tears.....and believe me...we know crocodile tears when we see them. There is no wrong here....it's about whatever comes out of your heart/mouth/soul that stands out to whomever you are interviewing with....and I can tell you this....it varies from producer to producer.

No one is sitting around deciding what types will be chosen and there is no contest for who cries the loudest and the longest. What appears to be a sob story to you may be something totally different to whoever the producer is. So changing your story to a sad one probably would not have helped you. You didn't do anything wrong....someone one else just did it better or made it more interesting. And I can't make it more honest than that.

From the moment your number is NOT called you have approximately 365 days to step your game up, live your life, do something you've never done before, change your way of thinking/living.....and then come back and tell us how your life is different from the last time you saw us....but the key is to speak from you heart and be passionate about whatever you are talking about.

How are they supposed to hear our story if you are only given 15 seconds to talk?

Lol...this is a very funny question to me....first of all 15 seconds is a bit of an exaggeration....you got more time than that! Not a whole lot more but more. And secondly....Babygirl!!! Welcome to show business....for every person that thinks that "15 Seconds" is not a lot of time....there's fifty people who will take that 15 seconds and tell you exactly what you need to hear. It's about thinking on your feet! Make it the most AWESOME 15 seconds of your life!....you have no choice...do it in the time allotted or go home and practice and get it right next year. And remember that no one is going to "Pull it out of you"...if you drone on during your 15 seconds and bore the hell out of me....I'm going to move on to the next person. It's an auditon people...it's not SUPPOSED to be easy.

We have to see hundreds sometimes thousands of people in one day. The selection process is not easy at all....it's really about finding a way to stand out in the time that you're given....and if you're going to be in this business at all.....get used to being quick on your feet or you'll get passed by.
And no, looking similar to a prior contestant will neither hurt nor help you. If I say that to you I am truly paying you a compliment. Take it as that and nothing more.

What are the producers looking for?

This is another question that I get all the time....usually right outside of the ballroom after the selections have been made.....And the answer is this:

I don't really know what each individual producer is looking for and often times...THEY don't know until they SEE it! Please know that all though this IS a beauty competition.....true beauty often comes from within and it enhances the beauty on the outside....

THOUSANDS of women come out for these auditions and to select 10 women (this year 5) they have to be REALLY SPECIAL to stand out from the pack. In order to have a fair representation of the extensive variety of plus sized women...you have to have variety...everyone can not look the same or tell the same story....it's boring as hell.

It's simply not enough to have a pretty face....pretty faces are a dime a dozen. It's not enough to have the "hourglass shape" and be bootylicious! and it is most certainly not about being a "professional plus sized model" (this is really the Kiss of Death..ya'll...they REALLY aren't looking for professionals)...as many of you love to say in your interviews....we hear this stuff all day long....you have to find a way to say whatever you have to say clearly concisely, passionately and confidently and put it in a way...THAT WE CANNOT IGNORE.

When the producer asks you why they should pick you....it's not enough to say:

"LOOK at me", I want to be a role model for all the plus size women of the world, I am doing for my kids, husband, mom...etc" EVERYONE says this stuff and it gets really boring really quickly. The same goes for the sad, heart wrenching,, tear jerking stories. We will let you tell your story...because talking about it aloud is VERY theraputic and healing....but you are NOT a "shoo-in" if you cry.

It has to stand out and make them want to hear more....generally if you don't get asked a few questions after you finish your "story".....you haven't "hit" the mark. That's a simple as I can put it.

Remember that in the end, although this is a Beauty Pageant and although it was created to celebrate and empower us...the flip side is that it is very much a television show and ratings are key. The first season of FAT Chance was the highest rated original programming in the history of the Oxygen Network. The execs know that without viewers to watch it....there'd be no show. The producers know that people will tune out in droves if they think that what you have said will not interest the general public. So keep it honest...but know that the folks in charge are thinking ratings...first and foremost....boring televison doesn't sell in any market. Bad ratings equal no show. Period.

So take this time to work on yourselves, your dreams and set out to live productive lives then come back and be on fire when you tell us about it....knowing all the while....that if it's for you...you will have it. (and I know you get tired of hearing it...but that's life.

I have said a mouthful....but I am so going to address this comment in my next post:

"Only a hand full (about 6 or 7) real FAT girls were chosen and the rest were these fake-a$$ FAT girls that were crying about how they wanted to lose weight and were uncomfortable being FAT, their families don't love them, blah, blah, blah."

....as I have some real thoughts about the energy that went into writing it.

Holla back Fam!

Q

"Celebrate Unity in the Plus Community!"

Someone who took my words to heart....Literally!

2007-07-01T10:54:00.000-04:00

I had a really interesting evening a few weeks ago. I wound up going to dinner with a Miss F.A.T. Contestant that I met in Los Angeles during the castings for F.A.T. Chance 2007. Now the reason I wound up having dinner with her is because she took something that I said to her to heart and decided to set the events in motion. But before I confuse you any further....let's go back to hmmmm....say April 2007.

We had several days of casting rounds and I met a lot of beautiful young women and as usual they had tons of questions about becoming plus sized models and I tried to answer as many questions as I could as honestly as possible. I remember this particular young woman because I found her quite beautiful...albeit a little to short at 5'5" to pursue a serious print career. She was very enthusiastic and passionate about her career goals and I suggested to her to try looking for fit work because I thought she had the curves for it. I also told her she would eventually need a composite card and portfolio if she was serious about it. Well she took my words to heart and approximately 3 months later she landed in NYC with 500 composite cards and her "book". She sent me several emails and I finally was able to get in contact with her and because she happened to be staying in Manhattan (which is where I reside) I agreed to meet with her for dinner.

Over sushi, we talked, bonded, got caught up and I asked to see her comp card & portfolio. She told me she had already been to several agencies and had been turned down flat. She passed me her book and composite card across the table and I saw immediately where she had gone wrong. While the card wasn't the worst I had ever seen....the book was disastrous. The photos were dark, some were out of focus, others were too sexually provocative and very posed. But the worst offense to me was that all the shots looked the same and it looked as if the same photographer shot the entire book. And because all of the photos looked the same, there was no real variety of looks on her composite card either.

I tell aspiring models this stuff everyday and it hurts me when I see someone as passionate as this young lady is/was waste so much money for pictures she can't really use. I tried to clean up her "book" as much as I could omitting all but maybe 5-6 photos from her book. "Newbies" ALWAYS make the mistake of thinking that the more photos they put in the book or on their card...the better it will look - NOT!!! This is where the "less is more" rule really applies....it's better to have 4-5 really strong shots in your book than to have 15 to 20 average or bad ones just to "fill it up". This spells out "Rank Amateur" to agencies....they know right away that you don't have a clue as to what you are doing.

When you are just starting out, the clients really need to see what YOU look like, so use caution when trying to duplicate ads you see in magazine....you want to capture the "Spirit" of the shoot or the look but you don't want to duplicate it exactly or fill the photo with useless props that obscure the true subject.....YOU! You want to shoot a decent beauty shot, some commercial print shots and just pictures that show the strongest sides of you....not necessarily the side that you alone like.

Lastly, let me say that while I enjoyed this young woman's company and will definitely be keeping abreast of her career....I will definitely NOT make the mistake of putting the idea in someone's head that they should just jump on the next thing smoking and head to New York. Modeling is a very serious career pursuit that can be very costly at the start as well as time consuming. It is not to be entered into lightly and you MUST know that building a strong portfolio can take years and several thousands of dollars....testing with photographers is how you build your book and that alone will run you a great deal of money.

So before you start packing your bags and heading to the Fashion Capital Of the World...lol. Do your homework, get some knowledge and experience under your belt, save your money up and PREPARE for your career with some good old common sense. And if that doesn't work....check out my advice column...THE RUNWAY DIVA SAYS....at my website, www.sharonquinn.com every thing you need on getting started is listed in my blogs.

Thanks for the dinner Chica and much success in all that you do!

MUAH!

"Surround yourself with positive people and positive things!"

Depression & Modeling

2007-03-24T18:48:00.000-04:00

Hello Sharon,

I am so interested in being a model. I sent pictures to a couple of agencies, but they did not call me back so I guess they were not interested. I start to think something I wrong with me. I do not have any pictures on the internet to show you, but I sure wish I did. Here are my stats:

5'7 1/2
Bust 36/C
Waist 32
Hips 42
Size 10/12

I am also an African American woman, and my dream is to be the first African American Plus-Size Supermodel. I am 22 years old, and I might as well tell you that I always wanted to become a model. I have some really high goals, and some really tough ones as well.
I want to do a lot for women of color in general. I love Queen Latifah, and Tyra Banks.

I used to be 120lbs when I was in High School. When I graduated I gained ten pounds and I started to get even more interested in modeling, I always told myself that I would not get into this industry until I did research. I have been approached by agencies before, but I did not know if they were scams or not.
Well in 2005 I struggled to get back down to 120lbs, and I was taking birth control (Depo Provera) Seroquel (for sleep), Anti-Depressants, and Ani-Anxiety medicine. I suffer from depression, because I want to be successful and I feel like I won't be. Well instead of losing weight, I gained weight. A lot too. I went to 179lbs, everyone gloated about my weight gain, and one woman (god bless her) said "You look GOOD!" I was not comfortable in my skin because I was never plus size. Well fast forward, I spent all 2006 depressed I went into a shell, and I tried everything to lose the weight. I got off the Depo in Dec 2005 and I went onto Seasonale. I got off that in the end of 2006. I started to diet again and lose weight, but I gained it back. I am now at 170. My body seems to be comfortable at where its at right now, because I am having such a hard time losing weight LOL. Well. I decided to become a plus-size model. I remember telling myself when I was smaller "man I wish I was plus size." Because I was not skinny enough to do the skinny modeling stuff. I still had big thighs, big hips and curvy. My hips were a 37, my waist was a 26. So now I am here plus size. I still take anti-depressants, and meds for sleep, and regular birth control pills now. I make sure that I stress to my doctors that I dont want to be on anything that will make me gain weight. I dont even look 170lbs, I told this woman how much I weighed and she refused to believe me. She though I was like 150lbs. Moving along.

Dieting depresses the hell out of me. Everytime I diet, feel like I am torturing myself. I know how to eat healthy, but I feel like I can't eat certain foods. I am always worrying about what am I going to eat next. Then when I decided not to diet anymore I was so bored because I had nothing to do LOL. My life has just stopped because of my weight, and I want my life back, Plus-Size or not. I feel like I waisted so much time trying to lose weight when I could have been doing other things that are more important. My grandmother says look at Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, MO'Nique. They are all Plus-Size beautiful and successful. Everytime I see Queen Latifah, she makes me feel like I dont need to lose weight to achieve my huge dreams.

My goal is to land a beauty contract like Queen Latifah did, and have my own make up line for women of color and be the spokesmodel for it. I would also like to be on the cover of some major magazines like Essence, and Vogue like Jennifer Hudson. I would like to do some runway as well. I see a lot of the modes for Plus-Size like Crystal Renn who had a Dolce and Gabanna campaign, and I would like to do some of that too. I also would like to have my own talk show. I am currently a college student. I live in New York, NY I go to Monroe College in the Bronx, and I am a Business Major.

I also keep switching my goals. I switch so much I realized I never give anything enough time to see it through. My boyfriend even said that. He says stop switching stuff, stick to one thing. LOL.

I am at lost. Modeling is my passion, and I really do not know what to do. I knew I would get rejected, but I just decided to stop altogether. I see all of the major Plus-Size models who are doing well for themselves, and they are mostly white. I look at Jordan Tesfay, she is a woman of color and soooooooo goregous. I feel like I am not edgy enough. I really want to be with Wihelmina Models, but they never called me back. They said I can submit every three months, but I do not know what I should do to get started as far as good polariods is concerned. I also figured that in the next three months I would like to go to the open calls with my photos instead of just sending photos and sitting at home waiting.

Thanks, Z
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Whew! That was a mouthful Z.

As with anything you do in this life....you have to start somewhere and there is no time like the present....I can see that you have poured your heart into your letter and I feel you....trust me when I tell you I feel your pain mama....But before I can give you any real advice....I must see what you look like....your stats sound like you are in the ball park...although you are a tad bit short at 5'7" (don't let that stop you though)......I cannot really give you any sound advice regarding a career in modeling without seeing what you look really look like. Get a scanner or get a friend who as one and scan some CURRENT photos of yourself....full body and close up. I really cannot give you an honest assessment with out them.

Meanwhile,....I took this entire paragraph from your letter:

I am at lost. Modeling is my passion, and I really do not know what to do. I knew I would get rejected, but I just decided to stop altogether. I see all of the major Plus-Size models who are doing well for themselves, and they are mostly white. I look at Jordan Tesfay, she is a woman of color and soooooooo goregous. I feel like I am not edgy enough. I really want to be with Wihelmina Models, but they never called me back. They said I can submit every three months, but I do not know what I should do to get started as far as good polariods is concerned. I also figured that in the next three months I would like to go to the open calls with my photos instead of just sending photos and sitting at home waiting.

The only piece of advice I am going to give you today is this:

YOU MUST WORK ON YOU!, you must begin loving yourself no matter what your size....and you must do this BEFORE you even THINK about pursuing this sort of a career.....to write to me and tell me that modeling is your passion and then in the same sentence write that you KNEW you would get rejected, you're not edgy enough...etc....tells me immediately that you are not ready for this just yet. You really need to get some help for your depression....to come into this business like that (clinically depressed) is VERY DANGEROUS for you....I cannot stress the importance of getting yourself the proper help first.

As for your goals....you want to do a whole lot mama, try to narrow it down to one thing for now and work on that....everything else will come in time....As for Jordan Tesfay, Queen Latifah, Mo'Nique and myself....NONE of us found overnight success.....many of us have been plugging at this for YEARS....just tearing down walls one chip at a time....I say this to say...don't worry about when it will happen for you......just work on your craft until it does....if you are as passionate as you say you are.....then you will be able to manuever through the bumps in road until it's YOUR time to drive.....understand.

Until you get those photos to me though....check out some of the previous posts here regarding "Getting Started in Plus Modeling"....there is tons of useful information in the archives.

I look forward to seeing your photos!

Peace

More on Commercial Print Modeling.......

2007-02-03T08:39:00.000-05:00

Hello Sharon,

Thank you for the advice.. I would love to do fashion modeling but my main desire is to do only commercial print modeling.. I know that SOMETIMES they use average everyday people for commercial print modeling... I really appreciate you helping me and when I get a better camera I will send you more pictures. But may you please email me and tell me what the requirements are to be a commercial print model?

Thank You

I look forward to hearing from you again.

Tanya

The specifics are the same across the board....please go to my site and read those post that I told you about on "Getting Started"....as it is WAY too much for me to reprint in this email. Also, I know you say you wish to focus on Commercial Print....but as I tell all the aspiring models that I speak to....there is a place for almost all types in this business.....and you must sum up your strengths and weakness and then GET IN WHERE YOU FIT IN....

Does that make sense to you? What I mean in a nutshell is this: You may WANT to focus on commercial print but that may not be where you fit in....understand? And just because you already know where you want to focus your energies...does not mean you should skip learning the basics....It isn't likely that you'll even get a foot in the door unless you have some skills....Taking good photographs is a learned art is well. all I am saying is that you need to do your "homework" and hone your skills as you begin your journey as a model.

Also, I need to know...when you say "commercial print" what exactly does that mean to you?? Do you mean a character model like the "Pine Sol Lady" or "Wendy the Snapple Lady"? These folks may LOOK like average, everyday ordinary people, but trust me they are skilled actors as well!

I am not sure what city you reside in but if you insist upon going to an agent hoping that they will sign you raw, with no skills and perhaps "work with you"...then it's as simple as picking up the phone book and/or the "Trade" papers in your city (i.e. BACKSTAGE, SHOW BUSINESS etc>) and find out when the agencies have open calls and just go in. I would NOT recommend that you do that....but it your choice to make.

Do the work. It's as simple as that.

Good luck in all that you do!

Sharon

I must be ugly because no one is giving me a chance...

2007-01-31T12:19:00.000-05:00

Hello Sharon,

My name is Tanya I am a 33 year old plus size woman who seriously wants to model. I want so much to do this and I always thought of myself as pretty... But I MUST BE UGLY BECAUSE NO ONE IS GIVING ME A CHANCE... I WANT TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN MYSELF AND FEEL BEAUTIFUL... I want to do this 100% and I am willing to work hard.. I wouldn't mind doing commercial print modeling if I had to. Please email me back I would love to hear from you. I have a picture but it is no good because it is blurry Please email me back

Thank You

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Hello Tanya!

Thank you for taking the time to write me. Before you even head to an agency there are some things you need to check about yourself....This statement:

"But I MUST BE UGLY BECAUSE NO ONE IS GIVING ME A CHANCE... I WANT TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN MYSELF AND FEEL BEAUTIFUL..."

Never let these words leave your mouth ever again! In order to do this you must have confidence and feel beautiful.....EVEN WHEN NO ONE ELSE DOES. No one will give you a chance just because you "showed up". You must do the work first before you head out to an agency....and have your stuff as together as possible when you get there. If YOU don't think you are beautfiul....No one else will either and you must NEVER EVER allow someone to convince you that you are anything other than beautiful.

Secondly, you are quite right....the photo you sent me is not a very good one. In addition to being blurry....it is a head shot and you didn't send me any "Stats" about your self (ie...height, weight...dress size...etc). Also there is no personality in your facial expression at all....it's pretty much blank. You ARE a pretty woman, but it does not come across in your photos.

So my advice to you is this.....

1. Please refer to my advice column "The Runway Diva Says..." on my website (www.sharonquinn.com) please go through the archives of prior posts and read them thoroughly....there is tons of useful information on getting started there.

2. Slow your roll. You are very much a newbie and you should be going to an agency at all at this point. You are not ready and all that will happen is that the legit agencies will tell you "No Thank You" and the unscrupulous ones will take your money, promise you the world and then deliver absolutely nothing. You need to learn how to pose for the camera, smile, learn runway technique...etc. Before you can seriously toss your hat in the ring.

3. Try to get more learning experience by doing local shows in your city. Here you will learn some of the basics and more importantly....you will learn what NOT to do when you reach a professional level. The local fashion circuit is where you will get your training for the "Big Time". I caution you though....you WILL more than likely have to come out of your pocket at some point to be in these shows....be it through selling tickets or purchasing a service of some sort for a moderate fee (the key word here is MODERATE). You will probably not be paid for your services but what you will get in exchange for your time & trouble is experience, and a chance to network with other aspiring artists and get information on more auditions and other happenings in the fashion circle where you live.

4. You will not get the experience you need in 1, 2 even 3 months if you are not an exceptionally fast learner...so be prepared to "pay your dues" on the local level for a minute or so. Eventually when your skills are to the point where producers and designers are soliciting YOU for YOUR services, you will know that you have done your "Homework" well and it is time to move to another level where you can begin to ask for some sort of payment for your services (Payment doesn't always have to be cash, try and work with the designer if you can...it can be as small as Taxi fare to and from the event, bartering your services for clothing...etc are some of the ways you can begin to get SOMETHING in exchange for what you do.

5. Don't be surprised if they (producers and designers) try and balk at paying you for your services...(Lol...they ALL do that on a local level). Know that they are generally working with small budgets...but they will try and work with you if you really have skills that they want!....Trust me! They KNOW true Divas when they see them! If they tell you no and you feel you have gone as far as you can go with that particular company, Don't be afraid to walk away from something if you feel you have reached the point where you can gain nothing further from the experience.

6. When you have acquired the necessary skills & materials needed to actually go to an agency for their open call. Be mindful that a reputable agency will NOT ask you for money up front at all, nor will they tel you that they will put your entire portfolio together. It takes years to build up a really good book/portfolio and listen to me as I say this for the MILLIONTH time!!!!

NO ONE PHOTOGRAPHER SHOULD EVER, EVER SHOOT YOUR ENTIRE PORTFOLIO!!!!

7. I have said this repeatedly yet, I still get questions like this every day. If one photographer shoots your whole portfolio the all of your photos will be the vision of that one photographer....and that's not only not good...it's boring. A good portfolio should show you in many different lights, it should show your growth & strengths over the years as a model and more importantly, it will show different "visions" of you from different photographers through their very different eyes....and that will give your book the variety it needs.

This is a tough business you are trying to enter and the more information & knowledge that you have in hand before you meet the pros...the better.

I hope that you will heed my advice!

Best of luck to you!

Sharon

"We grow in steps and levels in order to get to another level you must take another step. (Every step and level has a different understanding.)"

Resumes & Bios for Models

2007-01-18T16:55:00.000-05:00

Hi!

I know you are very busy but I had a quick question. Are there any specific elements that you like to see included in a modeling resume and also in a biography for modeling?

Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

Dr. K

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Thanks for writing me Dr. K,

What I know is this....Models don't need to have resumes and bio's like musicians and other folks seeking work. Your composite card and your book (portfolio) IS your resume and as for a bio....unless someone asks you specifically for one.....you don't need it....it's better if YOU speak about what you've done when asked. No one will spend any real time looking at a resume and or bio at a casting.....it just doesn't work like that....and in my opinion...it only makes you look like an amateur.

The best advice I can give you is this:

Spend less time on a resume/bio and more time building your book up.

Hope this helps!

Q

Auditioning Tips for F.A.T. Chance 2007

2006-11-22T18:47:00.000-05:00

As many of you have heard by now....word on the street is that Mo'Nique's F.A.T. Chance 2007 is filming in Paris, France!!!!! YAY!!!! (I LOVE That City!!!)

Now I get stopped on the street nearly every day and I receive tons of emails asking the same questions from women who either:

Want to know when the next audition for FAT Chance is?

Auditioned last year and didn't get selected and want to know why?

Are thinking of Auditioning but think they are too old/not pretty enough/not a model etc... (you can see where I am going with this one...right?)

Well, I have some answers, a few suggestions and a little advice for those coming out to audition in 2007:

We don't begin to go back on the road for the new season of FAT Chance until around Feb-Mar 2007. But then this gives you plenty of time to start to get yourself together doesn't it? You need to keep checking the Oxygen Website (www.oxygen.com) or keep checking Mo'Nique's site (www.1monique.com) for updates on the dates and cities that we will be holding the castings in.

In the meantime....Here's a peek into how you need to prepare:

1. Be honest. I am not interested in someone who comes in and shows me "what they think I want to see"....all I am interested in is who you are, and how did you come to be the person you are.

2. Be prepared...think about what may be asked of you.....ask yourself honestly why YOU should be Miss F.A.T. and then you need to be able to tell us clearly and passionately why we should pick YOU out of all of the THOUSANDS of women that we will see.

3. Do not come with a sad story if it's not yours to tell.....we want to hear YOUR story...the one that's UNIQUE to YOU and YOU alone.

4. The first thing that usually happens at these auditions is that they give you a number and take your photo...AS SOON AS YOU ENTER...so that means you should groom yourself BEFORE you arrive. You only get one chance to make a first impression....make it a good one.

FYI: Please know that there will be many producers at the auditions and there is no guarantee that you will even get to audition for me during the preliminary rounds....so know that these are MY SUGGESTIONS based on what I have seen thus far....the other producers may be looking for something totally different from what I am looking at. But I hope that you will find my information helpful to you and I look forward to meeting you all next year!

Have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving Family!

ProjectCURVES Atlanta 2006 Feedback

2006-11-03T10:48:00.000-05:00

As many of you already know, I was a guest speaker at the ProjectCURVES Conference, held Oct 21-23 in Atlanta, Georgia. My topic was called "Modeling 101 - The Basics" and I have gotten some of the most wonderful emails from some of the participants of the conference. I thought I would share them with you, so you all can read about what you missed AND you can begin saving your "coins" for the next stop on the ProjectCURVES Express!

Enjoy!

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Hey Sharon:

I hope this email reaches you in good health. I wanted to thank you for your inspiring voice. Between you and Diva (Gwen) I am always blessed to be in your presence. You gave so much valuable information at Project Curves, I’m just modeling it up every where I got. My runway/hallway to the bathroom is my best catwalk. I am working on your suggestions, I paid for them, so I’m not putting them out there, but I just wanted to thank you for your time, positive energy, your smile, and you capability to give hope.

I was reading your response to an inquiry of your opinion on the smaller models in the plus size spectrum. I claim this section of the industry as well. I am a 12/14, and boy is it hard getting work. I know I’m a natural model because of my hair, and I know I have a few mountains to climb as well as claim, but hey, I love the challenge! They should have never told this Trinidadian girl “NO”, because now I want it even that more! So endless props to you and your crew, I’m always rooting for you. I’ll see you at the next fabulous event.

Ciao chica!!

R. Chappin
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All of the ladies were wonderful to me and I included one very special letter from a BEAUTIFUL sista from the ATL, who, when I complimented her on her beautiful bracelet....promptly took it off and gave it to me (Ya'll know I LOVE PRESENTS!!!!!).

**Lady Di!!! I am LOVING MY BRACELET!!!! Thanks so much!!

Hi Sharon,

I hope that all is well with you and that God is granting you your well wishes. You asked me to send you an email after meeting you at event in Atlanta, Georgia. (I was the one who gave you the bracelet, remember?) Anyway, I hope you had a safe trip back home and please, please, please, whenever you are back in Atlanta, call me so that I can really show you around. It’s sad that you only ate Chick-Fil-A while here, because we hold in our beloved city some of the most fabulous restaurants.

I’m glad that I decided to attend the fashion show that night b/c I’d originally planned to give my friend an excuse for not coming to her screening of “Big Boned Women”. I was tremendously encouraged and inspired by what I saw, and I’ve decided to try and enter a few shows myself. It’s hard with my schedule to try and pursue some of my own goals and dreams, because I’ve made the dreams of other my own. I think it’s high time for me to get moving and start accomplishing some of the things on my ‘to-do-in-life’ list. J

Anyway, I know you are tremendously busy working your butt off. If you are on my space, I’m going to send you a request to add, so act like you know me, ok?!

Take care,

DiShan A.K.A. Lady Di
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Miss Sharon,

I hope that all is well after your trip to Atlanta. I was one of the attendees. My name is Tyler Livingston and I hope that you remember me. I wanted to write and tell you how inspiring you were. You are such a beautiful strong woman that makes me proud to be a full figured woman. I took a lot away from the event. I'm excited to get started but confused at where to start? I don't have any pictures yet. I live in a small town so I don't have much opportunity here. I'm ready to kick off my career. I'm sure that you get a lot of mail and I don't want to take up all of your time but any advice that you could give me would help a lot. Thank you for your time. And at the end of the event you told me " you should really do this you have a great face" And at that point I knew I should be doing this. Thank you God bless!

-Tyler Ann Livingston-

ProjectCURVES-Atlanta

2006-10-30T23:13:00.000-05:00

bSharon

You are such a sweet awesome person. I learned so much from you at The ProjectCurves conference in Atlanta, GA last weekend and I had such a great time. You guys were so sweet, down to earth, and great people. I learned so much from you all and appreciate everything.

So I have a question:

I don't know if you remember that much about me but is some advice you could give me? I'm sure I could lose weight.

Hope you have a great week ;)

Thanks so much!

Christy

Hello Christy....

First of all, thank you for the wonderful compliments, they are much appreciated. Actually, I DO remember you and I DO have some advice for you....and believe it or not...it's not about you losing weight (if you are over a size 18....you already know what you have to do...so there's no need for me to say it again). But just your statement alone about losing weight speaks volumes to me. I specifically remember you at the ProjectCURVES conference because you looked absolutely horrified...lol...that you were selected as a volunteer model. But I saw immediately from your body language and your posture that you need to work on your CONFIDENCE level greatly. You are a pretty girl....but I am not sure that YOU know that. So start with that ASAP.

The other piece of advice has to do with your current headshot. I looked at the rest of your pictures and I have to say honestly....I don't know why you are using that headshot that you are NOT smiling on. You have a magnificent smile and you need to use that to your advantage. (remember what I spoke about during the conference?) The picture on your page looks very sad to me....you look forlorn and about to cry. (I don't know if that was the case....but that's how that particular photo "speaks" to me).

The first 8 photos are much more flattering and inviting....and clients always want to see that.

Think about it.
Good Luck to you!

Is A Size 12-14 A Plus Size????

2006-09-05T10:24:00.000-04:00

Sharon

My name is Tammithee W. I was one of the contestants in Monique's New York 2007 Beauty contest. I was so very disappointed when I did not get the call to be one of the finalists. I am a size 12 and that makes me a full figured model. Even though I did not make it to the finals I was happy to have met you and Monique you two were down to earth. The reason that I am emailing you, is because I would appreciate it, if you could email me with some information on auditions on the lower plus sized models. I am a model at heart, I eat sleep dreaming of soon becoming a model. I have a saying, "ONE MUST BE AT THE RIGHT PLACE, AT THE RIGHT TIME" If you can find it in your heart to email me with info on lower sized plus models, I would be extremely grateful.

Thank You,

Tammithee W.

Hello Tamithee....

Forgive me but I thought this term was so funny to me...."Lower sized plus models". lol...is there really such a thing???

Seriously though, my heart goes out to you because of late I have seeing a backlash against the plus sized girls on smaller end of the spectrum. You're too big to be standard size models and too small to be a true plus sized model....it's really a catch-22 and a hard place to be right now. One of the most frequent statements that I get from my fans is "You're not Fat"....I don't even try to defend myself anymore....lol....(I KNOW how much weight I am carrying, I don't have to explain myself or my body to anyone.)

Your bigger sisters are not feeling you because you all (the 10,12 & even 14's) have dominated the industry for so long and now the bigger girls are finally getting a foot in the door and they have way less tolerance for the smaller girls right now.

The good news is....most agencies will still look at a 12 and if you can get a decent agent...you can still probably get a lot of catalog work and overseas (they still book the smaller girls frequently). I don't know what you look like and I don't know your "stats" so I really can't give you too much more info than that right now.

I hope that this serves as a good start for you....please let me know how you are coming along from time to time.

Letter from an aspiring plus model

2006-09-05T10:19:00.000-04:00

HI SHARON,

JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I ENJOYED WORKING AND TALKING WITH YOU LAST SATURDAY AT THE "TROPICAL DIVAS" SHOW IN RICHMOND.

"YOU THE GURL !!" AND I WISH I COULD BE LIKE YOU WHEN I GROW UP

AS I TOLD YOU ON SATURDAY, I FEEL THAT I AM MUCH BETTER IN PRINT THAN ON THE RUNWAY AND THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S BEST FOR ME TO PURSUE CATALOG AND PRINT WORK.

I HAVE ATTACHED A FEW OF MY PHOTOS FOR YOU TO CRITIQUE. I KNOW YOU WILL BE COMPLETELY HONEST AND CANDID AND BELIEVE ME, I WILL NOT TAKE IT PERSONALLY. BEING ON THIS PLANET FOR THE LAST 54 YRS HAS GIVEN ME A THICK SKIN AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD "NO - NO WAY" QUITE A FEW TIMES IN MY LIFE.

THESE PICTS I'M SENDING YOU ARE FROM MY PORTFOLIO, (WITH A FEW CANDID SHOTS THROWN IN) WHICH I KEEP UPDATED AT LEAST EVERY 6 MOS.

SO LET ME HAVE IT !!

HOPE TO WORK WITH YOU AGAIN SOON

Myra

Hello Myra....

Okay....here we go....I pretty much told you the bulk of my thoughts when we spoke in Richmond at the Tropical Divas Show. I have looked at your photos and the same critiques still apply.

You still have a long way to go as far as looking natural and youthful in your photos....if you are putting these or any photos in your "book" you need to spend the extra money to have your photos retouched. At 54 you have "lived life" quite a bit...lol...but you don't want that to come across in your photos.

As I told you before....start looking in the magazines and try to start emulating the sort of photos that you see there.

If you ever thought to seriously pursue something like this...I would go in the direction of "character" or "real people" modeling....doing commercials and print ads like The Pine Sol Lady...(Don't laugh...this chick is SO paid!!!!).

Anyway, I hope this helps you a bit.

Good luck to you.

Q

Finding a good body shaper/foundation

2006-09-05T10:14:00.000-04:00

Miss Original Runway Diva,

I was on your website & I listened to the interview that you had with "Greene on the Scene". The tips you gave were very informative & helpful. Can you tell me, where can I find a good body shaper? I tried fredricks, but those are white girl girdles. I need something thats gonna hold me & give me shape & curve the hips and stomach!! any ideas??

Love ya

Hello!

Thanks for contacting me....Congratulations in knowing that a good foundation is an ABSOLUTE MUST!!!! for a plus sized gal! I am assuming that you are from New York City....if so there is a wonderful place in Harlem on 125th St between 5th & Lenox Avenues called "Lady Luv". They have excellent bras & foundations there. And the sales staff is very courteous and helpful....you shouldn't have a problem!

Good Luck and as always....let me know how it goes!

Q

When is the best time to start a new career in modeling?

2006-08-14T23:58:00.000-04:00

Ms.Quinn,

First I hope this e-mail reaches you in the best of health. Hey, my name is Necia and I am 25 years old. I am currently in the process of moving from Miami,Fl. to Jacksonville, Fl. I met you when you came to Miami for the Moniques F.A.T Chance search I was one of the few to make it to the final interview with you and Ms.Monique. I wanted to get some advice on how to get started in modeling? I dont have I know at times potfolios are needed but I really can't afford one of those now...trust me I have called around they are costly. Can you help me with a little advice.I also have some attachements...you might remember me! Hope to hear from you soon...if not I understand you are a busy women.

Thanks

Hello Necia!

I took a look at the picture you sent me and I have to be honest with you, although I can see that you have a cute face, I cannot see what your body looks like. And I NEED to see what your body looks like...so please send me a few more pictures of yourself (Full Body, and headshots) along with your "Stats' (Height, Weight, Dress Size).

The other thing is if you do NOT have the money to invest in your career....then DON'T start now. The business of modeling is an expensive one and you will only be doing yourself a great disservice by trying to start without the necessary finances.

My suggestion to you is to get a decent job, then start building up a little nest egg to invest towards your career and THEN start. Meanwhile, please send me those photos and I will be glad to respond to the other half of your letter.

Sharon

The Runway Diva speaks on "Greene on the Scene"

2006-07-22T16:35:00.000-04:00

Greetings Family!

I am posting a link to Caribbean World Radio's website "Greene on The Scene" Column:

Hear The Runway Diva on Greene on The Scene

so that you can check out my latest interview with Walter Greene on his "Greene on
the Scene" radio broadcast. We talk about my FAT Chance experience as will as my tips for getting started as a plus model or just looking like one and my tips on preparing for open call auditions like Mo'Nique's F.A.T. Chance.

**Ladies - if you are even REMOTELY curious about becoming a plus model...you need to take a moment and listen!!!**

For those of you who aren't familiar with him, Walter Greene is the Fashion Editor for Sista 2 Sista magazine and handles the popular "Off The Runways" column. We have been friends since we first met in 1995 as I was preparing to compete in The Model Of The Year Competition in New Jersey.

You can listen now or download to listen to the interview in it's entirety at your convenience.(it's a lengthy interview...lol)

Enjoy....and thanks Walter!

Love you all and thanks as always for your continued support!

Q

A letter from a Fabulous And Thick admirer

2006-07-10T21:36:00.000-04:00

Ms. Quinn,

I saw you on "Monique's F.A.T. Chance and I just wanted you to know how proud you made me!!

God Bless You and All You Endeavor To Do !!

Victor Cager
Classical Jazz Vocalist
www.victorcager.com

Hello Victor!

I took a moment to listen to your music...What a beautiful voice you have, I am a singer as well and it's so refreshing to hear someone sing who understands the beauty of just singing a song...without all of the vocal acrobatics..I enjoyed listening very much! Thank you for the compliments...they are much appreciated.

Thanks again and much success to you as well!

Sharon

Update on an Aspiring Plus Model

2006-07-10T21:16:00.000-04:00

This sista was one of the first people to email me after my first runner up victory in the first season of Mo'nique's F.A.T. chance...the next time I saw her she attended a modeling seminar that I was teaching at The Plus Academy in NYC. She sent me this email and some photos and I am pleased to report her progress here.

Dear Sharon,

I finally had my first photo shoot after the posing class I took at the Plus Academy. I didn't want to send you a zillion photos so I attached just a few that I thought we nice. These are not retouched and the photographer does not want me to use them until they are. If you have some free time please critique them for me. I have developed a tough (or tougher lol) skin since Rip the Runway so do your worst! Thanks for much for the Modeling 101 class. I definitely have a one up on other new models in the industry. Once I get the handle on posing I will go all out for that shoot. Thanks again and I hope to see you soon.

Sincerely
Elizabeth Seifu

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

YO!!!!

That first pic is SMOKING!!!!! This is a real good start Elizabeth, I am very proud of you...you have very expressive eyes....learn to use them more....that and your smile will be your "moneymakers"...trust me on this.

I like the close up head shot but I almost wish you weren't pouting so much....The red lip is almost TOO strong...but it's kinda sexy in a 70's glam sort of way....but you definitely can go ahead and make your first comp card with the photos you have....try not to use more than three photos...four max...(one on the front...up to three on the back).

Try working more movement into your next couple of shoots.....you are just starting out now...so experiment....try some "crazy" stuff....look through the fashion mags and try and duplicate some of the shots you see. Continue to shoot photos that make you stand out from the pack!

Also, try and get a nice, clean beauty shot on your next couple of shoots....you really will need one for the front of your card eventually.

One more thing...make sure that you go over the photos for your card with someone who has a more professional eye than you and can see you in a different light.

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT...NEVER CHOOSE THE PHOTOS FOR YOUR CARD WITH OUT YOUR AGENT/BOOKER. They know what the clients are searching for much better than you do.

Well, I don't want to put you on information overload so I will stop for now....but know that I am very impressed with how well you are doing and how quickly you are catching on.

Continue to keep me informed of your progress and be sure and contact me if you have any questions.

Much success!

Q

A Blast From My Past...well actually several blasts..

2006-07-10T20:53:00.000-04:00

I don't know if you all this (actually, I am sure you don't) but when I first had this website under construction...my contact email addy was Sharon@sharonquinn.com.
However, it was only a temporary address and the site was still under construction...I simply forgot to check the mailbox. Last week I got a email alert from the server and that's when I remembered that I had another mailbox for the site.

To make a long story short...a lot of the emails were from people (from my Choir days with The Inner City Voices...pre Kirk Franklin ya'll!!) that I have not seen in over 20 years....go figure! They brought back some of my fondest memories and some of them give you an intimate peek into what "The Runway Diva" was like back in the day!

I am going to post a couple here....lol...because...I can!

Enjoy!
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Hi Sharon,

I don't know if you remember me, my name is Diane (Mason) Dixon but I used to be in "Inner City" with you. When I saw the pageant aire on television in Indianapolis, Indiana your face drew me right in. I tuned in during the 2nd part of it so at that time I didn't know what the connection was but I continued to watch the show.

My youngest daughter and I picked our favorites to win (she picked the actual winner and I picked you) and we continued to root you two on. Once it was over she asked me why I picked you and I told her because you exemplified style and fearlessness with great pride in who you were. You strutted that way and you sported the bald head with that "watch out attitude". She just said "I guess" and that was it. She's only 15 so she really didn't understand what I meant. I further explained to her that she has her own sense of style and she usually goes against the grain of what other people wear and you were doing the same thing with the bald head. She finally understood what I meant and stated "Okay, mama I get it she is just being herself......no matter what others may think or say". "Yeah you've got it", I said.

Anyway, the pageant aired again that Tuesday evening and I caught it from the very beginning this time. When I saw the bio that said Sharon Quinn, age 44, New York City. All the bells and lights went off in my head. I had seen your face before and I remembered the name. The age was my same age bracket. Immediately I identified you with a girl name Kathy (she is deceased now), then Ramona Gadsden and then Inner City. The next day I got Mona's phone number and called her to see if I was indeed correct. She told me I was. She was shocked that I remembered you and hadn't seen you since the Inner City days.

I was amazed that after 20+ year I hadn't forgotten your face even thought I do have a pretty good memory. The greatest thing was I remembered you being very quiet, not as out-spoken or daring as some of us were back then. We were quite a bunch a characters when we were younger. Mona considered me a rebel back then and I knew I really was. Then all the memories of George, Jeffery, Cheryl, Sabrina etc. came flooding back and how we used to love to sing and try to blow the other choirs out of the water.

Back then you almost seemed to blend in the background not drawing any attention to yourself, yet I remembered who you were. I thought to myself, my, my, my how time brings about a glorious change and from what my memory allowed me to remember the quiet girl had turned into a "DIVA" with undeniable style and grace.

Well my sista, I just wanted to share that with you and send you these word of encouragement. I myself have always loved the "FAT DIVA" style of attitude and dress since I was a young girl. I believe whole-heartedly, if you believe in yourself you must represent who you are with no regrets, reservations and definitely no shame. You have represented yourself and alot of women in "TRUE DIVA" fashion and I pray you tear the roof off the ceiling and let the skies be your destiny.....because girl "You wear it well".

Much love to you my sista and may God bless you in all you do and aspire to do.

Diane
In "2005"
Sisters Strong in the Spirit Survive

Step Up.....Step Out.....Step On!

Diane D. Dixon

Diane,

I am so sorry that I am just responding to your email now....this was only a temporary mail box until my site was up and running and I totally forgot about it.....So I am only getting these emails now.

Of course I remember who you are and it's funny....I just ran into Ramona & Adrienne at a party a few weeks ago and your name came up while we were reminiscing. Anyway, I am going to seriously try to make the First Baptist Church Homecoming this weekend....I heard you might be attending...if so you will probably see me on Sunday.

Thanks for the beautiful memories and the words of encouragement. Hopefully I will see you soon...Take care and continue to prosper.

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Hey Sharon,

I got an e-mail about Sharon Quinn on Oxygen and I said to myself is that my Sharon from ICV???? When I opened it and saw your picture, I knew for sure it was you. I have seen your ads on t.v and in Catherines' catalog. I don't have the Oxygen channel I would love to see it! Congrats on your success and may it continue! I hope to hear from you soon darrrrling- if you're not too booked! LOL . . . !

Hey Debbie!

I am so sorry that I am just responding to your email now....this was only a temporary mail box until my site was up and running and I totally forgot about it.....So I am only getting these emails now.

This is so damn weird to me....first...Phyllis Jackson (remember her?) starts turning up at my shows at BB Kings, then I run into Mona & Adrienne at a party 2 weeks ago, then I see Reena from the bus I was on last week THEN I run into Curtis Reeder....and then after I read this email....I look at the next one and it's from Diane Mason!!!! Sounds to me like we need to plan some sort of a reunion soon. Anyway, those ICV memories have always been happy ones for me and I think of all you guys often (I have enough pictures of us to make your head spin). I hope you are well and I hope you are still singing!!! Please catch me up on what's been going on in your life.....I am so very glad that we have reconnected.

Thank you for your wonderful words of encouragement...I do appreciate them. Make sure you watch the new season of MFC....which airs this Saturday, July 15th at 8pm EST

Take care and stay positive!

Loving the Unique Individual That Is YOU!

2006-07-10T20:46:00.000-04:00

Hello! My name is Geraldine. I am not a fashion agent or anything, I just happened to see you on Monique's " Fat Chance" and from there I admired you. When I saw you on her show you were really an inspiration to me. I am a 5'6, 234lb. African American women. I am 18 years old and I just finished high school by the grace of God. All through school I have gone through the battle with my weight. Still to this point I deal with it. Some days I want to lose weight, then the next I feel happy with myself. I think I am a very beautiful girl, but why does it seem so difficult to accept myself? I believe I am beautiful (mostly facial wise) but my body is another issue. I do not know if I want to remain this size or become smaller. Well the reason I am e-mailing you is because I wanted to see if somehow you could help me? If you have time beacuse I am sure you have a busy schedule. It would deeply be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

~Geraldine~

" The same thing you love is the same thing you hate."
Gurl wonder aka Lady Banks --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello Geraldine!

I have read your letter a few times now...and before I say anything else...I really want you to send me a full length photo of yourself. I am sure you are quite beautiful, It amazes me how critical we can be of ourselves. I will say this...continue to be encouraged...nothing worth having or achieving is easy. At 5'6" and 234 pounds....you probably are carrying a little more weight than you should be. As for wanting to diet one day and being fine with yourself the next....heck! We ALL do that! You must ask yourself a few questions to arrive at your answer:

Does your weight impede your ability to live a "normal" (UGH!! I hate that word!!!) lifestyle? (i.e. - is it difficult to find fashionable clothing in your size? Do you have to get a seat belt extender to wear on planes? etc,)

Are you having health issues (Hypertension, diabetes..etc) because of your excess weight?

And this is my own personal favorite:

Do you FEEL the weight coming on to new places on your body? Does it make you uncomfortable? (This one alone is usually enough to spur me into action!!..lol)
If you answered yes to any of the questions...mama, you KNOW you probably need to check your eating habits (try cutting sugar, junk food & alcohol out of your diet for a month...to start...you'll be amazed at how much weight you lose. Try gradually adding a little exercise to your routine (i.e. take a walk after having dinner....etc).

The combination of all of these things will help you get started....but everything begins with YOU....and you HAVE to accept who you are and what your body looks like RIGHT NOW! or you will have these same issues (and maybe even some new ones) should you lose a lot of weight. If you don't like who you are now....chances are you won't like who you are later either. If you learn to accept and be cool with your self and your body...trust me when I tell you that it won't matter what other people think and NO ONE can break you...at the end of the day YOU will still love YOU...and that's all that matters.

You don't need any help from me Geraldine, you already know what you have to do. Make a commitment to yourself and keep it....it will change your life....I promise you.

You are only 18 years old...you have your whole life ahead of you...LIVE IT!!!! The best advice I can give to you is to not let your weight keep you from having a happy and fulfilling life. Tonight, take off all of your clothes, stand in front of a mirror and check out every inch of yourself...even the parts you don't like looking at....Tell yourself aloud the things about your body that you love and then figure out what parts you don't like and want to fix and then make a commitment to get to work on it...you don't have to rush to do everything at once....you just need to get it started.

Thank you for taking the time to write me, I hope that this email will inspire you to start living your life fully! Send me my picture and please keep me abreast of your progress...I am rooting for you.

Take care,stay positive and get moving!

I'm BAAAACCKK!!!

2006-07-10T20:37:00.000-04:00

Hey Family,

I know I have been gone for a minute, but my hand is all healed now and I can type again...YAY!!!!...So I'm gonna try and catch up and post the emails I have been receiving.

Thanks for all the shout outs & The love....and don't forget to check out the new season of Mo'Nique's F.A.T. Chance, where I make my "Reality Television" debut as "The Den Mother" on Saturday, July 15th at 8:00pm on The Oxygen Network!!

I am SO Psyched ya'll!!!!

Letters to follow......

Getting Started in Plus Modeling

2006-05-05T18:47:00.000-04:00

Hello Mrs. Quinn,

I just recently started getting involved with plus size modeling. I've been to conventions and paid thousands of dollars, and been through a share of unlegit agencies. It just seems to me that I keep getting shot down and shot down, but I don't want to give up on my dream. I want to be a plus size model. I recently read your interview on elegantplus.com and it inspired me even more. I wish you could contact me back and give me some advice on what I should do. I appreciate your time so much, thanks for reading my e-mail.

Sincerely,
Kylie

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kylie

Okay, I looked at your photos and you are definitely a pretty girl. I cannot tell however from your photos what size you are. It is unfortunate that you have had bad luck on your search....as far as "conventions" go...avoid them like the plague...I can't think of a single model...plus sized or otherwise that has made it big by going this route.

Depending on your city, find out what legitimate agencies are in your city....find out when their open call is and go in and let them take a look at you. Please know that you DON'T need a portfolio, only some recent snapshots of you (and ONLY you..lol) in natural lighting....keep the make up light and your clothing simple. They are interested in what YOU look like, what your bone structure is and whether or not you photograph well (not all pretty girls take pretty pictures).

Meanwhile, while you are waiting for your "big break" try to get in as many local shows as possible to build up your skills. You should try to develop and fine tune your walk as much as possible and these shows are excellent practice grounds.

And remember....any legitimate agency will not ask you for money to sign with them....that's your first tip off that all is not on the up and up. Follow your instincts...if it seems wrong to you...it probably is.

Please take a moment to visit my website (www.sharonquinn.com) and check out my "Advice from the Runway Diva" section and read the letters on "Do I have What it Takes?" and "Navigating the Open Call", you should find that info helpful to you on your journey.

Good luck to you and please let me know if you have any other questions!

Sharon

Mo'Nique's F.A.T. Chance Feedback

2006-04-28T18:37:00.000-04:00

Hello Sharon,

Thank you so much for your word of encouragement. I check your site almost everyday and just found out that you’re in LA right now and the boot camp has begun so the final ten have been chosen. Can you give me any feedback or constructive criticism regarding why I wasn’t chosen to be a part of the competition? I view every experience as a learning tool and would be so grateful if you would take a minute to send me your thoughts. If it helps I was a part of the final round of young ladies in Seattle in the green dress and I sang an original piece during the first round of interviews that I was so glad that you gave positive feedback on.

No matter what I am so grateful for the opportunity and the boost of confidence that this competition has added to my life for the last couple of weeks I have been so proud to know that I made it to the next round out of so many women that could have been chosen. I will never forget the moment when my number 1364 was called, never. God Bless and I hope you can respond when you have time. I’m looking forward to the online competition!

Angel

Hi Angel!

Thanks for writing....I wish I could say to you that I remember who you are....but I honestly don't (By the time we got to Seattle we had already seen nearly 2000 women.) So please don't be offended if I don't remember you, But because I don't remember what you look like....I don't think I can give you the answer you are looking for as to why you were not chosen.

What I will say is this: It all depends upon whatever producer you happen to interview with. Ask yourself a question:

Did I do my absolute best?

I ask this of all of the women who approach me with this question. And surprisingly once they go over the audition in their heads....they realize that they could have either done more or done it differently or better.

The selection process was less about your outer beauty and more about you and what you had to do (or are doing) in order to become the person you are (or want to be). Yes, being beautiful helps....but there are NO shoo-in's here...trust me on this one. There is no talent segment of the show but we always ask folks if they have a talent that is a part of who they are.....then we definitely want to see it....but it neither helps nor hinders the selection process. I am glad that you walked away from the audition on a positive note....that is the whole purpose surrounding MFC.....loving and celebrating the unique and beautiful individual that YOU are!

So whatever you did this year....go back and review it and see what you can do to make it even better and make yourself really stand out in front of the producers next year. But keep it honest and stay true to yourself... i.e....if your story is not a sad one.....Then DON'T try to change it into one....feel me? One more thing....because there is such a high volume of women who come out for the castings...you have about 30 to 45 seconds to get their (the producers) attention....make yourself POP!!!!

I hope that this helps you a bit and I look forward to seeing you next year for the castings for MFC 2007.

Please feel free to email me with any other questions you may have and if you send me pictures of yourself, I can take a look and give you my thoughts if you are interested.

And remember to be sure to tune into the Oxygen Network on July 15th for the premiere of Mo'Nique's F.A.T. Chance 2006!!!

Sharon

Hello Sharon,

Thank you so much for your comments. I have to be honest and say that there was more I could’ve done and I’m glad though I have sad stories I didn’t want to make that day about them. I am glad about the confidence this opportunity gave me and recently sent a demo to Los Angles with pictures. I never wanted to take pictures before, but I kicked some out with no hesitation because I have so much talent, love, and gifting stored within me and I believe that God is setting me up in different places where I am going to be able to share it soon enough. Thanks to Monique for such a great idea with creating this pageant and thanks to you for paving the way for so many big beautiful woman. This experience also prompted me to see a nutritionist and makes me want to be as healthy as I can be, not skinny, but healthy! Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to respond.

You be blessed and hopefully I will see you again someday,

Angel

Information on BET's Rip The Runway Designers

2006-04-28T17:23:00.000-04:00

Hello Ms. Quinn,

I have been searching the internet for the website for Qrystal's clothing line and can't find a thing. Please help because I saw Rip the Runway and it was FABULOUS! I was proud to be a F.A.T. girl (smile), ya'll ladies represented so well.

I didn't get a chance to see you in Mo'Nique's pageant but I'm sure you tore that up too : )

Thank you for all your help ... maybe we'll meet one day if I ever get a chace to do some modeling myself.

Imani

Hi Imani

Thanks for watching the show and her is the web address for Qristyl Designs:

http://www.qristyldesigns.com/

The other designers featured on Rip The Runway were:

Courtney Washington (www.courtneywashingtonstore.com)

And

Monif C. (www.monifc.com)

Enjoy!

Happy Shopping and be sure to tune into The Oxygen Channel on July 15th to check me out the new season of Mo'Nique's F.A.T. Chance 2006!

Sharon

Getting Your "Feet Wet" On a Local Level

2006-04-27T10:46:00.000-04:00

Hi Sharon,

My name is Tamara. I stopped you today in Harlem in the middle of the street on St. Nicholas in the rain. First, I'd like to thank you so much for being so pleasant due to the fact that I ran up on you like the police. I'm sorry I just had to speak with you. I am an aspiring model and I've gone through the basics of the beginning stages. I want to really get some experience on the local level and I wanted to know where to find such opportunities. Are there agents dedicated to finding plus models work?

Please stay in touch and if you need an intern or someone to just help you carry your bags( sort of like an armor bearer for the pastors at church) I would like to extend my availability. Any practical first hand experience or exposure to the modeling world would be appreciated.

All the best,

Tamara

Hi Tamara,

Thanks for contacting me, I remember you and I am assuming that you were the driver of the car (because the passenger didn't say too much...lol).

I am curious as to what you mean by " I am an aspiring model and I've gone through the basics of the beginning stages."

What exactly are you considering "the Basics of the beginning stages?". As for training on the local level....I would consider you checking out the following sites:

The Plus Academy - www.theplusacademy.com - This is a sort of "school for aspiring plus sized models". There aren't many of these places in NY that offer as many courses as The Plus Academy. I often lecture there and my series is called "Modeling 101 - The Basics" and is a definite "Must" for anyone who is thinking about becoming a plus sized model. My suggestion to you is to definitely take that course....I am basing my statement on the question in the email...."Are there agents dedicated to finding plus models work?" My course will explain to you everything you need to know to get started.

De'Voe Signature Events - www.dseventsinc.com - This is another web site from the owner of The Plus Academy. She often has events, lectures, shows...etc for plus sized women and will keep you informed on what's going on in the plus sized community.

I don't want to overload you with too much information all at once...so these two sites should be a good start for you.....

Note: I don't know how serious you are about beginning your career...but I will tell you this...there is a LOT of work involved and a lot of money that you will have to spend... and if you are not dedicated to "making it happen" it won't....so please give it some serious thought before throwing your hat into the ring!

I wish you nothing but the best and please keep me informed of your progress!

Sharon

ps - as for the intern position.....I have nothing available right now but I am sure that I will need one soon. Please stay in touch with me!

Modeling Advice...Do I Have What It Takes?

2006-04-27T10:39:00.000-04:00

Hello Sharon!!

I am Dyann C. #2606 from the Fat Chance Contest on Tuesday. You indicated during my interview that I can contact you for some help and advice in my pursuit of plus size modeling.

It was so good to meet you last Tuesday!! You are as nice and beautiful in person as you were on TV. I saw Rip the Runway on BET last week and saw the pictures from Monif C.'s web-site. You really looked great! You are a very stunning woman, but I know that you already know that!

To date, this is how far that I have gotten in my pursuit of modeling. September 2006 I went and had my comp cards done in NYC. I have since sent them out to modeling agencies in NYC. So far I have been on 2 meetings with Modeling Agencies and they both seem interested, and said they will let me know if anything comes up for me. So far I have not heard anything back. I also went to Las Vegas in December 2005 for Model Search America, I made some contacts, received some experience in walking the runway, took several seminars on the business of modeling, hair tips, etc. and I met a lot of great people in the process but again no work came out of that. I know that I have to be patient, but I also just want to be sure that I am doing everything that I need to be doing right now. I would appreciate any advise or help that you can give me. You have been there and look how successful that you have became, You Go Girl!!

I still have my fingers and toes crossed waiting to hear back from the Fat Chance contest. I am so excited and thrilled to have made it this far!! I want to go all the way!!! Monique is such a huge role model for me and she really started a great movement here with this contest and her speaking out for all the Big Girls!!

I attached 5 of my professional pictures. Let me know in your opinion if you feel that I have potential.

Take Care.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Dyann

Hello Dyann

First of all thank you for all of the wonderful compliments....they are MUCH appreciated. As for Fat Chance 2006, we just wrapped up taping this years show, so we thank you for your participation and hope to see you at next years casting. Now on to your question:

I had to think long and hard before I responded to your question.....but I always try to be honest with my advice...

I looked at your photos and I think you are quite striking...quite! I am not sure of your stats..i.e. height/weight...but you seem to be a tall girl. I also notice that your problem area is the same as mine....my midsection. I would recommend a few things....

1. Purchase an EXCELLENT foundation (body shaper/girdle) and never leave home without it. You do not appear to have one on in your photos and it doesn't look as neat and sleek as it could have. Remember that this is a BUSINESS that you are trying to enter and you always want to put your best foot forward.

2. I recommend that you try to come down to at least a size 16-18 (I am assuming that you are tall). I tell any and all potential models that if you try and wait for the industry to come to you, you will probably miss your shot. Therefore you're going to have to go to them...meaning you need to get down to the acceptable size parameters if you are really serious about in NYCng a career in modeling. If this is truly what you want to do....then do what ever you need to do to get what you want!

3. The other thing that jumped out at me about your photos was that it was all very....RED!!! Because you have that beautiful red hair...I felt like you didn't need red makeup and certainly not red clothing....it was way to over powering. Try testing some more and choose a variety of different colors and looks.

4. If you are not leaving the agencies without some sort of contract in hand, then the "seem to like me" comment is a nice way of them saying is a don't call us, we'll call you" or..simply put..they aren't interested. Go back and work on getting yourself in better shape, test some more then come back and try again. I don't know where you are located but there is an excellent place in NYC called The Plus Academy (www.theplusacademy.com), I teach seminars there and my "Modeling 101 - The Basics" is a definite must do for all aspiring models.

Thanks for writing and good luck in your career...please let me know how it goes for you.

Sharon

Mo'Nique's F.A.T. Chance 2006

2006-03-03T17:16:00.000-05:00

Sharon:

I want to audition for Mo”Nique’s Fat Chance and I need some advice. I have modeled in the past and love it. I want to send a video in for the show, but I am at a loss. I have been looking around the web to get a glimpse at your video for tips, but haven’t been able to find any. My questions to you are:

What is the best way to portray myself to the Casting Crew? Should I be myself, or should I exhibit a more calm version of myself.

I really want to get back in to modeling. When I was modeling, I felt an overwhelming confidence in myself for being plus size that I have never felt before. I need and want that confidence back. I adore you and Mo’Nique and what the two of you are doing for women like us, and I want to be one of them.

As far as my picture. Should I just send a regular picture of myself or should I send Comp photos. I don’t have any yet, but if it’s best to send a comp photo – I will take some..

Help me out! I really want and need this, and it’s been a while since I have been on the scene and I need some tips.

Thank you!

And you are absolutely beautiful.

Myra

Hello Myra

Thank you for all of the wonderful compliments! They are much appreciated...as for Fat Chance 2006....If you are going to send a video...please let your true personality come through....That's what we want to see....who YOU are....not the watered down version of you. If you want to enclose a photo with your video...I am sure that's fine too....but you do NOT have to run out and have a comp card made just to submit for this show.

The first casting is this weekend in Miami, IF you can get to any of the other cities where the castings are being held, I would suggest you come in person....that's almost always your best bet.

Here are the rest of the audition cities & dates for Mo'Nique's F.A.T. Chance 2006:

March 5: Miami
10am - 1pm
Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay
1633 North Bayshore Drive
Miami, Florida 33132 USA
Phone: 1-305-374-3900
Fax: 1-305-375-0597

March 8: Baltimore
10am - 1pm
Best Western Hotel & Conference Center
5625 O'Donnell Street
Baltimore, MD 21224
Phone: 1-410-633-9500
Fax: 1-410-633-9511

March 12: Seattle
1pm - 4pm
The Seattle Center Pavilion
2nd Avenue North & Thomas St. (adjacent to Key Arena)
Seattle, WA 98109
Phone: 206-684-7200

March 15: Los Angeles
10am - 1pm
Los Angeles Airport Marriott
5855 West Century Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Phone: 310-641-5700
Fax: 310-337-5358

March 20: New York
10am - 1pm
The Roseland Ballroom
239 52nd Street (Between Broadway & 8th Ave.
New York, NY 10019

Good Luck to you, hope to see you there!

Finding the Correct Foundation for Your Skin Tone

2006-02-02T04:41:00.000-05:00

Sharon:

Huge fan of yours! Both my boyfriend and I loved you on Monique's show.

Question: It's clear to me that you have wonderful skin. I am working on mine, eating better and seeing a professional, but I was wondering if you might recommend a makeup line that works well on black skin. I have been a MAC fan for years but find that even with my red undertones, MAC is still too red for me. I have heard good things about Bobbi Brown. Any ideas?

Stay fierce,

Tamika Simmons

Hello Tamika!

Thanks for the compliment! Hmmmmm....too red you say? I am a huge fan of MAC products...it's pretty much all that I use anymore. Let me ask you this, did you let a MAC make up artist select a shade for you or did you try to choose one yourself? Also, did you go outside in natural light and check the color out before you purchased it? Most retail stores use that horrible fluorescent lighting and EVERYTHING looks off in it. If you have already done that and still find that the make up is too red, there are few other brands you can try.

Bobbi Brown (www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com) is an excellent brand but very pricey.

You might want to try some other brands that are specifically designed for the dynamic range of colors in African American skin tones.

These three brands have been around a long time and are pretty consistent:

Flori Roberts - www.floriroberts.com
Fashion Fair Cosmetics - www.fashionfair.com
Iman - www.imanbeauty.com

There are also drugstore brands like:

Black Opal - www.cherylburgess.com

Black Opal has a pretty wide range of colors and is inexpensive but the drawback is that there is no one to guide you through the products in the store...but they do have a lot of red tones, especially in the make up stick formulas.

Whatever brand you decide to go with, please don't forget to go outside in natural light and check your make up there...NOT in the store. If at all possible let a professional guide you through the products and help you make a selection. If you still are having trouble..you may have to mix and match two different foundations to come up with a color that works for you.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

Sharon

Navigating the Open Call

2006-01-19T15:43:00.000-05:00

Dear Ms. Quinn:

Hi my name is Akeembra and I am 25 years old. First off, I want to say that that I am so inspired by you. I’ve read your story over and over again, and I am so encouraged by your determination and your success.

I would LOVE to be a plus sized model (I am 5’8”, 220 pounds, clear skin, and most times photogenic). When I went public (to family and some “friends”) about my desire to model I was told that plus sized models are a joke and that I need to focus on a dream that is more realistic. When I rooted for Tocara on America’s Next Top Model, a friend of mine told me to, “keep dreaming” and later went on to say that a “fat” girl would NEVER win. My mother says things like, “Well, why don’t you loose weight and then pursue a REAL modeling career?” With each criticism, I’ve learned to smile and hold my head a little higher. After all, it’s my dream and no one can take away my dream. Thankfully I have people like you to look to for inspiration. You’ve made it, so that pushes me not to give up.

I’ve read your tips for getting started online, and I am wondering if there are any more tips that you have? Also, is it always best to visit agencies in person as opposed to mailing a photograph?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this email and thank you for showing so many the meaning of true beauty.

I wish you countless blessings.

Sincerely,

Akeembra

Akeembra!

I was going to open my letter by telling you to not let ANYONE discourage you from your dreams...believe me it's your dreams that keep you alive! But after re-reading your email...I see that you already know that and you know enough to ignore your family and friends...er...well meaning but rather harsh criticisms. The next time a "friend" tells you to "keep dreaming"...Do just what she says! and as for the "A fat girl will never win America's Next Top Model" comment....let your girl know that Toccara, as well as myself are proof positive that winning is not everything. Sometimes losing is the best thing that can happen to you. Toccara is a very good friend of mine and is one of the most well know women to come off of that show....I can't even remember the "winners' from the previous seasons....she's working that "loss" for all it's worth! As for me, there is NO WHERE that I can go anonymously anymore and 2006 is looking to be my biggest year ever!

Before I go on to answering your question..lol....I have one more thing to say on the subject of "friends"...my mantra has always been "Surround yourself with positive people & positive things!", and I try to live my life like that always....so I am very careful in choosing those that I bestow the title of "my friend" upon. If your "friends" are telling you that plus sized models are a joke...perhaps it is time to do some "house cleaning" and find some friends who are actually supportive of you and your dreams. A career in modeling is filled with many highs and lows and you will need to be around folks who know how to be positive and encouraging when things are going well AND when they are not. (When things get rough...and trust me...they WILL get rough)..you don't need a "friend" sitting around saying "I told you so". Family is a little different and you will probably have to develop a thick skin, ignore the comments for now and then go on and PROVE THEM WRONG!!!

Now...on to your question..

I looked at the pictures you sent me and you are quite beautiful and you meet the height requirement that most agencies insist upon. You didn't tell me what size you currently are but I am going to guess that you are in the size 16-18 range...which is fine. I am also going to assume from the pictures that you sent me that you don't have any photos yet...(am I correct?)...and that you have already read "The Basics on Modeling" here on my site.

So I am going to tell you "How to Navigate the Open Call":

Yes! it is always better to go to the open calls at modeling agencies in person...they want to see what you look like in person and to try to get a "feel" for you personality. But if you cannot get to the city where the agency is located immediately, then by all means send them a nice cover letter and your best photos anyway, you never know. But ultimately if they like you, you will have to come in anyway.

A picture can show them what you look like but agencies want to see what YOU look like in natural light, without a ton of makeup on.

They will be checking to see what type of skin you have. What sort of bone structure you have. What your best features are. They cannot tell this if you walk in the door "beat to a pulp."

Your best bet is to put on a light foundation (if you have blemishes you need to conceal) or a little bit of powder or bronzer (if you have nothing to hide), a little bit of mascara and a natural looking lip-gloss. You really don't need anymore than that.

Don't make the mistake of not wearing any makeup at all, as few of us leap out of bed looking fabulous first thing in the morning. Don't show up to your audition looking tired and worn out...take a moment to touch yourself up. If you prefer being barefaced (as I do) when you are not working...always keep the basics (powder/foundation, mascara & gloss) in your bag at all times.

Keep your clothing simple as well, this would not be a good time to have your boobies bursting out all over or having the crack of you butt showing.

A nice, crisp, white shirt and a pair of jeans or slacks generally go over well. Think: All American Girl.

Keep your hair simple and off your face, if that's a good look for you...and leave the colored hairpieces at home. Wear fashionable but comfortable shoes that you can walk in, if necessary.

There is no need to bring a full portfolio with you. A few pictures, snapshots or Polaroid's shot in natural lighting will do. They really just want to see how well you photograph.

FYI: Fight the urge to bring your high school graduation photos or that picture you took at Sears last year with you. You will be lucky if they don't laugh right in your face. If push comes to shove, buy a disposable camera and have a friend take a roll of shots of you in a natural setting in natural light.

The open call is one of the first steps to getting an agent. It's a job interview and you should treat it as such.

Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression, so make it a good one!

Good Luck!

Sisterly Advice

2005-12-06T14:42:00.000-05:00

Dear Sharon,

I know that you get hundreds of email, so since I want your full attention, I'll keep this short and sweet. First of all you are fabulous!!! I need some fashion help and advice. I am 6ft tall, I weigh 243lbs,and I wear a 16/18. My shoe size is 11. Ms. Sharon please tell me where to find fashionable, cute, sexy clothes. I'm on a tight budget, but want to be fierce! Im a 30 year old single mother of a beautiful 2year old. At present, I only make close to 19k a year. Life has been hard for me, but hey that's everyone, so I'm taking it all in stride, and rolling with it. At present, I live in Baton Rouge, LA, but within the next two months, I will be moving to Arlington, TX. I need a fresh start. I'm trying to find store that cater to TALL plus size women, with big feet. I can't afford to have my clothes made, or high end designer clothes. This sister is on a tight budget, but I believe I can still be F. A. T. !!

Your FAT Sister,
(The Amazon Queen)

Dear Amazon Queen

Girl I feel your pain....I have been where you are for most of my life, so I understand how hard it is to be fabulous on a limited budget!!! I love your positive energy! And I love The Amazon Queen moniker!!!! You are already halfway there mama!!! The great part of it is that you already know that you WILL NOT be making 19k for the rest of your life....you just gotta fake it till you make it!. I am sending you some sites that I know of off the top of my head that held me down during the rough times...(And being a shopaholic myself...there were more rough times than I care to admit..lol)

Being a size 12 shoe myself, and spending most of my childhood in Buster Brown shoes or sneakers...I know from experience that there are a WHOLE lot more variety in shoe choices nowadays. Here are some of the sites I like to surf through looking for great shoes at fairly reasonable prices:

http://www.barefeetshoes.com/

Paradise Fashion http://widewidth.com/product_info.php?products_id=325&osCsid=36b091ce3400bfe996d544663ac6f9a1

http://www.thelmamorgan.com/

http://www.largefeet.com/ (Friedman's shoes)

With the birth of the Star Jones Collection Payless is now making decent knock offs...shop during the "BOGO" sales! http://www.payless.com/

Nordstrom also carries a decent selection of shoes also... http://www.nordstrom.com/

Don't fret though...with kids nowadays coming out of the womb with size 10 feet....Manufacturers will eventually have to bump up the selection and the size range to meet the growing demand of the people.

Now shopping for clothing is ALWAYS more difficult if you are big AND LONG!!! And at the age of 44 I am not interested in looking like I should be an audience member for 106 & Park. I want to look good but I also want to look like an adult. Because I have been modeling for so long, I have built wonderful relationships with designers and am used to having things made to my measurements. If you are looking for sites that specialize in tall size clothing....be prepared to spend some change. But for now you can start here:

http://www.newport-news.com/ They carry tall proportioned clothing and they are not too expensive.

http://www.igigi.com/ A lot of the big girls I know shop here and they generally carry some really cute things.

http://www.torrid.com/ I don't know if they carry tall proportioned pants & Jeans but there are some cute things on their site. The name of the game is mix and match...buy tops from here....bottoms from somewhere else.

http://www.gap.com/
http://www.oldnavy.com/

I love The Gap and Old Navy, they have very cute things, limitless possibilities and they are ALWAYS having a sale....YAY!!!!!

These are only a few of the hundreds of sites to choose from. I am only sending you the ones that I am familiar with. But if you go to Google and put in Tall Size Women's Clothing in the search box, you'll be surprised at what comes up.

Remember, "Fake it till you make it Mama", shop the sales, find out where the plus girls in your city are shopping and ask them. Working on a limited budget is hard, but not impossible.

Remember a TRUE DIVA is Fabulous in her own skin....as long as YOU feel good about YOU...that's all anyone will see and remember. Trust me.

Good Luck on your journey and let me know how it goes.

Sharon

Modeling 101 - The Basics

2005-12-06T13:50:00.000-05:00

So you woke up this morning and decided TODAY is the day you’re going to set the world on fire on your journey to becoming a successful plus sized model. Before you head out the door to the Modeling Agencies you need to ask yourself a few questions..

Are you at least 5’8” barefooted?

Although there are quite a few people sneaking in right under the “radar” at 5’7”, the reality of the business is that you need to be at least 5’8” barefooted NOT in heels. Although no one will pull out the measuring tape at an open call, most of the bookers at these agencies have been in the business for a very long time and can pretty much tell if you are too short. But don’t lose hope if you are shorter than 5’8” there are plenty of other types of modeling that may be for you.

Are you between sizes 12 through 18?

Technically, “Plus” sizes begin at a size 10 (which is just absurd to me) and I really do believe that this is something that has been carried over from the 80’s when they would take size 10 or 12 and “pad them up” rather than hire true sizes. Although I am sure they are still using 10’s for catalog work, the industry has changed greatly and there is a trend towards using true sizes now. Now while the industry has made great strides in using the larger size models (I did the bulk of my work at a size 18), there is still a long way to go, hence if you are larger than a size 18, you might find some local work, but not a lot of it in mainstream modeling yet. If you want to work regularly, you should really strive to get down to at least a size 18.

Do you have clear skin and/or complexion?

Your face is the first thing that clients see and since they are hiring you to sell their product, if your skin is bad and you have to use heavy makeup to cover it up or you have scars on your face….chances are they won’t hire you. Try changing your diet and start consuming plenty of water. Go to a dermatologist and try to clear up your skin before you make the agency rounds.

Are you photogenic?

There is a BIG difference between being pretty and being photogenic. I know plenty of pretty women who take absolutely horrible pictures. You need to be comfortable in front of the camera, and that’s not an easy thing to do. One way to find out is to go back and look at photos of yourself throughout your life and ask yourself: do you like the way YOU look in them? Do others constantly compliment your photos or ask you if you are a model? If you have friends in the industry, take your photos to them and ask them as well.

Can you walk in a heel at least 2 ½ inches or higher?

Although I truly believe that the “Art of Runway” is dying a TRUE Diva knows the value of perfecting her runway "strut", you STILL need to be able to walk in at least a 2 ½ or higher heel. While there isn’t a lot of runway work for plus sizes on a major level right now, I believe that by learning how to walk properly in a pair of heels makes you appear to be more graceful and fluid. You can start by trying to get booked in local shows in your area and they are great venues to perfect your runway technique.

Are you prepared to spend a substantial amount of money on your career?

Let’s be clear here: Although you shouldn’t have to pay to be signed with an agency or pay large sums of money for one person to shoot your book…you WILL eventually have to spend quite a bit of money towards your career BEFORE you make any back. Composite Cards, constant testing with different photographers to build your book, hiring make up artist, stylists etc., all of these things are standard operating procedure for the budding new model. If you know you are on a strict budget or you are not working at the moment, this would not be a good time to approach an agent. Try to build up a little cash flow before you proceed.

Do you handle rejection well?

If you do not, STOP RIGHT HERE!!! DO NOT PASS GO!!! Rejection is the name of the game in fashion. Potential clients see hundreds of girls a day and only 1 or 2 of them have the look the client is searching for. Get your self esteem in check!! You will hear the word “no” a heck of a lot more than you will hear yes, and it isn’t personal. It’s just business and you should treat it as such. Don’t go home and agonize over why you didn’t get a specific job. Remember, that it’s not about you it’s about the client and what they are looking….and half the time THEY don’t even know what they are looking for. So don’t crumble when you hear no, thank the client, walk out the door, shake it off and move on to the next one.

Do you have a job?

Baby....If you don’t have a job….GET ONE as soon as possible!! You’re going to need it to constantly upgrade your book, get new comp cards, etc. It’s very hard to pursue modeling as a career with no source of income.

Do you love yourself?

This should actually be number 1 on my list. If you cannot look in the mirror and love what you see on a daily basis….This career is not for you. If you don’t feel good about yourself, how can you possibly believe that you can honestly sell a product??? If you don’t love yourself at 250 pounds, you won’t love yourself at 150 pounds either. It all begins with YOU. Whether you are 150 pounds or 350 pounds, you have to be in love with yourself before you can expect anyone to love you back. When you are happy with yourself, it emanates from your pores and it is absolutely infectious. I believe that THIS is what clients ultimately want to see.

Now if you have read my "list" and checked it twice and you are SURE that you meet all of the above criteria.....Go on and....

Just Do It!!!!

Good luck to you and please let me know how it goes!

The ORIGINAL Runway Diva!

Plus Sized Sorority

2005-11-25T10:01:00.000-05:00

Dear Ms. Quinn,

My name is Elizabeth and I am 29 years old. I live in Queens NY and have been full figured all of my life. I am 5'7 and a size 16 and in the past have felt the need to justify myself to the world (not now). Being Puerto Rican and Ethiopian my looks are different and people have always told me how beautiful I am. I can't count how many times I have heard how much more beautiful I would be if I lost a little weight. In college, I learned to embrace and love who I am. I modeled in our Black Women's Weekend fashion show (I was one of two Plus sized models). I also helped to start a sorority that embraces our differences, We are known as the D.I.V.A.S. of Lambda Fe Uson. (our web site is www.lambdafeuson.org , please look at our founders page, almost all of us are fabulously plus sized). I saw you on Mo'Nique's Fat Chance and my mother and I thought you were fierce and blew away the competition. I am a firm believer that big ladies can be sexy and fit at sizes 14 and over. Knowing this, I would like to try to become a plus sized model. I can walk and I do have the look for it, although I may be a little short for runway. Currently, I am a paralegal. One the side, I advise my sorority and am in training to compete in triathalons next year. Ms. Quinn, I want to share myself with the world and encourage young women. Is there a way to meet you or can you direct me to someone who can critique my look and tell me if I have what it takes to achieve this goal? I am not shy and will not breakdown or fall apart if it doesn't happen. I just want to be a part of this movement of women that are shattering stereotypes. I would so appreciate your advice.

Lastly, if you are available to speak in a program for my sorority, we would love to have you give your story on our SUNY StonyBrook campus. There are many young women on that campus that would benefit by hearing you speak. As I'm sure you know, eating disorders and self image issues are problems on college campuses.

In Unity, Faith and Strength,

Elizabeth S.

Elizabeth!

First let me say I loved your letter! It was just so positive and powerful..This is great work that you are doing...please continue to inspire and uplift our sisters. In answer to your question, do you have any pictures that you can email me of yourself? I wouldn't fret too much about being 5'7", It's not like someone is gonna pull out a measuring tape and measure your height (lol) you are right "under" the height "radar" by and inch and I say....who's gonna know that if you don't tell them???? Please send me some photos of yourself, I am sure I can point you in the right direction.

All of my bookings are handled by my manager, Shalon Scott. You can reach her at 973-280-3380 or email her at Shalon@tmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you!

Getting Started

2005-11-25T09:53:00.000-05:00

Dear Runway Diva

hi my name is Michaela, sorry to bother you but I just wanted to ask you a question, I just wanted to know exactly who's your agency or how you got into the modeling network, I am an aspiring model (size 12) coming up and I am having trouble starting myself up, I would greatly appreciate any advice you have, you have great photos! Thanks

Hello Michaela

I apologize for the delay in responding to your questions. I am currently signed with the Goddess Division of The Model Service Agency (http://www.modelserviceagency.com/)
in New York City. I believe they also have divisions for standard size models and men. I would suggest that you look them up, find out when they have their open calls for new models, take a few good photos of yourself (nothing too provocative and go easy on the make up...they want to see what YOU look like) and let them see you. There is no need to show up with a full portfolio, if an agency likes you....chances are they will have you shoot new pictures anyway. Some clear photos in natural lighting will do at this stage of the game. You should also think about trying to work in fit...it's easy and more importantly...Steady money...IF you have the right measurements.

Don't be disappointed if they don't sign you on the spot...there are quite a few agencies in New York....just move on to the next one. If you like you can ask them for suggestions on which direction you should continue in.

I hope this helps...please keep me abreast of your progress!

Good Luck!

Who is The ORIGINAL Runway Diva!??

2005-11-06T13:49:00.000-05:00

Miss Sharon Quinn also known as “The Original Runway Diva!” is a veteran of the fashion industry and a story in perseverance. Her career in modeling began in the 1980’s, when she got her first “official” tear sheet from BBW Magazine when she entered their Annual Cover Model Search. After the contest she made the rounds to the NYC agencies and was rejected by most of them, with each noting different things she needed to “fix” about herself, and telling her to then come back and see them again. She left one of the top agencies of that era with a contract in hand but never returned.

Ten years later she met Gwendolyn DeVoe, CEO of DeVoe Signature Events through a mutual friend and began doing local fashions shows with her. She became a show favorite and perfected a great deal of her signature “Walk” by doing a lot of club & runway shows with Ms. DeVoe’s organization. It was during one of these runway shows that she met New York City based designer Alexander Bruce and quickly became one of his favorite models. In 1995 Alex entered her into a local, but well known modeling competition in New Jersey and much to everyone’s (except Alex’s) surprise, she defeated over 50 standard sized models to become the first plus-sized winner in the 16 year history of that competition. She won a trip to Europe and she garnered a tremendous amount of local press from winning that title and one of the fruits that resulted from her labor was being selected as the first cover model for the premiere issue of BELLE Magazine. Having learned from her previous “Open Call” experiences of the eighties she decided to bypass the open calls and took all of her press clippings and photos and put together a press package and sent it out to all of the major agencies. She received positive responses from her efforts and decided to sign on with Susan Georget of Wilhelmina Models’ Ten-20 division. Sharon feels she has been blessed to have been working steadily since then. Her numerous works include ad campaigns for The Avenue, Nordstroms, Ashley Stewart and many others. She has been seen in national commercials for Weight Watchers and Just My Size. She has been a frequent visitor on the runways of ABC-TV’s “The View”.

On August 6, 2005 Sharon reawakened the world to the notion that “life begins after 40”, when at the age of 44 she became the 1st runner up on “Mo’Nique’s Fat Chance”, the first nationally televised plus-sized beauty competition/reality show and was the highest rated show in the history of the Oxygen Network. An astonishing 3.8 million tuned in to view the premiere and the repeat airings over the weekend. Who says big girls can’t be sexy?? Sharon’s perfect 10 score in the lingerie segment is one of the more memorable moments in the broadcast. At 6 feet tall and sporting a shaved head, she is now recognized where ever she goes.

These days Sharon divides her time between writing and recording songs for her solo debut as well as handling the role of National Producer for “Dangerous Curves…The Tour”, a traveling fashion tour for plus sized women. She has a talk show in the works and is also writing a book about her life in the fashion industry. The newly committed singer, model & actress is currently signed with Suma Management and she lives in New York City with her family.

“Surround yourself with positive people & positive things!”