How Are Today's Models Making Money?

[Bugsy]

How much would a Top 50 model make for a Calvin Klein campaign?

 

[Aedlacir]

Like I said in early post, the world of modeling has changed so drastically from when I was modeling. It was very clear as to how you made money. Advertising and catalog was were the money was and everyone knew that you made the most money in the American market. You worked in Europe to get exposure not to make money because, in my day, Europe paid peanuts. I started modeling in early 1977 and I immediately started getting bookings and started making money immediately. My very first bookings were a cosmetics add for Avon and a spread in Seventeen and then I made the cover of that magazine that ran later in the year. My agency immediately made the decision to move from the teen/junior market to the more adult high fashion arena. I would first appear in American Vogue in January 1978 and would appear in almost every issue until around 1981. I never made the cover of American Vogue, but would make the cover of British Vogue six times beginning in 1978, the same year I began appearing in the editorial pages of American Vogue. I would continue to appear in British Vogue until around 83/84. The bulk of my money always came from cosmetic and fashion campaigns(I did a ton of those) and catalog. I rarely touched a runway. I also did everything from pantyhose adds to tv commercials for cars and airlines. In my day, a top model simply worked, there wasn’t this snobbery about image that seems to permeate these days. I did Vogue, Elle and Bazaar, but also Sears, JcPenney and Montgomery Wards. Girls got in the business to make money and travel, not to be chosen by a designer to walk his show. No one cared about that and I mean no one unless you were a runway girl and that was considered second tier with some exceptions. I can name the girls on one hand who were popular both editorially and on the runways. Iman, Jerry Hall, Peggy Dillard, Susan Hess, and maybe Pat Cleveland. They were seen as the exceptions, not the rule. The modeling world has changed so much. If I started today I don’t think I would have been as successful and there are very few girls today who would have worked in my era. Times are always changing.

Your magazine covers are stunning. I especially favor your Seventeen magazine cover, you remind me of Behati. Was there ever a moment after you retired that someone asked to do model work per special request?

 

[fashiont914]

Everyone needs to stop guessing and start thinking. This is 2023 not 2000. Many of the assumptions here are more 2000 than today. Most agencies prior 2019 were 20-80 rule. 20 percent of the models earn 80% of the money. Now it's more 20-90 rule. Now you have more specialized divisions (commercial, showroom, etc in every agency except 1 or 2). E-commerce rates except for top commercial /fashion girls (there is no difference in real life except for runway/editorial) is higher but a model earning over 250k would now be a top earner. Majority in the US earn less than 30k - expenses. Do the math, if you get paid 1k per day, you need to earn 60k in model wages because agency commissions and expenses account for 50% of it. Influencers can earn way more than models anyday of the week from self earnings considering a model career now takes years unless that model was lucky to get some BUZZ or flat out gorgeous/cool.
The glamorization of the past to justify underpaying models who sacrifice school and work years for min wage needs to stop. It hasn't been good for a long time now and only getting worse.