How Much Can an AVERAGE Model Expect to Get Paid? (PLEASE READ POST #1 BEFORE POSTING)

[cologne_rocks]

Yes, Bamhutt is totally right! There have been mid-way catalogues and lookbooks who pay their models better than high fashion houses for a campaign; in fact, high profile fashion houses are typically known for being really oblivious when it comes to payment in a way, many many girls who worked exclusively for a certain Milan based brand have never seen any penny although they were supposted to get 4k ($).... But Milan has actually the best payment behaviour....
As for Lily D getting 500 000, that's totally utopian, she wouldnt even get so much for a beauty contract.

 

[nothingless]

^ Unless it was a VS Angel or Supermodel contract - they're known to pay their models in the millions for multi-year-contracts.

 

[bothsidesnow]

oh ok! what are general numbers?
would a big face like lily d get £500,000 for a mid-way campaign?
but then a new face only get £2,500? or somethng?

I'd think around £2,500 - £5,000 per day would be in the ballpark for 6 months + only girl campaign with magazine exposure for a newbie. Less if were a 'high profile' HF brand, more if it were a more commercial brand.

 

[LeBonChic]

I dont like the fact that many brands pay models clothes, accessories, but little cash after shows. If models dont have enough cash for what they want at the shops, of course they will wear stuff they're paid (and at high chance the latest stuff of the season) as if to promote for the brands. The brands' profit increase that way but do they pay the models higher for the next season ?

 

[BetteT]

I'm not so sure that they pay models in clothes because they want the exposure.

I beleive that it's because they are tight in their budget (or just plain cheap) and the clothes can't be sold anyway. So it's cost effective to give away used clothing (which doesn't cost them nearly as much to produce as the clothes cost in stores), instead of actually paying them.

The real income for models comes from advertising, catlogs and commercial things ... not runway or editorial spreads, anyway.

 

[cologne_rocks]

I dont like the fact that many brands pay models clothes, accessories, but little cash after shows. If models dont have enough cash for what they want at the shops, of course they will wear stuff they're paid (and at high chance the latest stuff of the season) as if to promote for the brands. The brands' profit increase that way but do they pay the models higher for the next season ?

Well, doing a show season (+editorials) are rather considered as an investment than a way to earn money. You meet casting directors of magazines & designers, get expose from MDC, THEIMAGIST, FashionTV etc, it's actually a good opportunity to make some noises in order to get noticed for the print season afterwards. It's just the easiest way to get hype. Investment.

BCBG, Herve Lege etc provide you the clothes you've worn at the shows, Marc Jacobs has a room where clothing items are being stored in (you may pick 3 items if i remember correctly), Balenciaga gives you a whole outfit (even if it's most likely from older seasons) and there are designers who don't say "no" if you ask them for shoes, bags and so on.... And especially Milan is known for paying really well up to 2,5k ($) for walking a show, which sounds quite good to me.

Many fashion houses can just not afford to pay a models, the whole show process is extremely expensive, i remember Thierry Muggler & McQueen paying up to 500k for just one show, this is really much if you consider that McQueen for example has just a very little turnover unlike brands like Versace who keep their shows low-budget but invest therefore really much in their advertisement campaigns...

 

[agee]

I thought that MDC Top 20 models were paid US$5-10K for a runway show, of course I am pretty sure that there are exceptions in either direction. With new girls it may be harder to gauge because I would think that the designers would pay them on the lower end of the scale because they are unproven and also if an agent is really trying to get one of his/her girls in a show then they are willing to negotiate pretty aggressively in hopes of getting their models the exposure.

 

[cologne_rocks]

Actually, nobody gets paid so much for shows, Doutzen Kroes got a Prada bag for walking the Prada show last season despite being special request.

 

[oh me]

I thought most of them get smth like 10 000 for one big show

 

[bothsidesnow]

I'm not so sure that they pay models in clothes because they want the exposure.

I beleive that it's because they are tight in their budget (or just plain cheap) and the clothes can't be sold anyway. So it's cost effective to give away used clothing (which doesn't cost them nearly as much to produce as the clothes cost in stores), instead of actually paying them.

The real income for models comes from advertising, catlogs and commercial things ... not runway or editorial spreads, anyway.

Correct. Some designers pay, others don't.. and generally its those designers who can most afford to pay that don't. They pay their models in clothes not for advertising/exposure, but to save on costs. They do it because they can! If that sounds exploitative its because it is!
Marc Jacobs is a good example.

What I'd like to know is if the model is paid in clothes, what does the agency get??

 

[JCFS]

does anyone know how much lara stone was paid for being an exclusive for ck

 

[Unknownpleasures]

What I'd like to know is if the model is paid in clothes, what does the agency get??

I was just going to ask that.It really doesn't make sense to me if they get paid with clothes instead of money,what does the agent get?a pair of shoes? :|a nice scarf? can't make a living off that

 

[cologne_rocks]

The agent doesn't get anything and doesn't expect it for the shows.

 

[BetteT]

Good question!

I never thought about that! My guess ... is "nothing" ... except exposure and a resume boost for thier models which can be used to market them to paying clients. But I don't really know the answer to this question.

 

[Unknownpleasures]

another question :
who pays the plane tickets and the hotel bills?Do girls have to pay for them with their own money? If they get paid with clothes why do they invest in the plane tickets. what if they don't book many shows like Sessilee in les files vogue?

 

[Bamhutt]

^ The model pays all the expenses from plane tickets, hotel bills to comp cards, everything costs money. The agency just works on the models behalf to develop their career and get them bookings (and obviously take their commission). I remember someone saying a model runs their own business, they have expenses and (should have) revenue.

If they get paid with clothes why do they invest in the plane tickets. what if they don't book many shows like Sessilee in les files vogue?

Runway gets exposure and you get to met various deisgner/casting directors.. which can lead to campaigns. The airfares are just a cost the model needs to cover, in the long run it's probably a small cost to pay.

 

[bothsidesnow]

Don't forget the cost of cars with drivers, taxis for castings/ fittings/ shows etc. The hotel bills during Fashion week won't be cheap either. The expenses are huge.. its pretty much the standard that models end up in debt to their agency/s after Fashion Week.

Runway gets exposure and you get to met various deisgner/casting directors.. which can lead to campaigns. The airfares are just a cost the model needs to cover, in the long run it's probably a small cost to pay.

the "long run" doesn't exist for most models! and HF campaigns are often skimmed just like runway work.

 

[bothsidesnow]

The agent doesn't get anything and doesn't expect it for the shows.

how do you know?

 

[Unknownpleasures]

Then modeling doesn't seem to be worth the pain/pressure/etc. o_o

 

[BetteT]

Well, you have to be very very lucky to have that one face in a million ... and willing to risk a lot of money and energy in the beginning.

Modeling is a high risk profession .... most fail .... some work but don't make much money overall. Only the ones blessed with the right look at the right moment, and capture the interest of major clients stand a chance of actually making a decent living out of modeling.