Modeling age* How much of an issue is it?

[zionforsell]

Age doesn't matter. Nothing matters except your look and your attitude. I am 17 and look like a 12 years old. They can out on makeup and make me look like 8!!! As long as you have the look they want, you are good too go! Agency are willing to lie to get you jobs. They can lie about your measurements, your height, your eye and hair color, your age, even where you came from. Seriously, no one cares about those stuff as long as you are fabulous for work! My cousin wears contact lense and it became her eyes's color on her card. They even invented a bio for her. No, age doesn't matter!

 

[fashionistangeL]

thats good.. thanks for sharing!!!

 

[o0ceania]

Age doesn't matter. Nothing matters except your look and your attitude. I am 17 and look like a 12 years old. They can out on makeup and make me look like 8!!! As long as you have the look they want, you are good too go! Agency are willing to lie to get you jobs. They can lie about your measurements, your height, your eye and hair color, your age, even where you came from. Seriously, no one cares about those stuff as long as you are fabulous for work! My cousin wears contact lense and it became her eyes's color on her card. They even invented a bio for her. No, age doesn't matter!

This seems to be very true. But, if this is the case, why does a remarkable agency like DNA state this if age isn't an issue? And more importantly why is there no age cut-off for men like their is women? This seems really weird to me.

I don't understand why 21 would even be the cut-off for women either. Why not say 23 or 25 if you're going to say any number? The reason being because many people don't even live their home to work abroad until they're of complete legal age to do so, because 21 is universally legal for everything in any part of the world. Many people don't leave to do anything period until they're 21, so stating that as the last age seems really unrealistic. What do the rest of you think?

Requirements:

Females

Age - 13 to 21
Height - 5' 7" to 6'
Male
Age - 15 and up
5'11" and up

 

[BetteT]

One of the factors about the age of a model is that by mid 20's their faces start to show signs of aging, fine laugh lines around they eyes, deeper creases between the nose and mouth, etc.. A big issue if they are doing any print work. And print ads and commercial work are a huge part of the market. Runway only happens a few times a year.

With guys ... they are allowed to have laugh lines around their eyes etc. as long as they keep a strong chin line (no jowels) ... so older is OK, as long as they look rugged.

 

[o0ceania]

^^thanks.

however, you can get those lines and creases in your teens, so your actual age has nothing to do with it. rather, it's how fast your individual stressors that make up your life age you. a teen who smokes and gets sun is going to show more damage than an average clean-living smoke/sun-free 30 year old. i've seen these demonstrations in dermatology material...visible signs of aging occur regardless of your actual age.

just because you're 20 doesn't mean you're automatically going to get these features. in fact you may never get them in your life at all. plastic surgeons have told me some women will never show the visible signs if they do proper care.

it's very frustrating to see the modeling industry refuse to acknowledge these facts about how aging actually works

 

[Sweet rus]

At 20 faces start to show some signs of aging? haha
It's crazy, 20 yo girl doesn't differ much from 16 yo one

 

[dg_fan]

to me its a little unhealthy to start modeling so young 16 and up is alright but 13? just too young dont u think?

 

[BetteT]

At 20 faces start to show some signs of aging? haha
It's crazy, 20 yo girl doesn't differ much from 16 yo one

I actually said "mid" 20s. Agencies want to start the models young enough to actually develop a career ... a few good years, 8 to 10, if they get lucky.

Ask any makeup artist who works on models' faces ... they can spot the older girls the moment they sit in their chairs. And with todays high resolution digital imaging, everything shows including nostril hair (weird, I know, but I've seen it many times) ... the camera is not nearly as forgiving as it used to be when it was film. In fact, for high def, close up shots, artists today want models to remove all soft peach fuzz facial hair, because it shows up like crazy, too.

True ... aging can be delayed a bit with proper care, but not stopped and any 15 year old will still look younger than a 25 year old, close up.

 

[dg_fan]

thats true i agree but i just think its wrong for girls who are 13 or younger become a model but i agree with u Bette T

 

[emma peel]

i find this whole discussion of 20 being too old quite depressing.

perhaps a "career" that is over before most people are still starting out as undergraduates isn't a career at all. at best it's like winning the jackpot (if you already won the sperm lottery and are 6' and skinny), at worst it seems exploitative, petty and demeaning to women who work hard to develop careers without expiration dates.

(which isn't saying that models aren't good at what they do, but how good can they be if they don't have a chance to develop their "talents" beyond the age of twenty?)

 

[dg_fan]

exactly!

 

[Sweet rus]

I actually said "mid" 20s. Agencies want to start the models young enough to actually develop a career ... a few good years, 8 to 10, if they get lucky.

I know I exegerated a bit but I am just sooo tired of seeing 16 old models

 

[Faith Akiyama]

^Didn't Eugenia also start at a very young age, though (Though her breakthrough came around when she was 18)? Viviane, who's in your avatar, also opened Dior when she was 16...(Though her look makes her seem older). I mean, like it or not, we're all becoming attracted to the trend

I think younger faces are just becoming increasingly prevalent on the more prestigious markets today -- they've always at least existed in this profession. It's a somewhat disturbing notion, no doubt, but I agree with whoever mentioned personal attitude as a true measurement of maturity. Nevertheless, I would never want to see 12-year-olds being pushed to walk 20 shows per city...but even my favorite new face, Karlie, seems to be pushing the boundaries of my personal convictions.

 

[o0ceania]

True ... aging can be delayed a bit with proper care, but not stopped and any 15 year old will still look younger than a 25 year old, close up.

May I ask why do you feel this way? Everything i've studied on dermatology states the opposite, that visible signs of aging can be stopped and often are. I'm curious as to how you came to a different conclusion.

One reference material I consulted about this issue is the book called the "Body's Edge.." written by PhD author Marc Lappe. On page 182 he states "one pervasive myth about skin is that wrinkling and loss of elasticity are the inevitable consequence of aging. In fact, individuals who spend little or no time in the sun show remarkably young-looking skin well into their seventies."
I hope you can now see why I'm surprised by your claim of 15 and 25 year olds looking different.

I've watched makeup artists be fooled by people's real ages in the makeup chair, too, just like any other person could be.

 

[BetteT]

The original question was about why agencies want younger girls. I base my response to that on what makeup artists tell me all the time ... they see the models' faces close up, day after day. And this is what bookers tell me too. If they are wrong, it's still the reason they prefer youger models... based on what they and the clients believe.

And I am generalizing ... of course, some faces look younger than others and those who take care of their skin can maintain youthful looks longer. Many models do not take care of their skin properly and are subjected to lots of weird things during the course of their careers ... so maybe that is another reason.

But you won't have any 70+ year old woman who looks like a 15 year old ... even if she's been out or the sun all her life ... aging still happens. More for some and less for others ... and skin care is certainly a factor.

Staying out of the sun all your life will certainly lead to "Remarkably young-looking skin well into their seventies" ... but that does not mean that aging has stopped at puberty. That comment only means that the skin is unusually yourthful for a woman of that age ... maybe she looks 50 instead of 75. Gravity, moving our faces, exposure to toxins and free radicals, and the natural wearing out of cells' abilty to regenerate as fast all contribute to aging, too. It shows on faces ...

 

[tigerrouge]

It could also be about more than skin tone - I find that younger people are easier to work with, because on the whole they'll do what you tell them. They're biddable.

 

[carmen_kass]

Well Louise Pedersen was about 21 when she started, and the new girl Adina is 20 and she just opened Prada. Elise Crombez got popular when she was close to 20 as well. It just depends how much model potential you have. I mean I'm I just turned 15 and I've been scouted 8 times, but each time I go to the agency they say something to the effect of "you're not suitable, you look to young" or "your face hasn't matured yet" so I don't know what agencies want. This was Storm and Premier models by the way, but there are thousands of agencies, someone is bound to love your look. I don't want to be a model, but you really seem to want this, so put yourself out there and go to open calls or just walk in, you'll never know till you try.

 

[The_Ida]

The original question was about why agencies want younger girls. I base my response to that on what makeup artists tell me all the time ... they see the models' faces close up, day after day. And this is what bookers tell me too. If they are wrong, it's still the reason they prefer youger models... based on what they and the clients believe.

And I am generalizing ... of course, some faces look younger than others and those who take care of their skin can maintain youthful looks longer. Many models do not take care of their skin properly and are subjected to lots of weird things during the course of their careers ... so maybe that is another reason.

But you won't have any 70+ year old woman who looks like a 15 year old ... even if she's been out or the sun all her life ... aging still happens. More for some and less for others ... and skin care is certainly a factor.

Staying out of the sun all your life will certainly lead to "Remarkably young-looking skin well into their seventies" ... but that does not mean that aging has stopped at puberty. That comment only means that the skin is unusually yourthful for a woman of that age ... maybe she looks 50 instead of 75. Gravity, moving our faces, exposure to toxins and free radicals, and the natural wearing out of cells' abilty to regenerate as fast all contribute to aging, too. It shows on faces ...

Honestly, I think smoking and dieting have a lot to do with it. You age faster when you're underweight and smoking. I don't have a line on my face at all, and I'm 20 (too lazy to diet and smoking is gross). I think it's complete and utterly BS that the models have to be 15 when they start - of course models are gonna have lines everywhere when they are 20 if they have been dieting and smoking since they where 15.

Sheila Marquez had one hell of a first season, walked exclusively for Gucci in Milan, walked all the top shows in Paris...and she is 23. I thought that she was 16 when I saw her @ Balenciaga FW0708.

 

[The_Ida]

I have been scouted two times, but I have always been to lazy or having to little confidence to contact an agency. I'll be 21 in December, and now I regret that I at least didn't try out, because I realise that I pretty much don't have a chance.

 

[o0ceania]

good conversation in here!

bette- may i ask what role you play in the industry? i'd like to understand where your point of view comes from a little more if you don't mind.

ida--why don't you think you have a chance? there are some great examples of girls that are flying high at your age, you have nothing to worry about at all! did you see the balenciaga show in person? how did you get access to that? why did sheila look 16 to you, by the way?

tigerrouge- are you stating that from personal experience? what do you mean by biddable, exactly?