Model's Age - How Young Is Too Young?

[fashion tyger]

One of the things Ford instructed us right up front was

1. Do not go in to castings with your "your 15 year old"

2. Do not attend photo shoots with your daughter

3. Do not hang around backstage with your daughter

so....we had a system, if you feel like something makes you uncomfortable,pick up your things and walk out. I was always nearby with my cellphone and she always had her cell with her. Call it what you like "stage mom" or whatever...there was no way in hell I was going to let my 15 year old try to cope with 'adult situations' with no experience in that area.

On one campaign with a well known photographer,each model was instructed not to come back on the third day unless they were willing to take their clothes off.

On another day of castings she was instructed that 'more than likely' you will be required to take your top off.

I can't begin to tell you how many times you hear,"it's all in the name of art"....which is a lot of BS when you are talking about someone so young.

You can argue about this till hell freezes over but you know it's not a good idea to take someone so young and manipulate them into situations that the majority of them are not comfortable with.

Wow!!! I had no idea.....the small agency I work for mainly scouts for Next and Wilhelmina,after they leave I have no idea what happens.....

 

[model_mom]

I'm still trying to figure you out....either this is all a big joke to you or your heads really buried a** deep in the sand.

 

[fashion tyger]

^^^ Why would you say that??? That is so mean.....I am not the enemy.....I have never taken advantage of a model,financial or otherwise , boy, girl, man, or women....I always try to look out for my people.

 

[model_mom]

Would someone really say something like this if it wasn't true......God bless us all.....

sound familiar

 

[SincerelyJane]

My friend's older sister is a model, not super well known but if you're aware of models you'd recognize her name (I'm going to keep her anonymous to not get anyone in trouble) ... her agency says she is 21, but she's actually almost 30. She looks very young for her age, easily could pass for 19 or 20. I don't get why they would lie about an older model's age when if she looks young, why does it matter?

 

[anibalenci]

because this business sells youth, inocence, you know... and it is important for designers, and... who review those lists for work?... the designers... so, there you are... everything it moves around the money.

 

[LegBaby]

I think it's so ridiculous that it is assumed by so many in the industry that under 18s are the only ones with that 'fresh' look. Dorothea and Madisyn Ritland, for example, are both 18 and they epitomise the glowing skin and youthful beauty popular now. Although I know both of these girls may be 18+ now, but they were probably doing test shots etc way before they came of age.

That said I think 16 and over is an acceptable age - but parental supervision should be compulsory. An agent is NOT a substitution for a legal guardian - if somebody like Meisel, say, says he wants a girl to be topless for a VI shoot, it seems obvious an agent will think that that's a great opportunity, and a necessary sacrifice. And the model will probably agree too. A parent on the other hand, might think twice about such a shoot...

 

[xerq]

are their unions for models? they sh!t that goes down wouldn't happen if there was a good union for models.

 

[anibalenci]

good question!

 

[KhaoticKharma]

On the artistic front, I feel like a lot of age-ism stems from whatever "look" is in. Liya and Hilary, I feel, were able to start older because they have it suits the "sophisticated" looks they are usually cast for; conversely, the "baby doll" look sort of required younger girls. Not to say that that is always the case, or that it's right, but I feel like the artistic powers that be feel as though it is justifiable. Obviously, as the decade closes there is a good chance that the "baby doll" look will go the same way as Uggs and trucker hats, becoming a vesitge of a time long gone. If the next look is more refined, sophosticated, or tradiontally 'sexy,' then model age will probably climb up once again. There will always be twelve year olds getting scouted, of course.

 

[Bamhutt]

I've been scouting with my friend who is a model scout/agent and approaching girls younger than 12... like 8 is an option. The scout gets the girls parents' details and the parents send pictures to my friend every so often. Maybe when the girl's 13 or older she'll get signed.
I know from my own experience scouting that finding a decent girl who is anything over 16 is near impossible (especially in urban areas). Most girls that have potential have been scouted by then. I guess this means girls are getting scouted younger and younger... maybe 12/13 rather than 15/16.

 

[tullepen]

I think that is so inappropriate.I really wish the industry had firmer rules.Girls need to finish their education and develop and mature BEFORE they are thrust into the whole modeling industry.Tanya was much too young,never mind how much she defends herself and says she feels like a 30 year old.

 

[TommyGirl]

I don`t want to be too cynical, but still, it comes to my mind if these girls are scouted at very young age, because it`s easier to make them play by the rules then. Girls over 16 have already future plans and their own life, it`s not easy to leave everything and deliver everything the industry demands. Everyone knows it`s nearly impossible to make a hf modelling career and have a balanced life at home.

Of course there`s nothing wrong with travelling job, but it would be safer if you had a little more life experience than 15 year old can ever have. In my personal opinion I`d much rather have girls over 20 modelling clothes for women.

 

[Echoes]

I've been scouting with my friend who is a model scout/agent and approaching girls younger than 12... like 8 is an option.

Most places I know, you'd end up either being arrested or beaten to a pulp by the family or friends.

 

[Filipe]

I've been scouting with my friend who is a model scout/agent and approaching girls younger than 12... like 8 is an option. The scout gets the girls parents' details and the parents send pictures to my friend every so often. Maybe when the girl's 13 or older she'll get signed.
I know from my own experience scouting that finding a decent girl who is anything over 16 is near impossible (especially in urban areas). Most girls that have potential have been scouted by then. I guess this means girls are getting scouted younger and younger... maybe 12/13 rather than 15/16.

I've never heard of model agents scouting girls younger than 12, more likely older than 14. Besides, at 14 they are more developed than 12, 11, 10, 9 or 8, so what kind of idea can a 8 year old give you of how she'll develop/age, a 14 year old you somehow can, but 8 year old ? The market is saturated and most girls that have potential are signed already, like you said, so hence the need of searching of girls young as 14, but you need to be able to picture how will they look like in 3-4 years.

 

[myran]

I've never heard of model agents scouting girls younger than 12, more likely older than 14. Besides, at 14 they are more developed than 12, 11, 10, 9 or 8, so what kind of idea can a 8 year old give you of how she'll develop/age, a 14 year old you somehow can, but 8 year old ? The market is saturated and most girls that have potential are signed already, like you said, so hence the need of searching of girls young as 14, but you need to be able to picture how will they look like in 3-4 years.

Actually it's not uncommon. Maybe not younger than 12, but agencies def scout girls around that age and then they keep in touch unril the girls are old enough. Of course 2/3 of them never become real models (not even locally), but the agency hasn't spent any money so it's not a problem for them. At 13 or so you'll move to the development board if you're tall enough, although at least in Sweden, no girls that young are actually working. Though it's become more common here as well that VERY young girls go to Japan to get their first tearsheets, even if they bring a parent. In Tokyo you can meet Russian 12-13 year olds that live with other models Of course they have some chaperone and the agency drives them everywhere and so, but still.

Anyway, for instance Frida G got scouted all the time from age 11 and one of my friends has been in contact with her mother agent since she was 10! Obviously she was tall and looked older, but that's extreme imo. She wasn't scouted for children's modelling but for her potential as a "real" model (this is a top agent that discovered some famous names).

 

[Bamhutt]

Another girl that started young was Taylor Kraemer @ seven years old!

How did you get started? Ever thinking you'd be doing this?
I got started when I was seven and a neighbor mailed in a picture of me cause she thought I should model. I never thought I would be up on the runways in New York it's great

Most places I know, you'd end up either being arrested or beaten to a pulp by the family or friends.

Actually, I've heard of a scout approaching a girl and her parents, and they thought she was some kind of pedofile and called the police

 

[Filipe]

 

[Fontenrose]

Your daughter is too young (or your son for that matter) if she wouldn't know what to do if the photographer suddenly takes his pants off.

Link to the tfs discussion of famous fashion photographer Terry Richardson, who makes a well-known practice of photographing girls in sexually humiliating poses. The fashion industry is not at all offended by his practices and thinks he's a great guy.

http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f6...-richardson-s-work-degrading-women-98505.html

http://jezebel.com/5501317/to-catch-a-predator-what-are-agencies-doing-to-keep-models-safe

As a parent you have to talk to your young model about what is acceptable and what is not, how to handle sexual overtures, and talk to the agency about what is not acceptable. You will not be with your young model in a photo shoot with a well-known photographer. He will say your presence makes your child too self-conscious and will not allow it.

Agencies in large cities don't take any responsibility for your child. After all, there's lots more where she came from.

Lately the CFDA has had panel talks on models' health in which some members said that models under 16 should not be used in fashion shows. Similar rules are already in place in some European cities, though agencies sometimes just lie about girls' ages.

The health issues they are discussing are mainly those due to girls trying to stay as thin as they were at 13 (the desired look), since the runway style has been one of extreme thinness.

"The Next Ideal" by theimagist.com (note: this model is age 20)

Young girls and their parents looking into modeling have to expect that their "naturally" thin daughter at 13-14 will be in the same boat as the other girls at 15-16, if trying to retain her 34" hips. If their daughter is really driven to succeed in modeling, you will have to watch her like a hawk to make sure she doesn't do things that will hurt her health in the long run. If you go ahead and invest a lot of money in modeling, that makes it doubly hard for her.

http://jezebel.com/5500094/wintour--kors-congratulate-selves-for-solving-models-health-problems

All in all, it seems like girls should stay away until 18. It is very hard/impossible to do high school for college prep if she is traveling. Right now, when the economy is bad and the rewards are less, after that, college is looking like a better choice. Unless she is another Monika Jagiciak.

 

[Ohh! La La]

And how old is too old to start?