Model's Age - How Young Is Too Young?

[berkeleygrrrl]

gemma ward,caroline t,cameron r,and tiiu are teen models too unfortunately

why 'unfortunately'? models are young, and models are skinny. 'twas ever thus; deal with it, ppl.

 

[SevenWeeksLater]

Sorry didnt know there was a previous discussion. Well here you can post models that are from 13-17. However Gemma is 17 and Caroline is pushing 20,but 13/14 I think is too young.

 

[Artemis]

Here's a clipping from Fashion Magazine in Canada. The full article is here: http://www.fashionmagazine.com/Fashion/ShowArticle.aspx?id=321&Parentid=260

And while the age of the average teen model may seem almost perversely young to the layperson, there is a method to the industry’s madness that goes beyond an aesthetic fetish for youth.

"Once a girl has had her 20th or 21st birthday, she’s usually very set in her ways," explains Olsen. "She has a style already, she has a boyfriend, she doesn’t want to get braces on her teeth, she knows best. It’s much, much easier to groom a younger girl. Sixteen is the perfect age to get a girl started, because she’s more confident than a 14-year-old; she’s just turning into a young woman. But 14 is great, too, because if I don’t sign a 14-year-old one of my competitors is going to."

So basically it's easier to manipulate a younger girl into what you want her to be as a model. Also height gives you different proportions so instead of being a normal teen still losing their baby fat they have the slender body of a woman combined with the natural glowy skin and firecracker metabolism which start to dim away with age. It's a two in one ideal that keeps comsumers buying the products thinking that perhaps they can be one step closer to achieving the that.

 

[model_mom]

Great article. I wish all the agencies handled their new faces in the same manner.

 

[jssy4eva]

Sorry didnt know there was a previous discussion. Well here you can post models that are from 13-17. However Gemma is 17 and Caroline is pushing 20,but 13/14 I think is too young.

Isn't caroline only 17??/i may be wrong but i read that she was born 87....i am talkin about Trentini, not ribeiro or weinberg

 

[hugobossdaria]

Isn't caroline only 17??/i may be wrong but i read that she was born 87....i am talkin about Trentini, not ribeiro or weinberg

thanks jssy, who ever said that i meant weinberg was wrong i meant trentini

 

[model_mom]

Hows this for young,

http://models.com/model_culture/model_of_week/tesla/index.html

 

[Ho-Coture]

She is too young but to each his/her own. But I hope this is not a lame attempt to make her look "sexy".

 

[SevenWeeksLater]

Oops sorry,there are too many Carolines. Great article thanks for posting.

 

[Echoes]

Interesting thread. I commented on this on another thrtead where so many of the girls 'looked' to be 14 or 15.

There are many cases where children can model, such as children's clothes. I mean, look at the Gerber and OshKosh ads. However they are closely supervised.

But as far as the 'high fashion' runway work in New York, Milan, Paris, etc., I think the age should be 21 [18 at a very minimum].

As far as the underwear ads, or partial nudity [for Minors] being required by the people on a set, that is an arrestable offense in the US, not sure about other countries.


One more thing..... Girls, EAT something. I am soooo tired of these 5'8" 75lb waifs that look like they should be in a hospital bed.

 

[Modelgirlie]

sometimes this website is a little gross with people referring to 16yr olds as sexy. hot, and gorgeous especially when it's adult men doing it ewww.. This girl Tesla is MDC's model of the week and at 14 and only 5'6" I think she should be in the library somewhere not modeling.

http://models.com/model_culture/model_of_week/tesla/6.htmlhttp://models.com/model_culture/model_of_week/tesla/index.html

 

[Ella]

Hows this for young,

http://models.com/model_culture/model_of_week/tesla/index.html

Wow, this girl was scouted when she was 9 years old...

 

[hugobossdaria]

yugkyugk

 

[KhaoticKharma]

My opinion-

The younger the better. Maybe not for high fashion right away, but you need to be as young as possible, so you can work your way up and reach your career high before you turn 26, which is dead to the fashion industry. There was an article in 'W' a few months ago, talking about how America's Next Top Model was NOTHING like the fashion industry, and one of the main points is that all the girls on the show are not girls- but full fledged women, 18-26 years old. By the time they reach the runway, truly having worked hard to get to the top, any of the girls with her could be her daughter! Was it not one of the girls from Top Model who mentioned seeing these 15 year olds backstage with her. Take a look at some of the top faces and when they were 'discovered'

Gisele Bundchen- 13 at modeling school, 14 when Elite took her to New York
Kate Moss- Sarah Doukas saw her at an airport; she was 14.
Karen Elson- 16
Amber Valetta- 15
Natalia V.-16
Angela Lindvall- 14, by IMG scouts
Bridget Hall- 14
Naomi Campbell- 15, by an Elite scout named Beth
Karolina Kurkova- c. 14-15
Linda E.- A VERY young 12 when she started, 16 when she moved to Paris for high fashion.
Christy T.-13
Elle Macpherson- 16

Average Age: c.14.5 years old (using all of the first ages listed)

*All info from FMD*

 

[ablutophobic]

9 years old, that's kind of wrong. She's only 5'6" and she was probably shorter than, I mean I can understand if you saw a very tall thin girl with striking features who was 9 or so and maybe giving her parent your card and saying "call me in a few years", but noticing a short 9 year old girl is kind of creepy.
Heather Marks was scouted when she was 12.
I've had people saying that I should model since I was 10 or so, but that's because I was 5'10" when I was 10 I suppose. I think one of the problems of getting girls before they hit puberty is that you don't know what changes their bodies will go through. What will the agents do if their girl suddenly sprouts hips that are too big for the industry standard? In a year or two, from being 13 to 14, my hips went from fitting a 24 jean to a 29 or 30. That's a big growth (and I shudder to think how thin I was with 24 jeans and being 6') that the agent can't control and it would be kind of harsh to tell a 14 year old girl who you've been "grooming" since she was 11, as that article called it, that now she can't be a model because her hips got too large.

I think 15 and 16 is fine to model, as long as they have supervision with them. Maybe living in an apartment with an older roommate or something, since lots can't afford to have their parents come with them. I think a big reason why a lot of these girls get scouted out young is because they look older. When I was in elementary school I looked like I should be in junior high. And it's true, that if you don't get them your competition might. Also, if you happen to be out of town and you're an agent and you were to see Karolina K. at age 13 or 14 and you knew you'd probably never see her again, you'd go for it right?

 

[xEmma2k5x]

It's possible to start modelling at an older age, MariaCarla Boscono began modelling when she was 19, according to Elle UK.

I think 14 is way too young, but unfortunately today's new models seem to be getting younger and younger.

 

[tortoisie]

Carolyn Murphy - 19 (bthere.tv)

I think 19 is a good age to start! but for sure, one should finish school first!

 

[KhaoticKharma]

I just think it's better to start soon so you can reap the benifits sooner. Keep in mind, unless you are QUITE established by 26, your career is d-e-a-d!

 

[AlmostFamous]

I think it totally depends on the girl.

I don't think a girl should start as young as 13 WITHOUT her parent around. I think around the ages of 16/17 is about the time the parents should stop tagging along and let the girl go at it on her own. Its really best that way. When one's parents are around, they think too much. Not saying that its not bad to think, but the girl needs to find herself.. blah blah blah.

I started when I was 14. And my mom stopped coming down to the city with me when I was 15. Though, if my sister was in the same situation, my mom would never let her go down by herself.

You can't generalize that all girls should start at one age and they'll be safest physically and/or psychologically. But parents should definately be involved until a certain point.

 

[AlmostFamous]

Wow, this girl was scouted when she was 9 years old...

I was first approached about modeling when I was 9. I obviously wouldn't be working for the same clients as I am now. But there is a market for 9 year old girls...