Supermodel Body Doubles - Parts Modeling

[SomethingElse]

Because I think this article is eye opening for alternative modelling careers, this seems to be the best place for this thread.

Kate Moss digs my digits

She’s a supermodel who rubs shoulders with fashionistas like Kate Moss, Eva Herzigova and Sophie Dahl. But if you bumped into Nina Taylor on the street you wouldn’t recognise her.

That’s because she’s a HAND supermodel who comes to the rescue when Kate and co. need decent digits for close-up shots. And although Nina hardly ever shows her face, her wages are on a par with the top names in the industry.

No wonder the cuticle cutie has just insured her marvellous mitts for a seven figure sum. Nina, 26, says: “I’m well known for being Kate Moss’s hand double in the Rimmel ads. The first time I was due to work with Kate I worried she might be a bit of a diva but thankfully she was really nice. She’s incredibly professional and takes her work very seriously.

“I haven’t had the pleasure of a night out in town with Kate, although the last time we worked together she was telling me all about her hectic weekend in Ibiza. I’ve worked as a hand model for 10 years now and doubled for everyone from Eva Herzigova and Natalie Imbruglia to Melinda Messenger and Sophie Dahl. I suppose when I started out I got a bit star-struck with all the celebrities, but now I see it as part of the job.”

Nina was just a teenager studying for GCSEs when she signed up to one of the top agencies in London. Back then Nina was delighted with the extra pocket money and had no idea she’d go on to become the world’s first ever hand supermodel.

She says: “I’d never heard of hand modelling before and it was my cousin Natasha who suggested it to me. I have very long fingers with deep nail beds so my hands have a very elegant look. People would often compliment me on them. I thought modelling sounded interesting but like most teenagers I was more worried about hanging around with friends and studying for exams.

Originally I wanted to work in entertainment or showbiz but after one prompt too many from my cousin, I finally arranged an interview with the agency. They signed me up straight away, but I wasn’t an overnight success. It took a lot of hard work and dedication to get where I am today.

"I remember my first booking and being astounded at how much money I’d be earning. It was a commercial for Pampers with a director who was renowned for being rather difficult. There I was, totally new to it all, and already breaking that rule of never working with children or animals. With the cameras rolling I had to entertain the baby, so it was pretty daunting for a newbie. Thankfully it went well though, and my credit card took some abuse when the fee eventually came through!”

Back in the nineties the queen of the supermodels Linda Evangelista famously said she wouldn’t get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day. While Nina is more guarded about her fee, she admits it’s generous and provides a comfortable living.

She says: “Fees vary a lot. Photographs don’t pay as well but you do them to work with prolific photographers and build your portfolio. Television commercials are very lucrative. I get to work for high profile clients like Louis Vuitton, Iceberg and L’Oreal. The most expensive piece of jewellery I’ve modelled was a necklace worth £14m, so it’s understandable companies like that will pay a premium for a top model to show it off.

“I’ve just insured my hands for a seven figure sum, which gives some indication of the model fees involved.”

Broken nails are known to be the bane of women’s lives. But for Nina a ragged-looking digit is a career-threatening catastrophe – as she discovered shortly before a shoot for the cosmetics company Avon.

Nina says: “I’d accepted the booking and was getting ready to leave my home in Battersea. Then somehow I snapped a nail clean off. It was panic stations! I considered getting a fake one put on, but called my agent who thought it best to inform the client. Mercifully Avon were fine about it as that particular nail wasn’t going to be in the shot anyway.

“In hand modelling a lot of powerful lights are used for the close-ups and they can get very hot. During one shoot for a premium vodka company the lights burnt the skin on my arm quite badly. The director started screaming ‘Ice, ice, ice.’ Thank goodness my nails escaped unscathed.”

Having nailed her career in modelling, Nina now intends to branch out into other areas. She’d like to launch her own handcare range and there’s already plans for a book and website for manicure-mad women called famoushands.co.uk.

Nina, who is single, says: “I’ve gone as far as I can in hand modelling. Now I’d like to share my hand care secrets with other women. Having worked in the business for 10 years now my experience will definitely come in handy!”

thesun.co.uk . By David Lowe . 6 August 2007

 

[SomethingElse]

These are the images from the article.

1. Glittering starlet ... but Nina's face is rarely seen by the public.
2. Cutical cutie ... Nina doubled for Kate in Rimmel ad.
3. Covergirl ... Nina's mitts grace a glossy

thesun.co.uk

 

[TheGlassAngel]

I have to say, that was a very interesting read

 

[Artemis]

^Indeed. No word on her agency though.

 

[Dustcakeboy]

^

I wonder if it's a hands-only agency.

I feel so terribly immature, this all seems farcical to me in a way, how she can remain so serious while proclaiming she earns thousands for photographs of her hands!

 

[FashionJunkie]

Interesting indeed. Is there anything NOT fake in the ads? LOL

 

[pinksatin]

This was kinda funny but interesting. Thanks. It seems so lucky for her her to make so much money modeling her hands. She doesn't need to starve her body down to miniscule sizes and maintain that. She doesn't need to worry if she gets a spot on her forehead. All she has to worry about are her hands and caring for them. It makes me think because once I got a call from my agency (small one where I live) asking if I had nice hands because they needed someone for a hand job (not the dirty kind ). I just said "I dunno, they're ok, no one has ever commented on them either way". And I didn't end up going so I wouldn't know if they were "good enough" or not. How would you know? I wonder how you can tell if your hands have potential. I wouldn't dare ask someone though. That sounds like such a joke. Or imagine going to an open call just to show your hands.

 

[Deborah]

I have nice hands and nails. Shame my job makes them so dry, maybe I should quit and be a hand model!

 

[ilaughead]

...I seriously thought it was a late April Fool's joke or something. I would never have even thought a career like this existed!

 

[PrinceOfCats]

Zoolander...

 

[papa_levante]

Well, I have read of models that model just parts but of course they aren't recognized at all. Feet for shoes and stockings and socks; eyebrows for waxing; eyes for contacts... the list goes on and on.

 

[yourbestfriend]

I've been told my hands are very elegant as well
My fingers are long and slender, but you can tell they're not woman's hands.
I always find it hilarious that people bother to randomly point out the existence of my hands during conversations.

 

[kahlilg]

Umm, well I guess she has beautiful hands.

haha

 

[daniellat]

this is so cool, i knew this existed in some way, cause not even models are perfect from head to toe.

 

[((Cody))]

Haha! Zoolander!

I think it's a cool career, but her hands aren't amazing or anything. I'd never pay thousands of dollars for them...

 

[Laska]

Yep, there are definetly quite a few agencies which specialize in parts-modelling, like hands, feet, etc. Pays quite well from what I've heard.