Something to Know About Modeling

Modelling or Modeling is a profession that employs people to advertise, display or promote commercial products, namely consumer goods, cosmetics, designer and fashion clothing, electronic items, jewelry, personal products and services and many more. A model is a person employed by a company or business to provide a visual connection to the product or commodity being advertised or promoted. In many cases, especially where brand awareness or niche service is being promoted, companies go to great lengths to choose the right person who can add to the brand value and instill confidence regarding the product or service in the consumer mind.

Various types of modeling

Modeling can include many types such as body or body part, fashion, fine art, fitness, glamour and so on. Modeling is sometimes compared to performing, although the level of emotion, though not clearly defined is vastly different from stage or movie performances. A professional model is featured in a wide range of media advertising formats such as magazines, newspapers and television. Most professional models are contracted to large fashion houses and designer brands for a period ranging from one to three years or more; these contracts are legally binding on both parties.

Nowadays, professional fashion models used modeling as a stepping stone to feature in television shows and movies.

Early years of modeling

In 1853, Charles Frederick Worth, widely regarded as the 'father of haute couture', started the trend of "house model" when he used his wife Marie Vernet Worth as a model to promote the clothes he designed. In time, this practice became common place in most French fashion houses; there were no prescribed formats or requirements for a model to look a particular way or be of a particular type, women of different sizes were used to demonstrate range and variety in clothing designs.

In the 1920s, photo modeling came about as a result of the development of fashion photography, though still in a very nascent stage and more and more models flocked to this suddenly emerging new demand. Most models in that age were not very well known and no regulatory wage principles meant that they were usually very poorly paid.

In the 1930s, Lisa Fonssagrives became very popular and a much sought after model appearing on no less than 200 Vogue magazine covers leading to Vogue being one of the earliest to cash in on the fast expanding fashion profession. The Ford Model Agency is one of the oldest and earliest model agencies in the field of professional modeling; established by Eileen and Gerard Ford in 1946, it had many models like Carmen Dell'Orefice, Dorian Leigh, Evelyn Tripp, Jean Patchett, Suzy Parker and Wilhelmina Cooper. They were paid $25 an hour for their services, a handsome fee at that time, though fashion models earn much more these days. They were relatively unknown beyond the fashion community and hence not much is known about their lives. It is noteworthy that Dorothea Church, the first black female model in the modeling industry was well accepted considering the prejudices and conservative communities at that time.