Fashion
So continuing from yesterday. How do you get into fashion? Well, first make sure you have a) a trust fund b) an understanding partner c) parents with deep pockets! because before you get to the stage of the likes of Pat McGrath and Val Garland, you will have to do a lot of work for FREE... that's with a capital "F"!
Contact agencies and ask if you can assist their top makeup artists. You may spend the day cleaning brushes, but the tricks you will learn will be invaluable. It would be wise to have something to show the agencies in the form of a portfolio, it doesn't have to be many pictures, but it should reflect a variety of the work you have done so far. Get yourself the hide of a rhino, it may not be pretty but it will be helpful, so ask for feedback when they look at your work. (When I was a recent graduate, I turned up at various agencies with pictures I had done for my college work. I thought they would take one look and take me onto their books immediately....It was only after a year of working with professionals, that I realised that with all the back patting I got at college, the college work wasn't as good as I thought it was...feel quite embarrassed thinking about it!).
A good idea is to get yourself registered on ModelMayhem.com. This website lists makeup artists, hairstylists,photographers, stylists and models. Get a good crew together and hopefully get some great pics for your portfolio. Beware of some of the "models" on this website, although I have worked with some professional models from here, there are a lot of 5'4 wannabees who will do you no favours unless you are doing a beauty shoot (closeups) or glamour (think page 3). Beware also, if one of the crew want to get a mate in "who wants to do a bit of modeling" unless the mate is Kate Moss (lucky you) usually, she won't know how to pose and you will have spent the whole day, using your valuable products, with pictures you wouldn't wipe your arse with!
A great tear sheet ( page from a magazine) can be worth more to you than a test shoot picture (Vogue Italia being the holy grail), but chances are you won't be paid for either. Unfortunately, when it comes to fashion, most of the magazines feel you should be grateful for the opportunity, it's just a pity that excuse doesn't work on your landlord! You will normally be contacted via the photographer or the stylist so it pays to be friendly and approachable to both. I have been contacted by clients who have seen my work credited in magazines, so don't ever feel that your roll isn't as important as the others!.
Networking has never been so important than in this medium. As these positions are NEVER advertised. Make contacts wherever you happen to find yourself. If you make your money by working for the cosmetic counters, try to go for MAC and/or Estee Lauder as MAC staff usually get to do London Fashion Week. The hub that happens backstage will either excite you or scar you for life, but it will be memorable.
So time has gone on and you have held on with gritted teeth. You've been living on beans and cigarettes for more months than you care to mention. You have some great pictures in your portfolio and you are still assisting. This can be a trap, as you will probably never be seen as an artist in your own right, so take yourself off to a few other agencies, show your portfolio, name drop some of the artists you have worked with and if you have crossed all your digits, one of them will take you on. From there you can do pop videos, magazine shoots etc and if you are very lucky, travel the globe but more importantly, get paid more money! (note: for some reason agencies usually pay in 90 days as apposed to 30 days, so you may still need those parents with the deep pockets!) but hey that's fashion!!!
Tomorrow we will talk about theatre.
So continuing from yesterday. How do you get into fashion? Well, first make sure you have a) a trust fund b) an understanding partner c) parents with deep pockets! because before you get to the stage of the likes of Pat McGrath and Val Garland, you will have to do a lot of work for FREE... that's with a capital "F"!
Contact agencies and ask if you can assist their top makeup artists. You may spend the day cleaning brushes, but the tricks you will learn will be invaluable. It would be wise to have something to show the agencies in the form of a portfolio, it doesn't have to be many pictures, but it should reflect a variety of the work you have done so far. Get yourself the hide of a rhino, it may not be pretty but it will be helpful, so ask for feedback when they look at your work. (When I was a recent graduate, I turned up at various agencies with pictures I had done for my college work. I thought they would take one look and take me onto their books immediately....It was only after a year of working with professionals, that I realised that with all the back patting I got at college, the college work wasn't as good as I thought it was...feel quite embarrassed thinking about it!).
A good idea is to get yourself registered on ModelMayhem.com. This website lists makeup artists, hairstylists,photographers, stylists and models. Get a good crew together and hopefully get some great pics for your portfolio. Beware of some of the "models" on this website, although I have worked with some professional models from here, there are a lot of 5'4 wannabees who will do you no favours unless you are doing a beauty shoot (closeups) or glamour (think page 3). Beware also, if one of the crew want to get a mate in "who wants to do a bit of modeling" unless the mate is Kate Moss (lucky you) usually, she won't know how to pose and you will have spent the whole day, using your valuable products, with pictures you wouldn't wipe your arse with!
A great tear sheet ( page from a magazine) can be worth more to you than a test shoot picture (Vogue Italia being the holy grail), but chances are you won't be paid for either. Unfortunately, when it comes to fashion, most of the magazines feel you should be grateful for the opportunity, it's just a pity that excuse doesn't work on your landlord! You will normally be contacted via the photographer or the stylist so it pays to be friendly and approachable to both. I have been contacted by clients who have seen my work credited in magazines, so don't ever feel that your roll isn't as important as the others!.
Networking has never been so important than in this medium. As these positions are NEVER advertised. Make contacts wherever you happen to find yourself. If you make your money by working for the cosmetic counters, try to go for MAC and/or Estee Lauder as MAC staff usually get to do London Fashion Week. The hub that happens backstage will either excite you or scar you for life, but it will be memorable.
So time has gone on and you have held on with gritted teeth. You've been living on beans and cigarettes for more months than you care to mention. You have some great pictures in your portfolio and you are still assisting. This can be a trap, as you will probably never be seen as an artist in your own right, so take yourself off to a few other agencies, show your portfolio, name drop some of the artists you have worked with and if you have crossed all your digits, one of them will take you on. From there you can do pop videos, magazine shoots etc and if you are very lucky, travel the globe but more importantly, get paid more money! (note: for some reason agencies usually pay in 90 days as apposed to 30 days, so you may still need those parents with the deep pockets!) but hey that's fashion!!!
Tomorrow we will talk about theatre.
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