My friend’s daughter is modeling. She started in NY, in high school and has actually now postponed college because of the money she’s making - she knows the career is not long term. It’s been a positive experience. Yes, lots of disfunction, but she was a kid, always had her mom with her. She’ll easily be able to pay cash for college when she goes.
And she’s blessed to be one of those naturally skinny girls so no worries there. 6’2” and waif thin!
Trying it now does make sense for this reason…having you to guide, counsel, and support her. You could help her navigate the various downsides that she will be exposed to: rejection, objectification, other models exhibiting bad behaviors, e.g., purging,using drugs/alcohol/laxatives, etc…and many of these downsides have parallels to college life (although that’s still nearly 2 years away).
Some potential advantages to giving it a try include learning grit, perseverance, gaining business knowledge, and making money. She can always stop modeling if things aren’t working out.
It seems this opportunity is a double edged sword…when she turns 18 she wouldn’t have to ‘wait to be approached’ anymore, she would just call this company that has already offered her a contract…and as she has already been interested in modeling, if you didn’t allow her to try it now, she could be more likely to try modeling instead of going to college immediately after high school. Who knows with teenagers?!
Whatever you decide, good luck.
Giselle ranked behind TB12 this year in total earnings. And she is the most famous supermodel alive right now I believe.
I would do it with modest expectations. Do the photography to build a book, it will be fun and different. Especially to avoid the regret and potential for resentment down the line.
Played golf with a SI swimsuit model and her boyfriend this summer. It’s brutal and not really the big happy support system, like a sports team. It’s cut throat.
If she makes it big, she makes it big.
I almost hope she doesn’t because I’m not sure how happy the whole entertainment, celebrity and fame crowd really is in reality.
Wow, so much great information and perspectives here. Thank you, all, for sharing.
That is a very helpful approach to ask what her goal is. I have racked my brains as to why she wants to do this as she and she/we don’t need the money, she doesn’t want it as a career, and is a thoughtful, intellectual person whose goal and energies have been focused toward college for the last few years. She is also an avowed feminist who won’t buy new clothes b/c of the downsides of “fast fashion” and buys recycled/vintage stuff only.
So I did ask her why she wants to do it and it is in fact the popularity factor. She said, “I don’t want to be just the quiet smart kid at the back of the class and I want them (her peers) to know there’s this other interesting facet to me”. She wants them to find these interesting high fashion photos of her – yes even the digitals – when they put her name into google. She’s not into the “party set” at HS because she is one of the nerdy set and that has made her feel inadequate at times.
So of course part of me thinks that’s such a frivolous reason to want to embark upon this endeavor, given the possible time suck as well as hit to self esteem. But then, who am I to criticize that motivation? Maybe it’s a good one, even?
I’d say keep talking about the fun stuff and the concerns. How old is she?. Yes, there are lots of pitfalls, but your daughter sounds like a pretty level-headed kid that is not into the party scene. You can control the types of jobs she tries for. If she becomes incredibly successful, there will be another decision point - does she wait on college to walk in Paris shows? But very few models get to that point. Good luck to her!
Just want to add it to the conversation. However, I am not advocating for your daughter to become a model or not, just want to add it on the thread. Like I said before, modeling could be a viable career to some. There is no college for professional modeling. If you notice the offer was 3 years with 2 years of development. If done right, that 2 years serve as the schooling. This is not just learning how to pose or walk but also learn how to deal with the mental aspect such as rejection. Models will be rejected a lot and their flaws pointed out. Learning how to cope is part of the development. Also, learning how to take care of yourself should be learned at this time.
The reality is that not everyone will make it big. Some will have an okay career, but most would surrender to how cut throat the industry is. Not everyone can play in the NFL or NBA.
Do agencies actually help developing models cope with this and mentor them in these aspects or are they left to their own devices?
From my experience, yes. Or at least they try. Legit agencies invest in the models during this development stage (time and money). They want professional models, who are also mentally and emotionally strong, so they could recoup their investments. The agencies make their money from the percentage they get when the models get work. If the models do not develop the mental toughness, it is very hard for them to compete with other models and find work.
But then, they are dealing with young people, and many young people think they know the answers, sometimes young people are flaky, or refuse to listen or learn. Then we hear about the bad stories. Of course, many adults also have their faults. Unfortunately, it is a very imperfect system.
This thread is an example of what I do love about CC, getting insightful and expertise on a vast array of topics. 
We have friends who own a children’s clothing company in NYC and our daughter did some modeling for them, just for fun, when she was 5-7. S She enjoyed it but it was a big time commitment which leads me to ask…how will this affect you? Would she be going off on shoots alone or will you have to accompany her? Some of the shoots were very long days, not always in the most comfortable or glamorous environments once you get away from the backdrop. If I had been taking my daughter to do this regularly it would have been a real time commitment for her but also FOR ME. So that is something to think about.
Gosh, so much great information here. Thanks to all who have shared their experience/insight/perspective. As for whether we want to invest our time in taking her everywhere, it would be difficult to make a case to her for why we wouldn’t. Having spent the last few years ferrying her here and there for music performances and lessons and all the rest, she kind of expects us to be her chauffeurs/helpers for whatever endeavor she is embarking on. Luckily most of the time she’s a lot of fun to be with, and extremely appreciative, so both I and my partner would be glad to do it, if we decide modeling is something we can get behind.
Proceed with caution. My cousin has three kids involved in modeling/acting/ad work. It can be brutal.
Right now, I’m sure you and your child are feeling flattered and excited. But this is a bad new world. Your daughter can expect that her face will be photoshopped and manipulated in ways that might be truly disturbing. I’m not trying to be a pessimist, but with the internet, once it’s out there, it’s out there forever. Sure, while that could happen to non-models too, it is not so likely.
And what if your daughter does become recognizable? Does she like the idea of being spotted by strangers? Is she aware that she might be stalked or worse? Maybe she will become famous. How would she feel about that? I’m not sure famous people like having their privacy invaded and their anonymity taken away.
She will likely be exposed to drugs and partying. Yes, she will be exposed to that in college, but it won’t be in the Hollywood scene.
Yes, the money would be very useful, but there is definitely more to life than money. It’s entirely possible that she’ll love it and have no issues, and that’s the desired outcome. Maybe she can dabble her toes before signing a contract? I’m not sure how that could work, but perhaps she could ask to go on some photo shoots and hang out with the models for a day?
Pros and cons to everything. I suggest doing more research with her before signing anything.
The money is completely beside the point to us and her. We are lucky enough that it’s not a factor in our decisions AT ALL.
But so much of what you say resonates with me. I hear you on the images being out there on the internet – it is something we have begun to discuss with her and it is one of the few things in our arguments against the modelling idea that have given her pause.
And yes, she is flattered and excited and that makes it harder to talk through things rationally. (We are not excited. We are just worried and wishing we’d never taken her to the darn music festival)
We are in the process of finding out how difficult it would be to break the 3 year contract if it turns out to be something she/we truly hate.
Thank you for your input!
A three year contract sounds like too much.
If you choose to pursue things maybe reach out to other reputable modeling firms…two have already been interested, it’s reasonable to think others may be as well…maybe some would not require such a lengthy contract and/or could be a better fit.
IMO speaking with more companies would help better educate you all, and could be time well spent for many reasons. The bottom line is that you are in control of the situation and have to get as much information as possible to make the best decision you can.
hi mwfan1921… I agree 3 years is too much if it is an airtight contract. I’ve read it carefully (obviously) but it is not clear to me what happens if she doesn’t like the modeling scene and wants to bail. And I certainly have no intention of signing if it locks her into this for that period of time. I have asked her to look into agencies closer to us, away from the LA scene (San Francisco for example) but she has refused. I guess LA is to modelling as Cambridge is to universities…the hub and ne plus ultra…
OP, I read your post about discussing her true motivations for wanting to do it, so I thought I would post my D’s experience. She is an actor, not a model, FYI. But…when she started at age 14, and had the necessary online profiles set up, she had to endure teasing by peers (not her friends, of course, but her peers) who were looking it up, reposting it, commenting on it, teasing her about it. Remember that teens in general are immature, and can often respond to feelings of jealousy by trying to cut other people down.
My D got through it, but it was unpleasant and a bit of a surprise, really. I just wonder if a warning should be communicated to your D that not all of the attention she will receive from peers is likely to be positive.
Other than that, since my D has been acting and has agents, I have exposure to some modeling, and at least in our area, there are ways to be repped by an agent that sounds less commitment heavy than what you are considering. She could be a print model, for example, which means modeling for ads/commercials. Around here at least (mid sized midwestern city) it does not require a 3 year contract with two years of classes to dip a toe in this way. Jumping into the LA model market, which is the big leagues and yes has lots of ugliness (my D lives in LA now), is a big step, and I’m sure there are ways to try this on a smaller scale first. And finally I would also say shop around, don’t jump at that first offer, I can’t vouch for the legitimacy/non legitmacy of that contract, scams abound, but if they are legit, they should wait, and perhaps you could find something shorter term or even ask to negotiate it down. What exactly does it commit her to for 3 years? If she doesn’t like it, can she just stop, and not be able to sign with anyone else for the rest of the term?
If the money doesn’t matter, then I have to wonder what the benefit is. If she’s looking to have a job, and learn to be responsible, plenty of teen jobs won’t pose the problems that have already been mentioned here.
Even if you and she go in with eyes wide open, there are going to be issues that will arise in the course of this kind of work.
Be sure she wants to do it for good reasons (not sure what those are, tbh, for a girl who wants to study chemistry.), rather than being flattered and having stars in her eyes.
Read your OP post again, and if she is bored in her small town, surely a student like her would be enriched by some meaningful volunteer work. Just a thought.
I doubt the agency will come after her legally if she decides to quit. I’ve never seen or heard any one getting in legal trouble. That is the nature of the game for the agencies. It will just be tacked on to attrition. She might get a bad reputation with the other agents though, that if she decides to come back.
The thing you can do is find a “mother agency” closer to you. They will do the training and development closer to home. Just be careful, and filter out the scams. This is where you will get scammed for photos shoots, portfolios, walking classes etc. Once your daughter is ready, she can sign a shorter contract with the LA agency. Also, you will need an agency for the different markets (NY, Paris, Tokyo etc)
One piece of advise, never ever sign a “model release”, unless fully compensated. You will see this a lot when you start looking shoots before getting an agent. Don’t be pressured by photographers to sign this.
Thanks, Lindagaff and jmeryllman for your input.
The agency got back to us and said that if my daughter is not enjoying it at any point, of course she would quit and they would not pressure her. So that is one good thing. She’s very interested in this particular agency though as the client list ranges from Gap to Gucci (literally) and there are different kinds of work that she could do.
As to why an extremely smart, academically focused girl would want to do this, that is the question I am asking myself. She just wants to have some fun I guess. She already volunteers – is the peer tutor/homework helper on a weekly basis at the local library and enjoys that very much. She is also layout editor of school newspaper and on track for editorship next year. This summer she spent taking Physics at the local CC. That seems like enough for anyone. But I think jmeryllman hit the nail on the head earlier when he said that some get into it for the cachet among their high school peers. That is definitely a large part of her motivation. I could call that frivolous, but HS is her milieu, and who am I to judge her for trying to give herself a boost there?
We are leaning towards letting her try it. We also have talked today to some people in the industry and they have said the worst hit to girls’ self esteem come from the open casting calls where people get so many rejections. But there is no reason why she has to go to more than one or two of those calls. The advice to us was ‘push back against the agency and say she’s not going to do those.’ The hope would be that she gets work instead directly from her photos on the agency board.
Thank you all for your help and advice. It’s really helped me refine my questions and perspective.
A friend of ours modeled in high school and college. Mostly print ads (it was 30 years ago), including in some national magazines (Marie Claire equivalent). I don’t know too many details but she seemed to be pretty level headed about it as just a bit of fun and a nice income, and it didn’t consume huge amounts of time. It also wasn’t a barrier to her having a successful academic career (she’s now a full professor at a major university).