Monday, April 9, 2012

Types of Modeling ...

Fashion Modeling is all about selling clothing. Often this involves not just showing the product, but also showing a 'feeling' or 'attitude' that entices people to want to buy the seller's clothing.

Three major categories of fashion modeling are:

1. Editorial
2. Runway
3. Catalog

Editorial Fashion is what you see on the pages of fashion magazines. When most of us think of modeling, editorial fashion modeling is what most of us think about -- but it is almost exclusive to New York and a few other major markets. Unfortunately, there are very, very few editorial fashion opportunities in the Northwest.

Runway is live modeling at fashion shows. Again, you aren't likely to find many high profile fashion shows in the Northwest. You may find a few runway modeling opportunities at local department store fashion shows, mall fashion shows, and bridal expositions.

Catalog Fashion includes modeling for department store catalogs, newspaper advertisements and circulars, and on-line shopping sites that sell clothing. There are some opportunities for this type of modeling in the Northwest. But, there are many models seeking this type of work. You'll need to be the right size and shape, have the right look, and be with a good agency.

There are other types of modeling jobs available in the Northwest ...


Glamour Modeling is all about using sex appeal to sell photography usually in the form of calendars, postcards and other publications. It's not about selling clothes or cars or cosmetics.

Terms like "pin-up" and "cheesecake" are sometimes used to refer to glamour modeling. Some bikini and lingerie modeling and some nude modeling falls into the glamour category.

The majority of glamour modeling in the Northwest is booked directly with individual photographers and small business owners, often through word of mouth contacts and contacts made through the Internet.

The height and size requirements for glamour models are usually less strict than for fashion/catalog models, and glamour models are often a few inches shorter or a few sizes larger than a typical fashion model. The minimum age for glamour modeling is 18 years for most assignments because suggestive poses and/or nudity are often involved.


Commercial Print Modeling includes clothing catalogs and circulars and includes advertising for a variety of other products and services. Ads for local businesses like jewelers, hair salons, and restaurants may use commercial models. There are a fair number of opportunities in this field. However, there are many many models are competing for the same assignments, so you will need to be with a good modeling agency to have a chance at getting most of those assignments.

Commercial clients in the Northwest almost always hire their models from modeling agencies in Portland and Seattle, so you'll have almost no chance of doing this kind of work as a freelance model.


Figure Modeling, or 'artist modeling' as it is sometimes called, simply means nude modeling for art photographers or for artists in traditional mediums such as painters and sculptors.

There are many photographers and artists in the Northwest that hire figure models. Art schools and colleges also hire figure models to pose for their classes.

In most cases the rates of pay for figure models are very low compared to the more commercial types of modeling. Most figure models do the work because they are more interested in the art than in making a lot of money.

Figure models are rarely hired through modeling agencies.

Figure models and artists often find each other through the Internet, or through word of mouth passed from artist to artist about which models are good to work with.

There are no specific height or size requirements to be a figure model. The kind of looks that artists seek in their models will vary considerably from artist to artist. The minimum age for figure modeling is 18 years because nudity is usually involved.

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