If you are an aspiring model but aren’t over 6 foot tall and are larger than a size zero, there’s a good chance you have been told you need to lose weight or aren’t tall enough right? Or in some extreme cases, not pretty enough. Someone needs to tell the fashion industry that people in the real world who buy all those close and accessories they tout every day are diverse. Perhaps they didn’t get the memo yet…
What doesn’t help is that a lot of modeling agencies, who in essence are a gateway to what the fashion world portrays, only sign women (and men) of a certain appearance.
There are some agencies in the US who have decided to say “screw you” to these homogenous standards and set their own rules. JAG models based out of New York are dedicated to signing curvy models because they recognize the need for diversity in fashion. Natural Models based in Los Angeles has a similar set of values, where they sign models as they are and don’t make them lose weight.
Across the pond in the UK new agency has opened, and it is appropriately called ‘Anti Agency’. It was only started 9 months ago by two girls who have worked in the fashion industry for a while. Pandora Lennard, 24, used to work at Tank magazine, and Lucy Greene, 25 was a freelance stylist.
They say this agency is not like your typical modeling agency.
“We don’t have requirements for size or height. That’s the big one,” Pandora told The Daily Beast.
“Our models may be good looking but we specifically choose to use “head shots” so that people aren’t judged on their height or weight by clients. We have models ranging from size 6-14 and 5ft 4in to 6ft 2in of all ethnicities.”
“But we also don’t do portfolios or ‘books.’ For us, models should get booked based on their personality, not based on a load of pictures of them dressed up in different ways… We have to remind people that when we send our girls and boys to castings that they’re real people, not just clothes horses! They might look beautiful and be very cool, but they definitely don’t take any shit!”
So far their roster of talent has worked with some pretty well known brands such as Gstar, Urban Outfitters, Dr. Martens, Swarovski, and ASOS just to name a few.
“The agency is for people who could’ve been models and decided not to, for people who are too cool to be models and people with real lives on the verge of exploding in music, fashion, art, illustration & creative industries etc. We’re here to provide casting solutions for companies and to promote people we believe in. If you want models that represent your target audience and that will be aspirational figures for your customer then these are the girls and boys for you.” says their website.
“It was exciting to know that our girls and boys were being picked based on their personalities,” Lennard added, “not because of their portfolios or measurements.” says Pandora.
They gave female models who have piercings, tattoos, brightly colored hair, hips, thighs, curves, you name it! They aren’t in the business of promoting homogeneity, but individuality.
Aside from the physical differences, their models have their own day jobs. Some of them are photographers, journalists, poets, musicians and illustrators. The success they’ve had in a short amount of time is testament to the fact that the industry is hungry for growth and change.
Ayesha is a s a fine art student and runs a chai tea stall in Brick Lane on Sundays.
“Brands are generally marketing to young people, so if there’s a model in front of the camera who’s a bit like them, they will respond to that,” she says. The 20 year old model also relishes the fact that there is an agency which is happy to be a platform for a feminist like her.
“There’s a lot of stigma around the word “feminism”, but I pride myself on being a feminist,’ she says. ‘Just the fact that women wear jeans is an outcome of feminism. People don’t consider that.”
So far Anti Agency have 100 models on their books, most of whom don’t want to be modeling full time but use the opportunity as a way to promote diversity and make extra money on the side. Both owners know they are onto a winning formula and plan to expand in the future.
“We can’t believe how well things are going, we want to go global. In five years time we see ourselves opening up in New York and LA, that would be the dream,” they told the Daily Mail.
How do I apply?
I Want to be Supermodel on this Fashion industry,I am doing modeling in Chandigarh city INDIA, I want to do Modeling Los Angeles Fashion Show,That,s my Desting,my aim and my profession forever.