Aspiring models hope to have their shot at fame every time they pose for the camera. Many others share the same dream of becoming larger than life. It is common knowledge that if you want to get to the top, you need to start at the bottom and overcome hurdles, obstacles, and enemies that would make your journey tougher.
The people at the top of the summit are relieved to see the view. They are happy that they fought their way up even though it was difficult. For the people who are yet to get there, the journey is long, painful, and exhausting. But rest assured it is worthwhile. You will go through these impediments on your way, so better toughen up because these things are very real.
Stress and Extremely Tough Competition
If you watch America’s Next Top Model and thought about how difficult the modeling industry is, then sorry to burst your bubble, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. The exposure is helpful in a sense, but it usually takes more than that to propel yourself to the top. It usually takes years, an insane amount of experience, and perseverance to succeed in the industry.
A lot is at stake and many have sacrificed so much just to get where they are, so you can expect the competition to be fierce and nerve-wracking. You will always have that feeling of suspicion. You think that others have something up their sleeves and would try to trample with your walk. The stress it creates is something that would eat up your mind eventually.
Everyone goes through the same pressure. Even young models who hope to be famous at a young age are exposed to such extremes. There are no exceptions.
Problems That Models Who Started Young Face
Many famous models entered modeling at the young age of 14 or 15. Let’s take Tyra Banks as an example. She got rejected by six agencies before she got signed with LA Models. As you can imagine, she and other supermodels were still in their teens, but they got so much pressure behind them more than what their young minds could handle.
Jaime King‘s obsession over having a very small waistline was the cause of her struggle. She was also addicted to heroin at a very young age. People break due to pressure, lifestyle change, and a common misconception that they need to have a really slender body in order to get to the catwalk.
A book written by Cheryl Tobey states that being in the industry means going through a lot of stress, dangerous dieting, plastic surgery, alcohol, and drugs. Many contract eating disorders and substance abuse at a young age and say that it is a common trend.
Coco Rocha had a misconception that she needed to maintain a certain weight to stay in the business. That’s what made her journey difficult. This was due to getting rejected by various modeling jobs because she was either too thin or too fat for the job. She has overcome this perception by helping in an awareness campaign, saying that it’s all right to be curvy.
Eating Disorders
It was common in the ’90s and early 2000s for models to have eating disorders because of discrimination over their weight. The good thing here is that the models who suffered from the ordeal took a stand and created awareness campaigns so the new generation of models don’t have to go through such struggle and also in hopes to change people’s perspective towars modeling.
Star Models, a popular Brazilian modeling agency made a drive to battle against anorexia. They created slogans like “You are not a sketch” and “Say no to anorexia” to ward off negative thoughts like excessive weight loss. As part of the campaign, they took photos of very thin models and placed it beside designers’ sketches. The people surprisingly took the ad positively, which made the drive a huge success.
The ad shows the dangers of anorexia not only to models but also to women in general. It brings a strong message that changed the views of people on modeling and paved way to healthier models.
Law on Young Models
In the past, models were asked to pose nude at the age of 14. This act was a clear violation of the law that protects children. This posed a problem for young models because they have to weigh things. They have to decide whether to pursue with the unethical job or turn their backs on their dream job.
The experience of Sara Ziff of the unfortunate event when she was 15 led her to create the Model Alliance to create a much safer working environment. The alliance is supported by various models like Mila Jovovich and Coco Rocha.
A law was enacted by New York governor Andrew Cuomo in 2013, which declared models below 18 are considered child performers. The number of modeling jobs they can get and the number of hours are strictly regulated. The opinions differ, but many models see it in a positive note.
Many people think that this will further enhance the working environment for young models because they will no longer have to go through malicious jobs as nude posing, therefore protecting them from abuse. Agencies will have to take good care of their fledglings in return.
A Better Future Awaits
Models that help shape a better future for the industry have changed the way people look at modeling. They are more than just beautiful faces. They made the business friendlier to aspirants and newbies.
New generation models look up to models like Sara Ziff, Jamie King, and Coco Rocha because of their wonderful life stories. Their lives in the industry were not easy, and they don’t want young models to suffer the same. They are what you can call modern-day heroes.
People are slowly getting the hint that the modeling world is changing. Soon, young models will no longer have to face eating disorders. All the discrimination and misconception surrounding the modeling business will soon be blown away by the winds of change. All thanks to the models who stood up to make significant changes.
