Stay Healthy and Happy in the Modeling Industry

Over nearly ten years walking runways and sitting on sets around the world, we have found many of peers to be quite disheartened and generally confused by life as a fashion model. We often sympathize and sometimes even join the complaining game to relate, but in the back of our mind we oftentimes feel differently.

Modeling professionally has its fair share of imperfections, we just do our best to make the most of the cards been dealt. That said, we realize these little nuggets of wisdom come to understand would be better off if shared.

Don’t worry — we are not suggesting you buy $500 heels and go on a juice cleanse. These are simply little things you all can do to make our time in this industry a more positive experience:

Get involved in activities outside of the fashion industry.

This practice, more than anything, helps you find happiness in your professional life. Just realize that you having an activity outside of our profession would help infinitely and make you love your job even more. Along the way you make a slew of new friends too, who can share about their lives in medicine, finance, philanthropy, art, business, hospitality, academia and more. Friends beyond fashion you’ve found to be imperative in developing an expansive personality and finding health and happiness at work.

Remember, you’re in charge!

The people who are the unhappiest are the people who don’t believe they have any control of their own lives. One of the most common things we find in the women and men who are down and out by their modeling careers is this idea that they don’t get to call the shots. Turns out that therapy session and one-hundred dollars was well spent, because you take ownership of your life pretty seriously and know that you’re happier for it. Sure, you may not get all the gigs we hope for despite the fact that you can show up and do your best, but you do get to decide whether you take that trip your agency would like you to take or whether you want to buy into the idea that you have to carry an overpriced handbag. Younger models especially seem tormented by what is expected, and while the eagerness is endearing it doesn’t lead to a long and fulfilling career. The day I realized that I need to go home and see family regularly to be happy in modeling and then actually lived it out, you will be happy in modeling. Half-heartedness is not what your family, or prospective clients want.

Get to know the people you work with. Humanize your colleagues and yourself.

We always been curious about why so many castings are so quiet. All the models sit, waiting for their three minutes with the client, in total silence. Or on set, the model will sit in the hair and makeup chair during lunch instead of at the table. It’s absolutely difficult, and sometimes anxiety inducing to have your face and body scrutinized to pay your rent bill, so that silence and distance is understood. We also know very well that wearing heels all day while being poked and prodded by stylists can be exhausting and gives reason to resting on set by yourself, but you don’t believe it’s the best choice. Over the years you have become increasingly chattier in your places of work. Asking the names of everyone on set and having oftentimes deep life talks with hair and makeup artists is gratifying. In that social practice, set life has become more fun and enjoyable and you feel the scrutiny less and less because you’ve humanized yourself. Models are known to feel like the dolls of their clients, but a woman who talks about her life, her family, her problems, and her accomplishments is not a doll. On the other side, asking different team members about themselves makes work more interesting and creates camaraderie.

Unfollow people and websites that bring up insecurity for you.

We’ve never been a big advocate for social media, but in an industry where Instagram seems to be taking increasing charge. Overall, the experience has been enjoyable enough and at some points inspirational. You make a pledge to yourself to create positive content for your feed that wouldn’t make others feel jealous, body conscience or any of the things that how many model posts can make other women feel. We believe pride in your body and life is fine to an extent, but you think we all know the line where it starts to throw others into a fit of comparison and insecurity and that’s a line we should stay away from. Now that we’ve been in the Insta world for a while though we’ve also had to edit our feed unapologetically. There are very nice model and fashion acquaintances that you have zero real world problems with that you have followed and then unflawed on Instagram. This little unflooring ritual is very healthy and keeps your mind on the things we believe worthy of your time and mental space.

Attitude is everything.

Perhaps a little recurring theme in this list is that when showing up, show up fully. You try to practice this when at work. Sometimes you tired, you could have just received some bad family news, or maybe the photographer said something rude, but in reference to tip number two, you’re in charge and it was your decision to accept the modeling gig and be at work. While we doing fit modeling with one of the model at Lanvin in Paris, a strenuous 12 hours in heels for about a week, one of the designers commented on model light mood. Model let her know that after giving into the bad moods enough times Model learned that choosing a positive attitude has the power to make a hard work day substantially better. Some days it feels like forcing at first, but smiling at a presentation, telling a client or your agent thank you, and learning about the people you’re spending the day will give you an enriched work life.

In closing, just remember finding a true and deep happiness is a crucial first step to a true and deep success in your work life. Best wishes on your way!

-Lakkars