The Gulf Time Newspaper One of the finest business newspapers in the UAE brought to you by our professional writers and editors.
DPA
Gisele Buendchen was eating a burger, Naomi Campbell was shopping, Kate Moss was on an aeroplane; the ways in which the supermodels of the 1990s were reputedly discovered were fairytale-like. The good news nowadays: if you want to be discovered there’s no need to hang around at airports or fast-food restaurants hoping a talent scout will walk past.
The way into the fashion industry is now via social media, and the right Instagram account can work wonders. One example of a model who made it to the top that way is Anna-Christina Schwartz, who has built up a fanbase of hundreds of thousands on Instagram.
She’s been the face of BMW, Mercedes, Garnier and Madeline Jade, graced the album of US singer R Kelly and appeared in a television advert for fashion retailer Desigual. “It’s become very important as a model to be active [on Instagram] to market yourself,” says Schwartz.
“Lots of clients write directly to you via Instagram.” In New York, where she moved two years ago from her native Germany, almost nothing works without a website, she says. Since February, Kitten Agency has been managing Schwartz’s profile on Instagram.
It works for social media stars and negotiates deals for so-called top girls. Those who want to use the models in their ad campaigns also pay according to how many followers they have, which means for the agency that the more successful their models are on Instagram, the more profit they make.
Munich-based agency Louisa Models, which has stars like Julia Stegner on its books, also sees Instagram as a necessity. “As a model you can advertise yourself to the whole world. As an agency you save on costs,” says boss Vanessa von Minckwitz-Denz.
Instead of every potential candidate for a job being flown in, clients can look at a shortlist online. So-called hashtag castings are popular at the moment, invented by the agency IMG Models, according to von Minckwitz-Denz. Under the hashtag #weloveyourgenes the agency is scouting globally for fresh talent.
Their motto: “No matter your heritage, parentage, or background, We Love Your Genes.” Designer Marc Jacobs launched a similar campaign last year on his account. Those who fancied the chance to model at his Fashion Week 2015 show could send their picture with the hashtag #castmemarc.
The response was prompt and came from around the world. Louise Models plans to try something similar soon. The top priority for models is content that is posted on Instagram; it should reflect healthy eating, exercise and no excesses, says von Minckwitz-Denz.
To give them the best possible chance, Louisa Models is even employing coaches to help budding models post. “We show them which social networks they should have and what they should post on them.”
So is the hope of making it big online the 21st century counterpart to the old dream of being approached in McDonalds or the airport lounge? No. It requires hard work in advance to build a career online. “It takes time to build up the account,” reveals Schwartz. It’s important to know not just what to post, but above all how often, she says.
And it takes perseverance
and routine. “It’s just like getting up, cleaning your teeth, going
to work, eating your lunch.
Every day.”