Final Petite Perspective on ANTM cycle 13

I do not plan to every write about ANTM again. The show has been on my schedule during the past 7 weeks, and I am truely glad it is done and over! Cycle 13 was about the petite girl but right off the bat the girls were not what I would consider petite, and as you might know by now, the winner, Nicole, was not a petite size, she was 5'7". To me 5'7" is not petite, petite is around 5'5" and shorter.

When I stand next to a girl that is 5’7,” she is a giraffe and I am a little tiny pony. However America’s Next Top Model tried to give the short girl a chance this season, but the shows definition of petite is not mine. The final two were sort of on the tall side to me.

The last episode started with Laura (5’6”) and Nicole (5’7”) befriending each other as the final two. Arm and arm they are preparing to hike in the woods as “best friends” hanging out for another CoverGirl commercial. This time the product is LashBlast and soon the girls will be modeling the product and chanting in a joyful tone “LashBlast Volume Blasting Mascara from CoverGirl” Back and forth each girl goes, taking turns from shooting with Nigel to working with Jay on the commercial. Nigel comments that Nicole should know that with deep set eyes she should not tilt her head down because her eyes become lost and dark in the shot. Again, we are reminded of how the show doesn’t really teach the girls about how to model, because it is the last episode and the girls do not even know their face, or how to work with it.

Keep your contender close.
Laura shares to the viewer that she thinks “Nicole has a problem with reaching out to people,” and she feel despite her dyslexia, she will become America’s Next Top Model.

Tyra Mail: By now you should know all the elements that make a model, bring it to the runway.

The girls might have been acting like friends in the woods during the CoverGirl commercial, but they soon realize the reality, that they are about to battle the runway.

Laura is delighted, it is a dream come to true for her to walk the runway.

Nicole doesn’t really get excited naturally but decides she better show some emotion when the doorbell rings and it is Tyra. Tyra has come to give the girls some Tyra Time, which is something I think Tyra should have given all of the girls more of.

Tyra exclaimed how Nicole is only 5’7” and so petite, and I laugh, 5’7’ is not short or petite to me. Tyra keeps going on about how Nicole is corky, letting her flaw shine and showing in an awkward, almost rude way that is ok to be the corky one. Nicole goes on about sitting alone at lunch in school and not having friends and painting alone.

Next Laura comes bouncing in, her face still red from the Hawaiian sun. She goes on about her excitement of being in the final two and how she comes from a small town. Tyra wants her to cry, and we know it when Laura does when her Grandmother comes up and a recent letter that she sent Laura. Tyra has made fun of Laura’s sweater that her Grandmother made her and at this moment I am thinking “Jeez, let her and her Grandma be!”

I thought it was a moment of truth when Tyra said to Laura “Your smile lights up the room” And then coating it with “You are beautiful inside and out” but maybe it is too complimentary and a sign of being too nice to the girl who is going to go home?

A mini model reunion.
The two contenders are preparing to strut their stuff in the Julia Clancey runway show, however they are not alone. Believe it or not, despite being eliminated, Erin, Sundai, Brittney and Jennifer show up to be in the runway show as well, with a few other anonymous models in the show. All of the eliminated models, except Brittney, want Laura to win the ANTM crown.

The girls are covered in glitter and it is Tinkerbelle dust overkill.

The themes are Fire, Earth and rain. It really does rain on the girls with a sprinkler set to cover the runway like a water park. Somewhere around Earth the girls have silk scarves over their heads again and Laura says she was expecting a tissue but it felt like a quilt.
Nicole looked like a two year old stomping her feet down the runway. Tyra comments “She looks good” when Laura comes down. Nicole gets caught in her silk scarf and says she must have looked like a “cowgirl” lassoing it off her head.

After the show and finale, the six girls huddle together on the runway and pose, however it comes off more like Girls Gone Wild with wet hair, than a fashion styled Vogue inspired shot you’d want to show your mom.

The two girls go to panel and are wearing one of the dresses they wore in the runway show. They have shiny faces and bad makeup, and await the judges.

For what feels like an hour the judges give us a time-line of each girl’s growth as a model.

Corky gets the crown.
Laura is commented on her commercial look and could do well in Milan and Tyra mentions her runway walk was impressive, like she walked in the Paris shows a few times already. Nigel stuck up for Nicole saying her jabberwocky wacky walk could become her ‘signature’ one day. It seemed to be in favor of Laura.

However, tonight “corky got the crown” of America’s Next Top Model. Nicole became the winner of the first petite cycle, however is it just me, or is anyone thinking her height is 5’7” isn’t that petite. I felt jipped. I will admit I was shocked when Tyra said her name. Not that she isn’t pretty or good enough to model, but because in modeling as a petite girl your personality needs to shine through, especially when you don’t have those extra inches.

It is interesting how Tyra said Laura “lit up a room”, and is “beautiful inside and out” and then went to choosing Nicole the corky one; you’d think she would have complimented Nicole on something more than being corky during their one on one time, especially if she was going to win this?

Being unique is not a flaw, in fact bringing those little corks forward can actually make you memorable and get you ahead, and bringing your personality, your assets forward is a major part of finding opportunities as a shorter girl. I don’t think the girls learned enough about actually “doing the modeling” or about themselves as models, if they it maybe could have been a different result. Also I wish the show didn’t characterize the girls so intensely and focus on enhancing what “appears” to be a flaw to define the girl’s image. Jennifer and her eye, Sundai is the foster child, Erin is the snot, and our winner of cycle 13 is the corky one. They are all memorable in their own way, and we’ll see if they continue to give modeling a try, away from Tyra’s eye.

The higher you aim, the more you try, the more you get,
Isobella

Why is this agency charging me to be on the agency website?

Recently a mother who's daughter is striving to model asked me: "A model management company in NYC wants to represent her and said that it would post her photos on their website for $100. Is this the norm ? Will some agencies ask for money upfront like this?"

My reply:
Anytime an agency wants to charge you to post photos on a website it is a scam. A model these days, especially a non-traditional one, or commercial print model, has enough to pay for, photography, compcards, YOU NEVER ever pay to work with an agency. It is not normal or professional. I work with great print modeling agencies in NYC and I DO NOT pay to have my photo on their website. My photo might be on their website to market me, but I do not pay for that. It is a scam. So beware. DO NOT EVER. EVER, NONONONONNOOOOO never pay an agency to be on their website or work with them or a monthly fee. No. I hope this helps.

An aspiring model has to put together her photography, make a compcard, and portfolio and has enough to pay for. An professional agency will NOT charge you to be on their website. Plain and simple. It might mean working harder to find quality and professionalism but it IS out there.

I don't understand why certain modeling agencies think it is ok to charge models a fee or monthly fee to have their photos on the agency website?

The Internet-age has inspired these concerns, does anyone else feel this?

Short Model Support podcast radio show on self promotion

At 9pm EST 11/18/09, Isobella shares a recap of ANTM cycle 13 and shares a recap from her Model Life book party on her podcast radio show, along with tips for self promotion and marketing yourself as a model. And how visiting the magazine section in a bookstore can help you be the model in the magazine.

Tune in live at 9pm, or listen to the archive anytime you'd like:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/isobellajade/2009/11/19/short-model-support-aiming-high-and-getting-more

The Models of the Model Life book party photo-shoot

Most book parties allow the author to mingle with their readers, for the Model Life book party it was an interactive experience where guests were able to watch live petite models model shoes from Bakers. It was an amazing time, and here are some of my favorite shots of the girls from the photo-shoot shot by Robert Milazzo at MercBar in SoHo.

Guest also enjoyed sampling some of my favorite "petite" fashion and cosmetic brands. We had the participation of Sweet Petite's, Lula Lu Lingerie, LUSH, Michael Antonio shoes as well, as Styli-Style cosmetics!

Sonya.


Leila.


Tifanny.


Cheli.


Ashley.

Model Life Petite Modeling shoe model winner is...

Leila!

She modeled the shoes in a great way that represented what a shoe ad looks like, (I would have liked to see a bit more of her personality), see below for a couple of my favorite shots of her, she has won a $75Gift Certificate from Sweet Petite Apparel.

Do you need training for print modeling?

A girl on Facebook wrote me and asked: An agency recently told me to take some kind of acting for camera class or anything for training and then they would look at me in 6 months, is necessary in order to do commercial print?

It worries me that this agency said you need “training” to be a model. I do think that a model needs practice to become a good model, but training? (like in a class?) mm No. Especially for commercial print modeling, when the jobs are more about your personality, great skin or physique, you don’t need “modeling classes”. I hate modeling schools. I do think you need to study ads and have more experience in front of the camera with a professional photographer to create a marketable compcard. And “know how” to model. I suggest also looking at ads for lifestyle products, not just fashion ads but ads for everything, from jewelry, to Advil.

If you want to pursue acting or television commercials and opportunities on TV then you could consider taking an “on camera” commercials and TV type class, but for print modeling you don’t need any training, other than just having personality and being able to bring it to the job. I think great models also have an understanding of the task, they understand both sides of the camera, how they look in front of the camera, how to pose themselves, and know how to model products properly.

Modeling is about “modeling something” or “for something” so I would focus on your photos, and making them present you in the most marketable way. Make a compcard and strive to work with a professional agency, you do not need classes to be a model, but you do need to be confident, and it helps to show in your photos that you can naturally model. So think of your assets, and showing them off, a good headshot and full body shot of you laughing, smiling, walking down the street, being your self, enjoying life, looking like you could model any product with your smile, -that shoe, that handbag, that hair product, that Advil, is pretty basic and pretty much all you would need to show on your first compcard.

A mindset for Model Living

Being realistically ambitious is so important within your pursuits as a model. This is a self-made world, and waiting for things to happen can drag you down, however we can’t expect things to happen over night. Sometimes things that DO happen overnight or too quickly can be a negative towards our pursuits.

I get approached by girls all the time about how they can't get an agency. How they don't know what photos they need. How they shot something they regret. How they want to do the right thing, but don't know what the right thing is. Well, I think it all comes down to being ambitiously realistic. Being present for your pursuits, trying, being ambitious, but doing it in a realistic smart way. Focusing on your assets, how they can be shot and marketed to agencies, should be your first goal.

Are you short, well do you have nice hair, nice eyes, what is an asset you have that can be translated into being used in an ad or editorial in a magazine? This is the mindset of an agent, and also should be of a model.

However, instead of rushing to do a photo-shoot, a newer model, or girl curious about it, should slow down and have a plan, know what she needs to shoot, how she is marketable, and the whole thing should be a slower process. Don’t rush to get in front of the camera without knowing what to do in front of it which will help your pursuits. Don’t just shoot with any person with a camera, and be pickier about the shots you take. Having goals, setting them, and following through is important to find opportunities as a model. Especially a shorter one. It is better to do 5 great modeling jobs with brands, or magazines, or something worthwhile, than have 20-30 terrible experiences. Slow down. Plan better. Aim higher. Get More.

Did you get a Sweet Petite's t-shirt at the Model Life party?

Did you attend the Model Life party? Did you happen to get a t-shirt or tank from Sweet Petite's? They went fast, so I hope so! Send me a photo of yourself rockin your Sweet Petite's shirt! :) Petite Pride!

Lula Lu Petite Lingerie steams up the Model Life party

You may have noticed at the Model Life book lauch party there were some fun sleep mask and a couple pairs of thongs, just sitting there in a sensual way, waiting to be picked up? Well they were from lulalu.com. And if you are petite, and looking for lingerie that fits, this is a good brand to check out. Models should always have with them nude colored thongs, white and black. Often before modeling jobs my agents have confirmed that I had a nude colored thong and I suggest picking one up for keeps. And holiday's are coming so why not spoil your self a little while you're at it!

Model Life is dedicated to..

"Model Life is dedicated to anyone striving to accomplish something difficult and waking up just for the chance, because the higher you aim the more you can achieve."

Not only does the book bring the modeling world to the graphic novel world but it is a tribute to New York City, since many NYC landmarks appear in the book. The Internet and Digital age is a major part of the book as well, and the conversations between characters is done through text messages and social media. The character even has a live email account...to find out what it is check out the book here.

In Model Life the character gets a scar on her face after a bad encounter with a very unprofessional person, and the journey of overcoming the odds, the bullshit, the mistakes even, and making opportunities for her self follows. It is a story of a pint-size model, but also about staying ambitious and staying positive even through tough times.

Aim high, 'cause you get more!

some Model Life book party pics

Isobella and the Model Life Book Party with Colleen Brennan interview

Enjoy this Fabulous interview after the Model Life book party with Colleen Brennan asking me about the root of Model Life!
TURN DOWN MY PODCAST ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF BLOG TO HEAR BETTER.

Colleen Brennan interview Isobella Jade at Model Life Book Party from Colleen Brennan on Vimeo.

A Photo from my Model Life launch party giving my thanks!

My throat is itchy today and a bit sore, but when you are talking about things and people you love it is worth it. Here I am at my Model Life book party last night giving my thanks!

Petite Models and Model Life party tonight! whoo hoo

Whoo hoo, tonight is the night you can stop by my Model Life book party, where modeling and the graphic novel world come together, shorter models and high shoes, red balloons and red drinks, art and fashion, and my passions all come together. I hope to see you at MercBar, 151 Mercer street the festivities start at 7pm! :)

Here is the scoop and more details on the launch party, where 5 petite models will be rockin out shoe modeling!

Isobella

The Models of the Model Life book party on podcast tonight

The Model Life book party pre-party. At 9pm Est tonight, Isobella speaks to the petite models (Tiffany,Cheli, Sonya, an Ashley) who will be shoe modeling during the live photo-shoot at her interactive book party tomorrow Nov 12 for Model Life: The Journey of a Pint-Size Fashion Warrior. They discuss modeling,being petite and how height isn't everything in modeling. Shoe model Leila can't join us this evening but she will be rockin' the shoes as well at the party~ :)

Tune in here at 9pm EST:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/isobellajade/2009/11/12/The-Models-of-the-Model-Life-book-party-for-petite

I had Yeats on my body today at a shoot

I had Yeats on my body today at a shoot. "And pluck till time and times are done The silver apples of the moon The golden apples of the sun"

models print or web exposure?

The Internet has changed the way brands market and magazines share information and editorials.

However, I think modeling in print means more than being on the web. For a modeling portfolio and building your experience I think it is best to focus on print work, even if the Internet exposure might seem easier to get.

It can be debatable, because some online sources to get a lot of traffic, but I also always ask myself “how is this exposure going to lead me somewhere more, some where even better?”

I think it means more if you are cast to model something in print vs. the web, because the choices and standards are higher for print. What is published is thought about, especially in this economy. To be inside Maxim magazine I think means more than being on Maxim’s website, to be modeling for a shoe brands ad campaign means more, vs. just counting hits and clicks on your social site.

Modeling is what you make it, and the higher you aim, the more your want, the more professional you are and are striving to be, the better.

For some modeling jobs for ad campaigns, it has included web usage, which is totally fine, but for the sake of the effort I put in, the professionalism I give, I have made the choice to aim for print work over the years. Print work, being in print, to me means you are more of a model.