Neon Models Guide to Walking the Catwalk

If you want to be a fashion model, you need to know how to strut your stuff on the catwalk – without falling over!

Neon Models has written this guide which explains how professional models walk the catwalk.

The first thing to do is get your posture right. That means standing up straight with your head held high and looking straight ahead. Your face should be pointing forward and not to either side. Your expression should be neutral, no big grins or moody scowls!

Your feet is where you will want to focus most of your attention, as this is the most different from normal walking. When you walk the catwalk, imagine there is a line down the middle and you have to place your feet exactly on the line, not to either side of it. If you want a slightly more dramatic look, you may place your feet on the other side of the line, so they cross over each other. Be careful not to trip over your own ankles though!

When you begin to walk, your arms should swing naturally as you move, but you don’t need to swing them back and forth too much. If the outfit has pockets you may want to put your hands in them, but don’t tense your arms when you do so.

As you move, try to keep your body as still as possible and not move from side to side or bob up and down. Lead slightly with your hips rather than your chest, but don’t sashay dramatically.

Your shoulders should be relaxed and slightly back, but don’t stick your chest out too much. There should be no slouching or hunching of the shoulders.

Once you reach the end of the catwalk, it’s customary to strike a pose – now you can be as dramatic as you like. Jut your hips out to one side and then the other, placing your hands on your hips. If you’re wearing a jacket, you may want to slip it off and swing it over one shoulder for full effect.

Great, now you’re ready for the Milan or Pairs fashion shows!

If you’d like to find out how Neon Models can help you become a catwalk model, then register on our site.

Ways to break into modelling with Neon Models

There are several different way to break into modelling is you’ve decided you think modelling might be for you. Neon Models has many years’ experience helping new models get their foot in the door of reputable modelling agencies and also to launch freelance careers, so if you want a consultation with one of our experts, visit the Neon Models website.

Break into modelling with Neon Models

The quickest and easiest way to get started is to use Neon Models to help advise you about what sort of modelling would suit you best, geta modelling portfolio together at a test shoot, train you in how to behave and what to expect and put you in contact with the most appropriate modelling agencies.

Break into modelling through competitions

Competitions can be a good way to break into the modelling industry. There are new faces competitions for particular companies and also modelling agencies sometimes run competitions in association with teen magazines or clothing brands. If you’re lucky you might get shortlisted on a TV shop like Britain’s Next Top Model, but that’s got pretty stiff competition!

You can also consider Beauty Pageants if you like the idea of some of the other rounds, as modelling is a natural progression for beauty queens.

Modelling agencies

You can approach modelling agencies directly, but be prepared to face rejection, Modelling agencies get hundreds of applications every week and most of them end up in the bin. You need to have something special if you’re going to make it through the first round. A lot of people shoot themselves in the foot by sending poor quality photographs or not reading the agency’s guidelines.

Choose your modelling agency carefully and read their guidelines if you want to have any chance of success.

If you want to break into modelling with Neon Models, then visit our website and register today!

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Three steps to making it as a professional model

Take care of yourself

The first step to becoming a model is to make sure you’ve got a model quality body. That means great skin, healthy, toned shape and glossy hair. Making yourself physically perfect involves getting enough sleep every night (this is much more important than you might think!) eating a healthy balanced diet with plenty of green vegetables, drinking lots of water, avoiding toxins such as coffee and chocolate and avoiding the sun.

Learn about the types of modelling and which one you want to do

There are many different types of modelling and it’s important to find the type that will be best suited to your body type and personality. If you’re very tall and have a lot of flexibility in your schedule, you might want to consider catwalk modelling at fashion shows. If you’ve got more of a girl or boy next door kind of a look, then cataloguemodelling might be more appropriate, and if you don’t meet the standard look, you might be suitable for petite, plus-size or alternative modelling.

Be professional

It’s many people’s dream to become a model, but it’s important to be realistic and down to earth if you’re going to make a success of it. While modelling can be very satisfying and glamorous, it also involves good organisation and the ability to respond quickly and be flexible. You need to be willing to travel at short notice to attend castings and models have to look fresh and happy, even if they’re been travelling for long hours.

If you follow these steps, you’ll give yourself a much better chance of success in the modelling industry. To find out more, registeron our website.

Neon Models - Castings or Go Sees

Ideally, the client will contact the modelling agency with their requirements, the agency will select the best model for the job, and that’s that. Unfortunately, it’s rarely as simple as that. There can be many stages involved in selecting a model for a job, and a model has to be responsive and prepared at each stage to avoid missing out.

The Go See or Casting

This is the first stage of potentially getting a modelling job. It’s critical to respond to the casting call as quickly as possible, because jobs are sometimes cast within hours, and the client may simply select the first model to respond.

Before you respond, you probably want to find out if you even want the job – this may seem like a no brainer, but its worth double checking when and where the shoot is, how much it pays and what the requirements are. You may discover it clashes with another job, or that the pay is simply too low to make it worthwhile.

However, if you decide you do want to attend the casting and try to win the job you’ll need to find out how you should be dressed, who you need to talk to, and how best to approach it. Keep in mind that your agent may to have time to have a long discussion with you about it, but they should be keen to give you the best information to give you a good chance of getting the job.

You should check and adjust your portfolio to match the job, making sure there are examples of the kind of thing they want – i.e. sporty of businesslike or sexy.

Being shortlisted

Remember that far more models go to castings than are needed for actual shoots, so don’t be disheartened if they say ‘don’t call us, we’ll call you’ and you never hear from them again. That’s the nature of the business.

However, hopefully sometimes you will be shortlisted, or put on ‘hold’ or ‘option’. This is good news, as it means the client liked you, but it doesn’t mean that the job is secured.

At this point there are three things that may happen. They may still decide against you, they may ask you for a callback, or they may book you.

If you are on hold, it means that you should keep that time of the shoot available for the client, until they decide either way if they’d like to use you or not. If they haven’t decided and you get a call from a different client offering a job or casting, then your agent should contact the first client to ask them to make a decision and either release the ‘hold’ or confirm the booking.

If the client decides they want to book you, it’s time to celebrate! Once you accept, you are both obligated to the job and cancellation fees will apply if it doesn’t go ahead.

Register today with Neon Models!  

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