Who supports urban models? Part 1.

Financially, what is the real support system for urban modeling? In the other Fashion Industry, when a new model enters the scene, she’s scooped up by an agency,(real agency meaning, with a real company structure, operating in a real office building, with multiple employees working to book models) Sex and or dating the models is not allowed. He/She is given the opportunity to work real national or international ad campaigns, real paying jobs, real contracts with real clothing companies, runway shows, and magazine spreads. This is the support system of the other Fashion Industry, but not the urban modeling industry.

We all know of America’s Next Top Model, but when our Urban Top Model model reaches a XXL cover, or King, Show, Smooth etc, the result usually is really nothing more awaiting than a few music videos. He/She maybe will be offered a few party’s to host (which is NOT modeling), which generally last a year but really no stability to speak of. Urban clothing companies aren’t supporting the Urban modeling world, which nearly seems to be a match made in heaven, but it’s not. What is the motivation, for our young beautiful women, to fly themselves around the country to expose themselves in magazines for free or a cost to themselves?

From raising this topic, to a few company execs, it seems imaging is a huge problem. The Urban models have such a bad image and branding issue, it would be suicide to align a product with these so easily accessible women and expect sales to be positively affected. Sponsorship is about branding, as, even Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, & Chris Brown are living proof, that image is everything. The urban model needs to become aware of where their images are and how it represents their brand.

Does nudity make a difference? As proven on this site, The European fashion industry, cares not about nudity, but, HOW it’s done, and WHO it’s with and for WHAT purpose, but nudity itself is a non factor in imaging, as Iman, Kate Moss,Naomi, and Giselle all have nude spreads, but, it coincides with the branding of their image, the system in which they operate. Being in a prison jack off magazine, makes a a prison jack off model. Models need to take a celebrity approach to what magazines they agree to appear in. Female celebrities will NOT appear in magazines that are raunchy, they will not appear in any publication that will group them with porn stars, youtube strippers, or anything that will be considered deformation of their character image…”

Blog was written by: Treagen Kier to see his photography work go to TreagenPhoto

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