The Model Agency – Episode 2

This addictive, fly on the wall series is fast becoming a Wednesday night essential for the team here at Talent Management! But as the show’s second episode highlights, modelling is not as easy as it looks.

The Premier Team, sourced via premiermodelstyle.com
The Premier Team, sourced via premiermodelstyle.com

This addictive, fly on the wall series is fast becoming a Wednesday night essential for the team here at Talent Management! But as the show’s second episode highlights, modelling is not as easy as it looks.

This episode focuses on the more typical, commercial models that you would be more likely to spot in catalogues and adverts as opposed to in high-profile fashion shows or gracing the covers of Vogue. Carole and Annie head to New York, meeting various agencies in order to establish who the latest, up and coming models are. It is during this trip where they partake in some heavy negotiating and effectively ‘trade’ some of their own models in exchange for the New York number ones, who will then be promptly flown in for London Fashion week.

However, the show season begins to take its toll and it’s not long until Annie and Carole are facing heavy pressure from the office to bring back more commercial girls, who bring far less prestige but significantly more cash.

Episode 2 also follows one of the Premier’s rising stars Leomie Anderson through New York as she makes the transition from casting to catwalk. It doesn’t take long for Leomie to land some of the biggest shows for NY Fashion Week, and she soon starts to realise her incredible potential.

Having been spotted at age 14, Leomie embodies the kind of beauty that is both an utter knockout, but also entirely approachable. In her first season, September 2010, Leomie walked for Marc Jacobs, Giles, Topshop Unique, Ungaro and Loewe and promptly caught the eye afterwards of the renowned stylist and editor of Love magazine, Katie Grand. Leomie has been warned however, that she may face additional challenges in her modelling career as the modelling industry seems to be somewhat stuck in the dark ages when it comes to featuring black girls. Carole explains, “It’s a lot harder to start a black girl than a white girl for a number of reasons. There’s not so much work for them, and sometimes photographers, makeup artists are scared. They don’t how to light or make them up properly so it takes a lot longer…it’s a slower process.”

Back at Premier, the prying cameras capture the unmissable tension between commercial booker John and his fellow editorial bookers. Issues continually arise regarding whether the high-end, prestige bookings are taking precedence over the less edgy but more profitable aspect of the agency. Carole and Annie return to start preparations for London Fashion Week and begin to go over the choices of New York girls which can potentially be managed by the bookers. Thankfully, they have also found an assortment of commercial ‘money girls’ for John, but of course there is no guarantee that they will match his requirements.

As the agency begins to wind down for the day, one of John’s ‘money-girls’ drops by, which instantaneously raises concerns that she’s not looking ‘curvy’ enough. John and Carole both quickly prepare to address the issue as unfortunately ultra skinny girls do not remain ‘money girls’ for very long.