Jeanne Beker - Strutting It!. The Grit Behind the Glamour

Text copyright 2011 by Jeanne Beker
Foreword copyright 2011 by Coco Rocha

Published in Canada by Tundra Books,
75 Sherbourne Street, Toronto, Ontario M5A 2P9

Published in the United States by Tundra Books of Northern New York,
P.O. Box 1030, Plattsburgh, New York 12901

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010926098

All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the publisher or, in case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a licence from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency is an infringement of the copyright law.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Beker, Jeanne
Strutting it : the grit behind the glamour / Jeanne Beker.
eISBN: 978-1-77049-258-5

1. Models (Persons) Juvenile literature. 2. Models (Persons) Biography Juvenile literature. I. Title.
HD8039.M77B45 2011 J746.92092 C2010-902063-4

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) and that of the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Media Development Corporations Ontario Book Initiative. We further acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program.

Information on those in the fashion industry changes frequently.
While every attempt for accuracy has been made, we regret any inadvertent omission or error.

Title page photo: JD Ferguson

v3.1

To all those beautiful girls that work so hard
at giving us all those pretty pictures.

The girl wakes up at 10:30 a.m. and pulls the shades of her New York penthouse apartment on a glorious view of Central Park. Normally she wouldnt emerge from bed this early, but her agent has left her three messages begging her to come to a shoot. At first the client was offering her $10,000, then $15,000, and now $20,000. The girl enters her massive walk-in closet, throws on a custom Dior dress, and heads downstairs to where her driver and limo await. On set, everyone is patiently waiting for her, as are all the items she insists are on hand at every shoot. Whatever she wants, she gets. She poses for a few pictures and, before lunch, announces that shes done. The room applauds, and off she heads to enjoy the rest of the day, spending her paycheck.

Oh, the life of a model. Or so many would think.

Let me give you the lowdown on an actual models typical day:

The girl wakes up before the sun has risen in the apartment she shares with a dozen other models. She runs to the gym to work out for an hour so that she can try to fit into the dresses she expects will be a size too small for her. She finds her own way to the studio, in the dark, and upon arriving, is informed that the photographer is running three hours late. Once everyone is on hand, the shoot begins. Theyre on a deadline so theykeep shooting through lunch and on into the evening. Of course, the girl doesnt dare complain because she knows that, if she does, she can easily be replaced. Its dark again outside as she leaves the studio to head home with her paycheck of $200.

And this is a good day, because this model is actually a working model.

In contrast to an effortless life of glamour, models work hard. Sometimes it means sitting for ten hours at a casting, only to be turned away. Often it means working without breaks, or sleep. Its a difficult career choice, and many of the hardships are only realized when youre actually in the thick of it. As with anything, though, hard work and patience do pay off. In my career as a model, Ive been through it all. Ive had times when the pressure and expectations were so difficult, I just wanted to quit. But Ive also had some amazing experiences that very few could hope to enjoy. Ive had opportunities to travel extensively and meet and work with some amazing people. And, yes, Ive certainly experienced a few glamourous moments!

Are you ready to be a model? Jeanne Beker has spent an entire career in and around the fashion industry. Ive had the privilege to meet her more than a few times and have always enjoyed talking to her. In this book, she presents many of the skills and qualities youll need to make it as a model. If you follow her advice, Im sure youll be far better prepared to start this new venture than most. Like any career, modeling has its highs and lows, but if youre anticipating and equipped for the hardships, youll go far.

Coco Rocha

W hat I love most about the fashion world are its people: the brilliant designers, the talented behind-the-scenes teams, the savvy editors, the impassioned photographers, the eccentric fashionistas, and those gorgeous girls that strut it down the international runways. And as much as I appreciate the exquisite garments, the excitement of travel, and the intrigue of witnessing the whole creative process, the real magic usually happens for me when that first model steps out onto the catwalk: She sets the tone for the designers vision and has the power to transport us on untold flights of fantasy. Beyond the clothes she wears, her energy and attitude are what capture the imagination.

If the fashion arena is grand theater and thats the way Ive always seen it then the models are its leading ladies. Over the past twenty-five years, Ive had the joy of not only rubbing shoulders with some of these leading ladies, but also watching them grow and blossom. While some may burst on the scene like a blaze of fire, only to be extinguished after a season or two, others continue to burn brightly for years: inspiring us all, setting new trends, and leaving an indelible mark on our style-conscious psyches.

When Fashion Television was created in 1985, the world had already fallen in love with a strong assortment of iconic models that had graced designer runways and glossy magazines for decades. But, suddenly, there I was with my TV camera, in photography studios and backstage at fashion shows around the world, capturing models behind the scenes, talking to them about their hopes and dreams, questioning them about the true nature of their work, and witnessing the ardor of their individual journeys.

Models are an integral part of a designers fantasy, like taking a ride on this Chanel carousel