The Model Life
By Daily Bruin Staff
Oct. 11, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 Jamilia height: 5’11 bust:
36 waist: 27 hips:
37 dress: 6/8 hair:
black eyes: brown shoe:
10.5
By Rosanna Mah
Daily Bruin Contributor
Models are infamous for being anorexic, brainless and vacuous
megalomaniacs.
The recent movie “Zoolander” even pokes fun at
models and exaggerates their lifestyles ““ the high life with
a meaningless existence filled with enough drugs, booze and sex to
rival the Colombian cartel.
But contrary to these popular stereotypes, models are actually
very much human, like everyone else.
Jamila Smith, a 6-foot-tall, 25-year-old model since age 15, has
been featured in print advertisements for Nike, Adidas and Tommy
Hilfiger. But she also works as a commercial loans officer at the
Bank of America in downtown Los Angeles.
Kara Birkenstock, a 5-10, 21-year-old model, has also been
modeling since she was 15 and has done runway shows for Vivienne
Tam, Macy’s, the magazine YM and the famous Thai designer
Varunee. Birkenstock also maintains a life as a student by studying
international business at Loyola Marymount University.
These two women now work for Grace Models, a model talent and
management agency based in Universal City, trying to live out their
dreams in the cutthroat industry of modeling.
John Andrews, partner of Grace Models, encounters many women
while talent scouting. However, not every woman who catches his
attention gets to carry his business card.
“First I go for looks, then physique and lastly,
attitude,” Andrews said. “I have to initiate a
conversation and then I feel if she can really make it as a
superstar. In 30 seconds, I know if this is someone I can work
with, someone without the (bad) attitude.”
Although talent scouting is what many scouts like Andrews do,
other models in Los Angeles beg to differ.
According to Birkenstock, talent spotting is only for the one in
the million.
“The truth about modeling is that talent spotting never
happens,” she said. “You know how in newspapers the
models vaguely claim, “˜I was discovered!’? All lies.
The only way you can get into modeling, unless you are the creme de
la creme, is to go for a lot of auditions during open
calls.”
 Kara Birkenstock height: 5’10 bust:
34A waist: 25 hips:
35 dress: 4 hair:
brown eyes: brown shoe:
8.5 Like any successful model, in their years of
living out the experience of modeling, Birkenstock and Smith have
gone to countless open calls and faced numerous rejections.
When the word “model” is heard, the first image that
pops to mind is Cindy Crawford and an exciting life of exotic
traveling and free designer clothes.
Many do not understand that the modeling industry is similar to
the acting industry where models struggle just as hard as actors
for auditions. Ninety percent of models do not experience the
supermodel lifestyle.
In fact, thousands spend their time waiting to attend open
calls, only to be interviewed along with hundreds of other talented
men and women. And it’s one competitive audition after
another, and takes months until they get a shot at the
limelight.
Besides dealing with competition and rejection, models are
constantly trying to improve themselves and adhere to the
impossible look that many agencies want ““ an American look
that is usually blond-haired and blue-eyed.
“Being black makes it harder for me to get into
modeling,” said Smith. “There are not as many of us out
there in the industry. Agencies want blond hair and blue eyes but
only one black girl with curly hair.”
Half Thai and half Pilipino, Birkenstock states that Asian women
have it the hardest to get a break because they never fit the bill
of the all-American blonde.
Looking the look is not the only obstacle for all models.
In this image-conscious industry, there is always the problem of
retaining the perfect waifish figure of a hungry adolescent.
According to Smith and Andrews, stereotypes of all models being
bulimic and anorexic is simply an ignorant assumption. They reject
the notion that models are psychologically dysfunctional that
way.
But Kara Birkenstock gives another perspective, one that not
many models will admit to, according to Birkenstock.
“The perception of models suffering from eating disorders
is a hundred percent true,” Birkenstock said. “I
have so many model friends who have gone through bulimia and
anorexia. I believe it’s the industry which is so competitive
in nature that if you are not sized down to a 0 or 2, your career
is over.”
The life of a model is definitely not easy. Anyone who remembers
George Michael’s “Too Funky” music video where
top-notch supermodels such as Linda Evangelista, Najda Auermann and
Tyra Banks strut their lithe bodies and sashay down the runway
looking fabulous and sexy will be brainwashed into believing
otherwise.
It all looks so easy on the runways, in women’s magazines,
and in other fashion media to walk, look pissed off, and still be
beautiful.
The life of a model is definitely not all glamorous and
effortless as it appears to be. In reality, most models are average
people with bills to pay.
“A lot of models work in order to pay bills like rent and
tuition just to get through life and school,” Smith said.
“I was a model when I was in school. Regardless of other
perceptions, we are like everyone else.”
