Anthony Gordon is director of scouting at Premier Model Management.
He speaks exclusively to 4Beauty about how he spots someone with model potential, and gives some straight-talking career advice to aspiring models.
Tell us about your work at Premier.
"I'm responsible for discovering talent. Every Saturday I pick a location, whether it be Oxford Street or Manchester or Brighton, and from 10am to 6pm I scour the streets. I also travel all over the world judging model contests. There's no place I won't go, whether it's Brazil, Australia or South Africa. On top of that I have constant communication with my current models and their parents, keeping relationships going."
What do you look for in a model?
"Height is the number one criteria - somebody who is unusually tall for their age. The range for female models is 5'9" to 5'11", with 5'10" being ideal. For male models the range is 6' to 6'2". There are exceptions, but not many. When it comes to faces, there's a real variety in the industry - you can have a strange-looking model who nobody really gets, and then you can have your classically beautiful girls who everyone wants to look like."
Why is height important?
"Designers need to showcase their collection looking its absolute best. Models need to be tall and thin because the clothes hang better that way. If you see a dress on a model who is 5'11" and on a celebrity who is 5'4", you will immediately see the difference. It's the same philosophy as getting the guy with the most muscles to sell protein drinks, or the teen with the best teeth to sell toothpaste. High fashion is about fantasy and aspiration, not necessarily reality or attainability."
Are women from certain countries more likely to have model potential?
"Yes, but it's not just a genetic thing. There's an attitude among some cultures that makes better models. Girls from Brazil and Russia will go through anything to be a successful model, because their motivation is often to send money back to their families. There's too much at stake for them to be moody. British and American girls often have a lot more opportunity, so their drive isn't the same. It's such a pleasure to work with somebody motivated, instead of begging a girl to get out of bed and go to a casting."
How old are the girls you scout?
"Ideally I would discover somebody at the age of 16, spend a year or two developing them while they finish school, and launch them as a professional model when they're 17 or 18. Unfortunately scouting in the UK is so competitive that if you're not spotting talent at 14 years old, someone else is going to find it. Any British girl who has serious modelling potential over the age of 16 has been scouted five times."
How often do you find someone who has the potential for a good career?
"Well there are girls with super-star potential like India, who's one of our new faces - I discover someone like that about once a year. Then about once a month I discover a model who can work and make a nice living. Absolutely no more often than that. Some agencies will take on 100 girls a year, just to see who rises to the top. I'm very particular - I like to commit to my models and really see them through. Once I scout somebody they're with me for life."
If someone is stopped by a person claiming to be a scout, how can they be sure it's safe?
"There are many dodgy agents out there who make my job all the harder. If you're approached by a scout, the best thing to do is take their card (if they don't have one, you know they're not legitimate) and do your research before going in for a meeting. Check out their website and ensure they have a proper mailing address and landline. You can also visit the Association of Model Agents for a list of reputable agencies. Don't give out your personal information, especially if you are underage, and never ever leave a public place to go to someone's 'studio' by yourself. Finally, never pay to be a model, or for shots for your porfolio. Genuine agencies will invest in you if they believe in your potential."
What advice would you give to girls who want to be models?
"They need to look at the criteria on the Premier website. If they fit, they should absolutely submit themselves. But in this industry, if you don't fit the criteria, you really don't want to be competing. Even if you're 5'10" with flawless skin and beautiful hair, it's still difficult to be successful, so for those who don't quite have those attributes, modelling is a frustrating, demoralising venture. People are born for different things. If you have the right natural gifts then modelling can be a promising career, but if you don't then don't even try."
