If you are in Philadelphia Area and stayed up to watch the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, I hope you stayed up a bit longer and watched the news to see me giving you my runway and smizing tips!
Special thanks to CBS 3 and Tori Woodill for having me! I hope to come back for the 2018 show!
I get asked this question all the time from young models of color who want to break into the biz. In my experience, you should not wear your braids or a weave to a casting. Personally, have never worn braids to a casting but I can tell you that when I have been considered for bookings (after being submitted via a photo casting) and we start discussing the look for the show/event/shoot and I tell them that I currently have braids or faux locs… I can almost guarantee that I won’t get booked unless I am willing to take them out and have my hair styled according to their guidelines/desired look. Have I ever taken them out for a booking, YES and I only did it if the pay/project was worth the time and energy to take them out. It sucks sometimes but that is, unfortunately, the nature of the business.
When you go to an in-person casting, more than likely the job they are booking you for is not going to be styling your hair in braids and even if they are, they need to see what the current state of your hair looks like. Most models of color are not wearing their real hair in the first place and if they are it is in an afro (kinky or curly) or it is a low cropped cut.
My Advice:
Wear your hair how you like it. Be sure it is out of your face and make sure it shows off your face in the best light. With that said, I advise against wearing braids to a casting. Braids don’t show off your hair in its current state and if you wear a weave make sure it looks realistic, don’t wear bangs, and be easy on the baby hairs. Also, Stay away from the lime green and other unnatural hair colors.
The key to hairstyles for a casting: make it look as natural as possible even if it is a weave.
For the past 10+ years on various social media networks my screenname was “CompleteBeauty”. In 2015, I turned 30 (dun dun DUNNNNN) and I took a look back on my digital life and re-evaluated how I am known online and if it really reflects me. I have been modeling and working with various beverage brands for 8+ years and most people that know me offline know about my passion for beverages. I realized that the “CompleteBeauty” name no longer reflects all that I do. I love doing shows, shoots, and being in front of the camera, watching and being a part of the business and marketing of it, and especially the events. For me the modeling and the beverage industry have gone hand in hand. It’s opened a lot of doors for me and enabled me to go places that I haven’t gone before and start a business that I never dreamed that I would start. I wanted my online persona to reflect that and thus I am now:
I am still keeping my website name the same. AleanElston.com won’t be changed anytime soon, but you can expect more content about my passion for beverages in addition to my modeling and model advice/tips.
My online life is finally going to be a reflection of my real life…and that’s Modeling and beverages 🙂
Follow me! – If you let me know you found me via my blog, I’ll follow back!!!! 🙂
I’ve been a little under the weather and super busy since my last post. But I’m back ready to continue where I left off and get back to Alex Beadon’s Blogging Challenge. This post is my response to the Day 3 prompt and I hope you enjoy it. Feedback and questions in the comments is HIGHLY encouraged!
About 11 or 12 years ago, I started my journey as a model. Over the years I learned a lot and there have been many times that I have revamped my brand, my image, and my strategy. This year I will be at my 12 year mark in regards to my modeling and I have been thinking about the work that I have done and the goals that I haven’t achieved and how the hell I am going to achieve them! One of the things that I realized is that I never asked myself (and you should ask yourself this too) the most important question in regards to starting a modeling career:
What kind of modeling am I best suited for?
I know most of you would like to think that you can book any type of campaign or you should be able to get any type of work just because you are the fabu you! But the industry doesn’t quite work that way. Like Meek Mill says “There’s levels to this” in modeling, there’s categories to this. And you shouldn’t waste your time shooting and building imagery (your brand) if you don’t fit into a particular category. Of course there are exceptions to that but these that are the exceptions have already established themselves in other areas and can easily move into other categories if you get what I mean.
Some examples of various types of models:
High Fashion Model
Commercial Model
Alternative Model
Parts Model
Glamour Model
Hair Model
Urban Model
Promotional Model
Spokes Model
And the list goes on…
Once you have figured out what type of modeling you are best suited for, you should do one of 2 things. Find an agency that specialized in the type of category that you are suited for or you should begin to develop your portfolio and other model marketing materials (comp cards, business card, social media, websites, etc.) in regards to the categories that you fit into. (If you sign with an agency they will assist you with developing the proper portfolio and materials to best “sell” you.) If you are 5”4’ and 125 lbs, you are not a high fashion model, don’t try to develop a high fashion image. You would most likely be a commercial model but not high fashion. Your pictures should reflect commercial imagery and not attempting to be a replica for editorial ads. For example, if you are a commercial model your pictures should look like this:
Source – Pinterest
And not like this:
Image Source – Pinterest
When building your portfolio and looking for some inspiration for the type of look you should be shooting for, get onto my FAVORITE inspirational app – PINTEREST! When you look on there, search for categories as it relates to you but end it with photography or photoshoot, for example, for myself and a beach shoot that I am currently planning on executing I searched “beach fashion photography” or “beach photoshoot” and it turned up thousands of examples that I could use to put together for my shoot, as well as taking note to the poses and angles that the models were doing to make those swimsuits, and clothes looks so great.
Some factors to consider that will play into what type of modeling you should be pursuing:
Your age (Not your actual age, but the age that people perceive you to be, you can be 30 but look 18, modeling is about the look not the actual age)
Your body type (if you are slim, thick, muscular, etc. it determines they type of modeling you should pursue)
Your height
Your personality (if you aren’t comfortable talking to strangers, promotional modeling or being a spokes model would not be the best thing for you to pursue)
Your look (do you look high fashion aka a unique/strange beauty, or do you look commercial aka Your face is relatable and friendly for consumers)
Your location (your location will determine the type of work that is typically available to you, for example, NYC known for high fashion models, some acting. While in LA or Miami they are known for commercial models, acting, and glamour models.)
Your overall goals
Ok, I think this post is getting a bit too lengthy so I’m gonna stop typing now! Lol
Next post, I think I’ll address scams! Stay tuned!!!
Comment below if you have any questions. Your answer may be addressed in my upcoming posts!
The header pic, is a pic from about 10 years ago, maybe more an 10 years, of my first swimsuit shoot in Atlantic City. I thought I was DOOOOOOING IT! lol Thank goodness that was the beginning and there was a lot of improvement to be had!
Day 2 of the 7 day blogging challenge by Alex Beadon, and the challenge is to write about how you got your start as an entrepreneur. Since my modeling is how I got my start as an entrepreneur, I decided to detail that. If you want to know how it got me to start my business, I’ll be detailing that in the future on my company’s blog, “The Pour”
Here Goes!
What initially drew you in to become a model?
I have a cousin that was a model when I was a kid. I remember looking at her pictures in her portfolio and some of her tear sheets from the ads and print work that she had done and thought to myself, I want to do that. The pretty, perfect, and polished look that she portrayed was what initially sparked my interest in modeling. I think I was around 9 years old when I realized a model is what I wanted to be.
What challenges did you face?
Well, the number one challenge that I faced was getting started. I didn’t know how or where to start, who could point me in the right direction, how to get work, what did I need to be a model, what was a scam and what was worth pursuing? And so forth.
My first comp card. Thank the Lord for growth lol (that email address, I no longer use by the way)
How did you overcome them?
I did a lot of researching, back when I was starting there were a few ‘urban’ models who had websites that displayed their portfolios and resumes and also gave a lot of tips on how they got started (before blogging was popular) so I took some of their advice from their sites as well as other modeling advice sites and started out on pursing my career. A lot of what I have come to learn has been from trial and error and research to figure out what path would be the best path for me to try. Through my research, I learned that pictures are the main thing that will get you booked and without them you won’t be taken seriously as a model. SO I set out to do a photo shoot. I found a few social networking sites dedicated to models and photographers and I put a few pictures of myself on there that opened myself as looking to shoot in order to build my portfolio and I had a number of photographers respond willing to shoot me and a few even for free! I decided to shoot with one photographer (I paid him) and ended up learning a TON from my initial shoot and used those pictures to book more shoots in order to perfect my posing and my port, and thus I began to seek out work and the bookings started to come.
How did you get your first booking?
My first booking was fashion show that I was referred to do by the same photographer that I did my very first shoot with. It was for a local designer, I can’t remember her name, but I was booked for that show based on the pictures he showed her that he shot of me. I didn’t even know how to walk the runway I was a PURE newbie, Lol But I booked it!
What has been your biggest lesson as a model?
The biggest lesson I have learned as a model is the vital fact that pictures and your network can and will take you places. Without the pictures and without knowing people you won’t get far. It’s like the saying goes, “Its not always what you know, its who you know and who knows you.”
Ive been talking about doing a giveaway on my blog for the longest and I finally got the chance to do one! A special thank you to U.G.L.Y Tees who agreed to do an instagram contest with me and giveaway 3 shirts to some lick followers.
In the video at the top of the page I’m wearing the “Makeup is my Caffeine” Off the shoulder shirt in grey. If you’d like one without entering the contest you can get it here.
If you would like to possibly win a shirt, just follow the simple rules below! Good luck and see you on the gram!
To be eligible to #win, All you have to do is:
1. Repost this image or any image on the @uglytees instagram page
2. Include #uglygiveaway AND #iwearugly anywhere in the caption of your repost
3. Follow and tag @uglytees & @completebeauty
The winners of this giveaway will be announced via the @uglytees instagram page on June 17th.
Good Luck! and remember, “U Gotta Live Young”
***Wanna shout out from @uglytees? Tag us in your U.G.L.Y Apparel gear and we’ll repost it! Dont have any U.G.L.Y Apparel? be sure to get yours from uglytees.bigcartel.com***
New York Fashion Week comes around but twice a year and every time its filled with the seriousness of FASHION and STATUS (insert glitter sprinkle here). I personally did not attend any shows this season but with my poppin Instagram Feed, Chef Roble, and Nicki Minaj, I caught all the hilarity without having to hop the train the NYC.
With that, here are 3 moments that occurred during fashion week that I found funny. If you don’t laugh, chuckle, or crack a smile…drink some prune juice 😉
I saw this on Complex and I couldn’t stop laughing. Its a shame that Rih came at one of her fans like that but its hilarious! lol
Source: Complex
Seeing this has further proved my point. Those that have taken any one of my modeling classes know that I preach, about the right pose, that the way you pose, stand, sit, etc. can make you look great or it can make you look horrible! You have to know how to properly pose according to your outfit and body shape.
Rih does it correctly, in a standard posing stance, cant go wrong with it no matter what your shape or outfit, but #prombat, as they call her, thought she was “doing it” and ended up looking like she was about to take flight and therefore ruined what could have been a great prom look.
Remember, its all about the pose when you doin it for the ‘gram!
Doing my usual scrolling and checking out various videos on YouTube, I was getting ready to watch a video when the ad for the Nicki Minaj Collection came across my screen. Like most people when those youtube ads come on you wait the 5 or 10 seconds and click forward but this time after watching the required 10 seconds, I like the outfits that I saw. The collection is really cute and fun for the summer!
My favs from the commercial include the red swimsuit, and the cutoff white shorts with the pockets exposed.
Come see me and other local models modeling for the Pinktober Fashion Show at the Hard Rock Cafe in Philadelphia on October 6, 2013. The show starts at 6pm and the proceeds from the door will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Buy your tickets to the show online for $7, at the door its $10. The show will feature Philly designers Kristin Simms and Trisha Williams as well as students from Moore College and the Art Institute of Philadelphia.
![Blog Giveaway Sponsored by U.G.L.Y Tees!!!! [ENDED]](https://aleanelston.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Screenshot_2015-06-03-20-06-03-1-660x400.png)
