Criticism In The Modeling Industry
Eric Sund and Lily Small both began their modeling career on their journey to pursue acting. The two went hand and hand and eventually they found their way to the modeling world. Eric speaks to me with a very masculine low tone of voice. Unlike Lily Small’s towering height, Eric says, “I never thought of myself as a model to be honest, as I lack the last like 3-4 cms for being a fashion model (I'm 180).” I was taken back a little bit, looking at this man's photos, you’d never guess he was on the shorter side.
“What do you think are the most important qualities for someone to excel as a model?” He laughed a little as he rememberd a time he’d been harshly criticized. He answers my question when he says,
“Being able to realize that your body/face will be evaluated and cope with that, don't take anything personal. Being adaptable, nice and easy to work with.”
He goes on to tell me about experiences he’s had in the industry and dealing with harsh criticism. He kept telling me he never thought he could be a model, but goes on to say that commercial modeling exists for him and that he loves being in front of the camera.
Lily Small, a beautiful 5’9 fashion model tells me even though she is tall there are a lot of rejections until you get the job. Like Eric, Lily has been criticized as well and she goes on to tell me that it is just part of the industry. But I love it and would not want to do anything else! She says like Eric, she had been pursuing acting but decided to pursue modeling at first to help with an acting career. In the end, Lily decided she loved the modeling industry more even though the hours are long and tiresome. It’s all worth it because you love it, even if some will harshly criticize you.
Despite Eric's love for commercial modeling he says being a model can be very difficult, people are there by choice but forced to eat certain foods and how often they workout and what they should be focusing on. As a male model in high fashion, you have to know how to pose in order to exentuate the part of your body you want to stand out. Male models have to be conscious of how much muscle they have on their arms so as to not overpower their face. It differentiates for different photoshoots but you’re constanly being evaluated, so you have to not only stay in shape but also be healthy and know how to work for the camera.
He closes with telling me about working in the modeling industry and dealing with people who are going to judge your photos as you go through it. He can relate to Lily in this sense because of the modeling industry being tougher than people realize. Although with time in front of the camera and on different sets Eric and Lily have found a mutual respect for the industry. Eric's respect has grown with just getting to be a part of the modeling industry and while difficult it's special to be the face everyone sees as you model brands. Lily closes with, I have a lot more respect for the industry as a whole. I never realized how many people take time out of their lives to help make the model look good. There are about 5-10 people helping on set every time and they are all the best.
