Model Gets Her Make-Up Touched Up
Elite Modelling Agency's International Director of Scouting, Michaela Goddard-Quesada knows just everything about modelling there is to know. Having discovered the likes of Noami Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Gisele Bündchen, here she shares the secrets of the industry and reveals all about her new model search in the UK...
What have you been up to recently?
Well, I've been on the radio all morning! but I'm very happy to talk to you now.
Thanks! so tell us all about your new model search?
Well, Elite models has teamed up with Rowenta to search for the United Kingdom's next Elite Top Model, we have started accepting applicants online on Bebo and we are receiving applications now up until the end of January- in fact, January 31st is the closing date. We are looking for young ladies from the ages of 14 to 20, minimum height requirement is 5ft 7 and up of course! all young girls that believe that they have the potential or an interest at least, to find out if they can be an Elite model, we will be happy to receive their application. We will then in the spring be choosing a winner to become an Elite model and to participate in the Rowenta Elite Model Look International Final, to be held at the end of 2009 and to represent the UK, in the hope of winning a contract with Elite Model Management International.
Wow, it sounds very exciting! Who do you think are the faces to watch for 2009?
Oh my goodness, well the advantage that we have in the modelling industry now is that we have so many different looks of models, we can talk about, lets say for example, talk about English models like Kate Moss, who you would consider more special type of girls, a little bit unusual, a little bit special and we can talk about a girl like Kelly Brook, who we would consider a more commercial model, more curvaceous, girl next door. So it's a really exciting time for the modelling industry at the moment, because there are so many different looks that are working, and then going on to have international careers, so that's why it is really important to say again, any young girls who have a dream to do this, please apply and we will let her know right away.
Do you think models such as Agyness Deyn have peaked too soon?
Oh I think her career will continue going from strength to strength, I mean she's been around for a while now and she's done extremely well and been very consistent, and she's been managed very well and that's very important. Once you have a strong management career behind you, you can have a successful career and you know we were seeing this morning in one of the English newspapers about Cindy Crawford who was discovered by Elite and at the age of 42 is still shooting for magazines such as French Vogue and she's a mother, she's a businesswoman too and she still has a strong career in modelling, so for all the mothers out there, if your daughters want to be models this is something that they can do for a very long time and still have a family and be successful.
As a modelling agency, who is the most successful model on your books?
Oh, we've had many! Linda Evangelista, we've had Naomi Campbell, Gisele Bündchen, Stephanie Seymour and now of course we have the supermodels of today are not necessarily household names but we have the brand new Prada girl doing the campaign, the brand new girl doing the Gucci campaign, so you know it's just continual, we have the access to get in all around the world too and find the next supermodel out there.
Are you as a modelling agency changing your models, after the public have demanded a change from just skinny models?
We at Elite have always been very conscious of our models well being, so some girls are naturally slimmer than others and some are just naturally more curvaceous, for each girl there is a market or direction for their career to go in, so what we do is we make sure that we are aware of our models mental and physical well being and that she is eating properly and exercising and taking care of herself. The minute we see that any model is unhealthy, we step in and take action right away.
What do you think about the Size Zero debate, do you think it's all been blown out of proportion?
I think anything that brings a lot of press is positive, I really do. I think we need to make people aware that you do have certain models, like you have certain women who are naturally thinner than others, but not every young woman has to be that way. I think that it's very important to take each individual's body and allow it to do the best it can be, whether that's a little bit heavier or not. It's really about everybody following the same regime, you know eating healthy and exercising and you know indulging in chocolate every once in a while, and be happy.
What have you found to be the main difference in the UK compared to the US models?
You know what I really love about girls from the UK is that you have a very strong foundation of family and at school, so what we're seeing with British girls is that school is still very important, and they need to maintain their grades at school and their family values too and that's what we like about having British models, you can have the best of both worlds.
FemaleFirst- Laura Terry