Model talk

Many teenagers dream of becoming a model. They imagine being spotted in a crowd and whisked away to a life of fame, fortune, glamour, and travel. For a few it really happens. How do they cope with the transformation from school student to supermodel? Janet Kelly and reporters from Children's Express investigate.

The 1990s has been the decade of the supermodel. Beautiful models are now just as famous and adored as the movie stars of previous eras. And in recent years, Western cultures have become more and more obsessed with very youthful images of beauty The adolescent mixture of adult and childlike looks is in demand and people as young as 12 are being sought by the modelling agencies. British supermodel Kate Moss was "discovered" at JFK Airport in New York City when she was just 14, although her agency didn't allow her to model full-time until she was 16.

A British schoolgirl, Rachel Kirby, recently started modelling on the international fashion scene when she was 12. A newspaper covered the story, and there was great deal of debate as to whether she was too young to be modelling with adults.

What are the dangers for young models? Youngsters often grow up fast once they start modelling. Suddenly they are earning their own money and mixing with older, more worldly and glamorous people who may drink, smoke, or learn to look and take drugs. Newcomers soon act a lot older than they are. The pressure on them is intense The work itself is hard, plus there are the added worries of putting on weight or breaking out in pimples. Some girls leave school to become full-time models. A few years later they may no longer be in demand. Perhaps their particular "look" has gone out of fashion or they are simply considered to be too old. They have missed out on their education, their modelling career has abruptly ended, and without qualifications they have little chance of finding another job.

It is often said that sex sells, and photographic shots may call for models to look sexy, alluring, and older than their years. On the catwalk, the fashions of many designers are very daring - and, many people believe, too suggestive to be modelled by young teenagers.

In Paris, France, girls must be at least 16 to model. Elsewhere, most large, reputable agencies are reluctant to take girls or boys on to model adult clothes until they are 14. Most agencies keep a careful eye on their young protges and try to protect them from the dangers.

Children's Express chatted to models who see the temptations but, so far at least, have managed to survive, and even enjoy, the crazy world of fashion.

Hannah Ware

Hannah Ware was signed by a leading model agency when she was 12. She is one of the youngest models in the business, and has appeared in most teenage magazines, and taken assignments in France, Germany, and the United States. Although she is often described as a younger version of supermodel Helena Christensen, Hannah insists that modelling will only be a small part of her life. Here she talks about the pressures of working in a ruthless industry.

"I never take time out of school to do modelling because study is my first priority. I don't take a modelling job if it clashes," says Hannah, "Unless it's loads of money!"

Hannah's career began when her mother took her along to the Storm model agency off London's trendy King's Road. The agency was worried about launching her when she was so young, but they took the plunge, and since then Hannah hasn't looked back.

"I was really flattered that they took me on at such a young age. I don't think it's spoiled me in any way," she insists. Hannah is confident the fashion industry won't change her because she doesn't take it too seriously "It's just a hobby, I haven't been taking loads of bookings."

Despite the pressure of being part of an industry where image is everything, she claims her attitude towards her appearance hasn't changed. "There is a lot of pressure on girls to be thin. I haven't changed my diet though. I eat just as much as I used to." Hannah dismisses any suggestion that she might buy more expensive products because of the pressure to look goad - with her earnings at 36 per hour already, she could well afford to. "I still wear the same cheap brand of mascara. I don't wear much make-up anyway - nothing too heavy," she explains.

Her minimal approach to make-up explains her dislike of most of the photographs of herself that make it into print. "They just don't look like me. Make-up can change the way you look so much; I look 21 in some of my photos."

Although Hannah's fame seems to have barely changed her, others find her success harder to deal with. "Girls who don't know me are often very nasty. They assume I'm really boring and obsessed by my looks. I've heard a lot of rumours about me which are really stupid," she admits. But real friends are a source of support and are enthusiastic about her work. "They're excited when they see me in a magazine but I tend not to talk about it with them, unless they ask me a question. I don't bring it up in conversation because I really am aware that people might think that I am big-headed and all I have to talk about is modelling."

Hannah's parents are happy with her new-found success as long as her school work doesn't suffer. Her younger brother is so proud of her that he shows her pictures to all his friends at school. But Hannah is keen to protect her sister from insensitive remarks. "It annoys me that people have to compare us because we are completely different. She doesn't want to be a model but she feels bad sometimes because people say, 'your sister's a model; how come you're not like her?'"

The money and the glamour of the fashion industry have failed so far to tempt Hannah into making modelling her full-time career. "It's not something which satisfies me that much, it's quite shallow." But she hopes her experiences in front of the camera will help her in the future "I'd like to get into the business as a photographer. I've had a good start, seeing how they work."

Charley Speed is 18. He has starred with Kate Moss in a huge advertising campaign for the designer Calvin Klein, and is hot property in the fashion industry Yet he claims his feet remain planted firmly on the ground.

"I hated having my photograph taken as a child. Hated it. I didn't know what to do," says Charley Speed. "I still don't", he laughs, although events over the past 12 months tell a different story.

Since he won an important modelling competition when he was only 16, Charley's urchin-like looks have been blazoned across the pages of several teen magazines. They have taken him down the catwalks of New York, Paris, and Milan and earn him thousands of pounds a day No wonder he is pleased with his life right now.

"I am so happy that modelling came along," he says. "I feel secure, I love the money, I like being able to travel, and I like meeting so many people," he enthuses. Having dropped out of college shortly before he was offered his first big contract, Charley jumped at the opportunity. He soon proved himself a natural model.

"I never feel any pressure to look good," he says, seemingly relaxed in an industry well-known for snapping up youngsters and swallowing them whole. "The clients are either going to like you or they are not." he states simply, adding that he is too lazy to go to the gym as his agent would like. He admits that his relaxed approach could have much to do with the fact that he is male. "There is more pressure on the girls in the business," he says, although he is quick to point out that girls on the whole can also earn a great deal more money. Charley doesnt feel that he is being exploited. "If they are making you stand naked in the middle of a river and not paying you, you're being exploited. But that has never happened to me."

Charley has carved out a truly global career for himself; agencies all over the world book jobs for him. He believes "meeting all sorts" has truly broadened his mind. Spending a lot of time in New York has toughened him up. "American male models can be loud and strong. You've got to gain respect from them. You can't be nice. You shouldn't be rude or stupid. Just keep quiet - until you have been doing it long enough to start being loud yourself."

Despite his glamorous life, Charley insists "I haven't changed since I started out, not at all. I don't want to. I'm not interested in being famous or meeting amazing women (who are a nightmare because they are all so worried about how they look). I can't be bothered to go to big parties, I still do the same things with my friends that I have always done. If it all ended tomorrow, the only thing I'd miss is knowing what my future held."

Juliet Fowler is new to the modelling business. A year ago, when Juliet was 15, she visited the Clothes Show in Birmingham, England, when she was approached by representatives of a major modelling agency. "They arranged test shots and then said they would like to take me on," Juliet explains. "I had thought about modelling but because of school I didn't think very seriously about it."

Juliet found out that she could work at modelling just at weekends and during the holidays. This persuaded her to go ahead, but to treat it only as a very casual part-time hobby. For something she is not taking seriously, Juliet's modelling has really taken off. She has done a great deal of photographic work, mainly for magazines, and has been selected for a model of the year competition.

When we spoke to Juliet she was off to Nice, France, to take part in the international finals. Does Juliet want to make modelling her career?

"It's possible but I'm not sure," she says."After 18 months at college I may take a year out to model and see how it goes." How have her friends taken to her success? "I haven't told any of them actually. I don't want anyone to know. I didn't take it too seriously at first, I was quite shocked. It is hard work, particularly at the casting stage, showing people your portfolio to see if you're right for the job. There are loads of other models and it is very busy. When you get a job, though, it's brilliant. You turn up between nine and ten in the morning to be introduced to everyone. It takes an hour or two to have your hair and make-up done and if it's a fashion shoot you are constantly changing clothes. It's exhausting, but fun."

In the business, Juliet does see other young girls whose only desire is to be successful models. I would say it's about half and half. For some of them the dream does come true."

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This article was published in The 1998 Britannica Year Book by S.Lustig