Building a career in the Fashion Industry

[Rusch Raymaker]

Hi everyone :)

Having been the founder of AVENUE Models since 2007, I have been at the forefront of trying to help shape the fashion industry in some way or another. My first goal was to provide creative employment and opportunities for those that work with AVENUE to develop their various talents. So I thought I would start a thread discussing opportunities in the fashion and modelling industry and help shed some insights on it.

Looking forward to chatting with you all :)

 

Rusch Raymaker

 

 

 

 

[Dagmar Haiku]

Well I have a question which is maybe a bit ahm odd. Why are those model courses so expensive? Do people really learn something there?

I have been at the finishing event of one of those model courses - it was not Avenue models it was an other Model Agency - and actually there was one of those who took part in that course and paid I think 6000 L$ for it who was actually wearing high heels with an alphaprim which was so big that there was a gap between her primfeet and her legs. To be honest it made me laugh as it was pretty funny to see somebody walking around all proud and happy and not even having learned how to adjust those alphas. Thats what I kept in mind about those modeling courses.

 I even took a picture. The colour of the feet might not have been rezzed at that time but the gap shouldn't been caused by rezzing problems. Its also pretty strange that somebody allowed those women to enter a stage while wearing stocking and primfeet which did not fit to them so that the feet were not covered by the stockings.

Is this how all model graduations events look or was that only a bad example?

[Xandrah Sciavo]

Hi Rusch!

What remains in your mind as some of the most memorable events or unique trends that have helped to propel fashion forward in this virtual world? What or who have been the biggest influences, and do you have any predictions about where future development and trends might take us? I'm curious about your thoughts.   Thanks!

[Jennifer Boyle]

I'm all ears.  I've considered modeling for yerars, but never had the right combination of motivation and opportunity.

[Rusch Raymaker]

Hi Dagmar Nice to meet you!

$6,000L for a full course is not expensive on the contrary. If you consider it's equivalence to US$ 22.51 for the following things that come with any reputable modelling academy's course:

1. Producing and developing a curriculum that will ensure that each student comes out of the course with the ability to start working in the exciting world of modelling. This includes refining subject matter in the courses to evolve with technology and fashion trends.

2. Technology? What's that got to do with??? You might say ... To be an adept runway model, you need to be able to maneuver yourself well in high lag situations and still come out looking tops! That requires a good computer and by that I don't mean the average computer but one that has high graphic capability or on par for gaming. And having a fast broadband connection helps.

3. Recruiting of instructors : I believe that a truly apt teacher is one who has strong modelling experiences of at least one to two years of strong modelling experience and who are also exemplary in their professionalism. We do believe in remunerating our instructors for their time although it is minimal compared to the hours they actually spend during your time with us.

4. Although our curriculum says we have say 6 classes, we do go beyond the specified time to spend time with students one on one to help improve or provide constructive advice. We even spend time with you leading up to your graduation show to ensure you look top form.

5. Then we need to promote about the course so that people like you are aware of it as well as advertise about your graduation show so you are given a real industry setting in a runway show. We have a PR team that works with the Head Instructor to get a sponsorship for your show. Then an ad is photographed, designed and distributed to all the right places. 

That is, in gist, the basic infrastructure of what makes an academy run so that you might be able to see the number of people and hours that are committed to providing you with learnings from successful models and fashion industry professionals.

In as far as your observations goes with the *picture* I have to confess that from my very first show till today, I have never seen a show perfectly. I would have rezzing problems, and many things are blurred and "missing". Perhaps this might have been incumbent on your computer's ability just like mine. Or an unfortunate oversight.

However, I do agree that simple basic things such as careful editing and styling are the fundamentals of modelling. As you can see from the picture, modelling is much harder than everyone thinks. It's not a career that you make exorbitant amounts of money but the experiences are always fresh, new and exciting. You will be warned...shoppaholicism is the model's disease.

So I urge you to carefully review your next academy to attend. Consider the background, the level of teaching, the curriculum and what you stand to gain from learning from them.

I hope that set some helpful perspectives...feel free to fire more questions

[Ewan Crumb]

I thingI think the world of fashion is something great in second life. He studied at the best academies in second life. But ....... Its veryimportant beyond the money, and a certificate, the human part, sometimes the only academies focus on accomplishing a goal or make money and forget the human part.
We must never forget that behind these pixels are people

[Seashell Dench]

Hi Rusch, awesome to see you here

One quick question: in your opinion, do you think that everybody has what it takes to be a career focused model in SL?  Are there any partcilar features one should have to "survive" in the Fashion Industry and be active?

Love from

Sea**

[Rusch Raymaker]

Hi Xandrah

When AVENUE Models launched in 2007 there were but a handful agencies at the time and only one full time modeling academy. The agencies that were doing particularly significant work, in my opinion, were Ewing Fashion Agency (EFA) and NexCore. One of EFA's milestones was staging the first RL-SL simultaneous fashion show and NexCore shows were creative and fun although they would set models on an automated system where models would just sit on pose balls and were automated to move on the runway. With that, I decided to launch AVENUE Models to be a fashion agency with productions that were theatrical, creative and out of the box and apply real life show direction and production expertise. We have had shows where models had to be performers, flying as an angel, leaping from rooftops like deft feline creatures, or 1even 0 models floating on a cloud passing over the audiences as they look like a vision of Victoria Secrets' models except that this can only be achieved in SL.

Fashion media have also come a long way. Noteworthy magazines such as Glam World, Deja Vu, Vain Inc and Second Style were good landmarks as fashion resources injected with their own artistic sense and sensibilities. Unfortunately these publications are now defunct along with another notable publication, Runway Magazine which was the first of its kind to be dedicated to covering about the modeling and fashion scene. Since then many magazines have come and gone and I see a greater diversity in various publications' proffering which is a good thing. Thrown in the mix, is the wave of the  growth of bloggers in the past years which have also come to form a significant role in the fashion industry.

Another first was when AVENUE Magazine, the first fashion and lifestyle magazine was awarded as the Official Media partner for the Second Life Community Convention in San Francisco in 2009 where we printed a real life copy of that commemorative issue. This was a realization of the virtual, something I had always wished for since I started AVENUE Magazine. At the same convention, AVENUE also  spearheaded the first fashion track which culminated in a live mixed reality panel discussion that saw the fashion community, convention goers and fashion industry professionals having insightful discussions about the fashion industry.

Trends in fashion design per se, have shown leaps and bounds in the quality of the creations. Likewise, fashion photography and styling have mirrored this growth. The designs are increasingly less fantasy  in mainstream fashion and moving towards contemporary fashion styles that increases the realism of the threads and designs we wear. I see this trend continuing and designers growing to experiment with mesh. I am optimistic that mesh technology will also grow in adoption and with anything new, there will be a learning curve… so let's be patient and give them our support.

 

[Rusch Raymaker]

Hi Sea

Nice to see you here too!

Well, to be a successful model in SL, one would need many things to "survive" in the fashion industry. The most basic and essential qualities for being a successful model would be to have a good eye, a sense of style and the ability to evolve with fashion trends and make them their own. The more successful models are those that obviously become trendsetters as far as style quotients go.

That aside, models that are easy to work with are more likely to have an extended career. By easy to work with, I mean being humble and down to earth as opposed to being a diva. A career-focussed model is also someone who understands the importance of networking, staying in the loop of fashion events and trends, be willing to learn and accept critique for their personal development and growth. Like any other job, one has to always try to be at the top of their game. This includes even brushing up on modeling education/courses as things do change.

I do believe however, as I do encourage the same of my models, that they develop their other skills and talents within the fashion industry to balance their modeling career or to evolve from it.. For those that are inclined towards photography, styling, DJing, set building, writing, presenting, marketing, public relations, choreography or production; I urge models to further those interests and skills to keep yourself a well-rounded fashion industry professional.

All in all, a model has to be versatile, tough, fashion savvy, forward-thinking and embrace changes and critique with grace and charm. Always with style.