Model Talk: Sarah Gullixson Talks New York and Getting Scouted at a Vogue Event
Model Talk with Sarah Gullixson.
Sarah Gullixson, who was scouted while attending a Vogue fashion show in Northern California, gets cozy in the model apartment for some model talk. The red-headed beauty tells us about her first trip to New York, and what keeps her motivated – and from the sound of things, you may find her running a big glossy fashion magazine one day!
Interview with STORM’S Noelle Doukas And Christopher Yianoullou
Noelle and Christopher have over twenty-five years experience between them, spent working at the forefront of the modeling industry. Both agents exude bright dynamic personalities with an obvious passion for the talent they represent.
We chat about STORM, which has been one of the most influential model agencies since Sarah Doukas, Noelle’s mother, opened its doors in 1987, and move onto the innovations within the market and the changes of their model requirements.
FMD: What are the key attributes that STORM looks for when scouting for models?
Chris: We look for standards like height and beautiful skin and great bone structure, but our industry has started to celebrate the more unique aspects of the girl – who she is and what she’s about; her style, her personality. There is much more to it, and you can’t just scout by looking at someone, you really need to talk to that person and get a feel for who they are. Clients like ASOS and Urban Outfitters want to do more profile pieces, and they want real people, so it makes it more fun for us because [models] don’t have to be strictly 5’10” minimum anymore. It’s more flexible, and more fun; so yeah it’s about character more than anything really.
FMD: Whenever you bring international models into London; what is your process, and does STORM have specific facilities to accommodate them?
Noelle: It all depends on how long you are bringing girls in for, and also what you are bringing them in for. There are some girls we bring in for periods of time, say two to three months; in which case you set them up in a house. We do have model apartments, but we also have a wide range of people who are like second moms who look after them, because it is quite daunting if they have never been into the territory before. Obviously, if it’s a girl who has never been to the UK, we take a bit of time explaining how to get around, because the girls have go-sees or castings every day. They probably have four to five castings a day. So, they kind of hit the ground running really. Sometimes, we try to set them up with other girls so they get a feel for what they are doing. We do have an assistant on board that goes through everything with them, and gives them a UK phone and tries to introduce them to transport etc. London’s enormous isn’t it, so expecting these girls to go to appointment to appointment is really quite daunting.
FMD: Are the castings based in London or all over the UK?
Noelle: They are completely sporadic. With castings, you can’t dictate what time it is, what area it is, so a girl could be coming from E1 and then having to go to SE11 (London postcodes with a distance of five miles) and she’s got a small amount of time to do it. If you get a bigger international girl, say she’s here for three days, it’s easier to put them in a car. They are doing a ton of appointments a day, back to back. I mean, since Uber’s come around it’s changed things quite a bit. It’s not that expensive to Uber from one place to another.
FMD: Uber’s made a model’s life a lot easier.
Noelle: It makes it probably a lot easier. I do feel for them though. I have done go-sees and castings with one girl once, and I thought, “I do feel sorry for them.”
Chris: It’s not as glamorous as you think.
FMD: Describe the London Market and Clientele.
Noelle: Well, I think first of all we’ve got the best editorial, I would say in the world, because we have the high-end publications like Vogue, Harpers, and Elle, and we also have the really kind of cool magazines like Dazed, and Wonderland. Now, there are a lot of online publications, there’s a pop-up magazine every day.
Chris: It’s a super creative city, with all the great designers and fashion schools. The students’ work is incredible here.
Noelle: It’s a good market to develop a girl because, as I’ve said, when we’ve got such a wide range of editorials; it’s good to develop their books. But, I think another great thing about London is that we have the advertising, the catalogues, and the E-com, and so a girl is pretty much guaranteed to make a nice amount of money. I mean the British pound is pretty shocking at the moment, but prior to that, it was great! No, it’s a great city! Our Fashion week is better than it ever has been before. I think a lot more girls are coming to London to do the shows, it’s a lot more relevant. So, I would say London’s definitely kind of an all-rounder. You know the only other thing is there is not as much competition, because most girls base themselves in New York, at which point you’re competing with x amount of girls, as opposed to a less amount of cool, international new faces.
FMD: How easy is it for new models to acclimate to the London Market?
Chris: I think for the younger girls it’s actually quite nice. We’re an English speaking country; the Tube (Underground) is pretty self-explanatory, and the English culture is very polite, and we like to help!
Noelle: They do get chaperoned though, if they are too young. We’d never let a girl under eighteen go out on her own, ever.
Chris: Yeah, and that also helps when they get settled in, there’s an English person there to teach them the ropes, the underground etc., how it works. We’ve never had any problems.
FMD: You mentioned that STORM has model apartments; are there strict rules enforced for the people staying in them?
Noelle: I wish we did, it’s a nightmare! It’s funny, model apartments are generally there for brand new girls, but sometimes girls end up living there for a couple of years. Some girls are actually messier maybe than boys, from what the cleaners tell us. (laugh)
Chris: Yeah, it’s bad! (laugh)
Noelle: It’s not good! It’s not good! I can’t understand it because I think if you can do this to someone else’s house, would you actually do this in your own house? I don’t think they would. Occasionally, we have to get pest control, painters and decorators coming in, or there are doors being broken off hinges or whatever it is. They’re young kids aren’t they; they’re not at home with their parents. I do get girls specifically saying, “I don’t want to stay in a model apartment”. We have a group of really lovely people who rent out rooms, and you know, I think they like it, the international girls who’ve not been here before, they feel kind of nurtured. It’s actually nice to be in a family environment.
FMD: What would you say are the most important qualities models should have?
Noelle: A voice and a personality for sure. I’ve seen the most beautiful girls in the world that have no personality, and I’m not meaning that in a derogative way, I just mean that, I think it’s like dating actually; you can think ‘oh, you’re fairly attractive’, but it’s the connection you have that actually develops how they come across, how you relate to that person – and actually personalities can make or break someone. You meet someone who’s really arrogant and full of themselves, and all that beauty just completely diminishes, whereas someone with a great personality can win you over in a different way, and you see a totally different side of them.
For me, if I were a casting director, it would be that. And it’s interesting to see how [it affects modeling], say you bring in a girl you don’t know particularly well, and she gets 30 options in a month and not one of them confirms, you start to think ‘there’s something not quite right there’, or you can get a girl that you weren’t entirely sure about but she has an amazing personality and her chart is full of red confirmations.
Chris: It’s true though!
FMD: Is there a common mistake that stands out as something models repeat over and over again?
Noelle: I would probably say approaching things with too much negativity.
Chris: Yeah, I was about to say that – or over thinking.
Noelle: When they start to analyze too much, girls can get very down on themselves, and I think that can come across to people. You can get yourself into a hole and it’s difficult to climb back out of it.
But I think it’s like that for everyone, for everything in life. I always write my Gratitudes down every day, things that I’m grateful for. If you try and make yourself feel more positive, then positivity comes back to you. But, I think when you go into anything with a negative view; it’s not going to turn itself around. You’ve got to be strong, and I think you’ve got to have a strong backbone. But saying this, I personally wouldn’t want to be judged on my looks every day of my life. It takes a certain quality of person.
Chris: Yeah, everyone thinks it’s an easy job, but…
Noelle: It’s one of the hardest. The worst thing a girl could ever do is to have a negative view on the industry, or herself, or whatever it is, you know, unless they’re enjoying it, loving it, I try to discourage them doing it at all. Because I think they’re so young, surely in that age group you’re supposed to be having the time of your life, not scrutinizing every part of yourself.
An Interview with British Stylist Sophie Stevens: On Set Life And Working With Models
"I picked her because I knew she wouldn't let me down. I didn't want to risk using a new girl that might not have been able to cope with the situation."
Photos courtesy of Sophie Stevens
Sophie Stevens does not only style celebrities like Kylie Minogue and Mel C, but you will also find her forecasting trends on British radio and television. She has spent over two decades working alongside models for campaigns and editorials such as; Marks and Spencers, L'Oréal, and Cosmopolitan Magazine. We get up close and personal with the glamorous stylist to find out what it's like to be in her world that requires models to have the utmost professionalism.
FMD: Stylists are sometimes asked to take part in selecting the models, as well as style. Do you get involved in the model casting process for your projects, and if so; are there specific physical or personality traits that you look for in both male and female models?
Sophie Stevens: I am often the person choosing the model. Personality is key for me. A book can show how they look on camera, but not who they are. [When you see them in person] you might discover that they do ballet or can ski - showing that they have great balance and are possibly super bendy! Physically, great skin and great hair is always a must.
Casting also gives you the ability to check for any changes to their appearance. For example, have they had a haircut or color? It's also a perfect opportunity to have a casual chat and a giggle with the models. Just to gauge what kind of personality they have. Lastly, I always reconfirm their stats with them. Often shoe sizes etc. can be incorrect in a model's book, and this can really make or break a shoot if you don't have the correct sizes.
FMD: Do you have any advice that would help models during castings? For instance, what would be a big no-no if they were at your casting?
Sophie Stevens: Being too quiet! Not expressing their personality enough. I love it when models show their natural style in what they wear to castings. I much prefer seeing [models] as they are. Clean hair is a must, and if it's pulled up; pull it down before we meet. Finally, don't swamp yourself in layers so I can't see your figure.
FMD: Describe the best working experience you have had with a model, and why it is on the top of your list?
Sophie Stevens: There would have been a lot over the years. But, a recent one that springs to mind is when I shot the Spring/Summer trends shoot in March, on a beach in the UK and it was so cold. The model was such a trooper. She never complained, even when it started to snow! She was in denim shorts and a sheer top while [the rest of the crew] had twelve layers on. I felt so bad, but I tried to keep her laughing and jumping by shoving a hot water bottle down her back and giving her endless hot drinks. She was so professional. She even said that she'd had a really nice day! Models are amazing sometimes! It's worth mentioning that I actually had shot this girl before. I picked her because I knew she wouldn't let me down. I didn't want to risk using a new girl that might not have been able to cope with the situation.
FMD: What would be your most challenging moments on set with a model?
Sophie Stevens: There was a girl I shot once who was very new. She was such a sweet girl but also extremely nervous. The client had booked her for a big campaign, but she literally couldn't move. She couldn't follow any of my direction, so I had to keep going on set and physically move parts of her body to the position I needed them to be in. It was so difficult and time-consuming, and we had about 30 shots to do that day.
FMD: From a client's standpoint, what is the working environment like while being on set for an editorial or campaign shoot?
Sophie Stevens: It's fun! A little stressful at times, depending on what you're doing.- and very busy! Time seems to slip away with you, so you have to be strict about getting people into position and not let them get carried away with chatting and eating croissants. If you're in charge, you have to step up and make sure things happen and be prepared for anything.
FMD: You do a lot of multi-day shoots on location. What are your expectations of models for these projects? Are they different from when you work on single day, or studio shoots?
Sophie Stevens: Location shoot days tend to start a lot earlier, so punctuality is key. They also tend to be slightly longer days, so models need to be aware of this in case they have evening plans or flights to catch. The other important factor for location shoots would be dressing appropriately. Even though wardrobe is provided for the shoot, models should bring clothes and shoes to keep warm in between shots.
FMD: What advice do you have for any model that walks on to your set?
Sophie Stevens: Enjoy yourself, but be present. Don't check your phone every two minutes. Change quickly, and give it your all. That way everyone is happy; the day goes smoothly and quickly. Plus, we all get to go home on time!
