8 Things You Didn't Know About Top Models

It is the last day of Paris Fashion Week and thus the last day of a thick (that’s the only thing that was thick) fashion month. The models are tired and looking forward to long nights and meals from their mothers. They worked five weeks long seven days a week, about eighteen hours a day. Let me take you into backstage fables that you undoubtedly didn’t know yet.

Models sleep in five-star hotels

Wrong. Most of the time, the girls sleep in a model apartment, often with multiple girls in one room. It’s to be hoped that you click with your roommates and that they don’t secretly take that Marni backpack that you got and they didn’t.

Models don’t get out of bed for less than 10,000 euros

For a commercial shoot, this is indeed true. For an editorial report, you pay, even for Doutzen Kroes, an editorial fee that is really very low. You do this as a model to work on your portfolio, making you more valuable for commercial work.

You earn nothing with a fashion show

Not entirely true. Sometimes a model walks a show because you are also the face of the campaign and a total amount has been agreed upon. You can also be booked as ‘exclusive’ for a show. The brand then wants you not to walk for other brands. Of course, there’s a price tag attached to that, as you miss out on money and publicity from other shows. Still very chic, of course. An average model earns between 750 and 2000 euros for a show.

A model only walks one show per day

Unless you are booked as ‘exclusive’, you walk as many as possible. If you want to show your face that is. The big names like Gisèle, Saskia de Brauw, and Doutzen Kroes only look at whether it’s fun and if it brings them something. Up-and-coming, booming girls like Binx Walton, Julia Bergshoef, Maartje Verhoef, Ine Neefs, Sam Rollinson can easily walk 5 shows a day. Then the euro counter ticks nicely. Although 20% goes to the agent.

Apart from the shows, a model doesn’t have to do anything

What do you think? Between the shows, you get cast (the casting directors see if they think you fit the collection and if they are going to book you) and fittings (where you try on your outfit again) take place. Sometimes models have three appointments at the same time. A show, a casting, and a fitting. Then you have to confer with your agent about what has the most priority. Of course, you always have to be on time for a show. For a casting or a fitting, things can sometimes be shifted.

Rest is sacred during fashion week

That is true, but not so sacred that a nighttime fitting gets canceled. Often designers are only late finishing the final look and you can only try on your outfit very late at night. It may also be that your casting ran late (it often happens that models sit waiting for hours) and you only arrive at your fitting appointment at midnight. And yes, then you might just have your call at 05:30 for hair and makeup for the Chanel show. That night of 8 hours you will make up for in October.

It’s hate and envy backstage

Not really. There are always groups of friends to be spotted, often the girls of the same nationality gather together. The smokers naturally have a close bond as well. But of course, there is competition and there are models (yes, I’m talking about you Naomi) who put two left shoes down right before they have to go on the catwalk.

Once you’ve been ‘cast’ and ‘fitted’, you walk the show

“You only walk the show when you walk it,” says Micha Emmering from Micha Models always to her girls. It can happen that an outfit is pulled from the line at the last moment. Or that the casting director doesn’t find you fitting for the show after all. It has also happened that an outfit was stolen and the model who was fully made up couldn’t go on the catwalk. No folks, no one said it was easy.