Photos by Emma Craft
Written by Amy Stoltenberg
(NOTE: This interview has been edited for length.)
“It’s pretty unexpected for a fashion design major to represent and book models, but I think that’s the path I’m going to go down,” said Franklin Headen, a second year fashion design major from Charlotte, North Carolina. Headen spent most of his winter break training and molding rising talent at Wilhelmina Models, where he got experience behind the scenes of the New York City fashion industry.
1.What exactly was your job/title while working at Wilhelmina over the break?
I own what’s called a Mother Agency, so I scout, develop and place models with reputable agencies in bigger markets, including Wilhelmina. I’ve also been a stylist for about four years now, and have worked with numerous Wilhelmina models in Miami and New York. Through these professional experiences, I’ve built relationships with the Wilhelmina Women’s Board teams in NYC, LA and Miami.
The NYC Women’s Board Director, Roman Young, has been somewhat of a mentor to me since we started communicating a couple of years ago. This summer, while Roman and I were both working in Miami at Swim Week, we met up a couple times. We decided that it would be mutually beneficial for me to go up to NYC and work alongside the Women’s Development bookers, and to use my direction and styling skills to train some of the the in-town developing models. Wilhelmina hired me as the Women’s Board Assistant.
2. What did a regular “work day” look like for you?
I worked hands-on with every Development girl in town. Anywhere between two to five models would come in each day, and we’d go to the conference room/studio in the Wilhelmina office to practice commercial, editorial and beauty posing.
I also directed beauty videos for each of the models to see how fluidly they moved. And, of course, I had all of the girls walk for me and took a video of their walk after we worked together to perfect it. After each session with a model, I’d write a report on our time together and email it to their booker.
Needless to say, a day in fashion is never predictable. Two of the current Guess girls, Yara Khimidan and Danielle Knudson, are moving their way up in the modeling world, and they came to the agency to do a casting video that I was to direct, since their booker was too busy. I’m not allowed to say what client the video was for, but I’ll just say I got to witness two of the most gorgeous girls alive eat a cheeseburger in a bikini and heels.
3. How did it affect your decision to study fashion? Did it make you more certain of this choice, or did it change the way you view your studies?
I came to SCAD after I took some time off after high school. At that point, I’d been working as a stylist and had made some connections in the fashion world. A lot of people I’d respected told me to study fashion design rather than fashion marketing if I was going to be a stylist, so I could really understand how the garments I’m styling are constructed.
However, since then, I’ve realized that I’m very passionate about the modeling industry, and am indecisive about whether or not I want to be a stylist. I’m still saying yes to the styling opportunities I get, but at this point I feel more passionate about working in the modeling world after I graduate.
4. What was the most challenging part of working at Wilhelmina?
The combination of being the photographer, stylist and director was pretty new to me, and brought along some difficulties. I’m not a trained photographer or videographer.
Another big challenge was directing brand new models on how to pose. Some of them had never posed the way I asked them to for either the editorial or commercial pictures, and didn’t have the confidence or skill to move their bodies in those ways. It was a great experience for me to learn how to communicate exactly what I want to see pose-wise.
5. What was the biggest thing you learned from your time at Wilhelmina?
I really had the chance to see how a New York agency is run, which was such a beneficial learning experience for me. I learned a lot about my own communication skills, as well. I also realized how passionate I am about the modeling industry.
6. What advice would you give to students who want to work as a model?
Genetics play a huge role. Facial features, skin tone, height, proportion, hair type and body type all come into consideration when agencies are considering signing a new model. There is a push in the modeling world to accept bigger sizes nowadays, but that’s an extremely small sector of the industry, and those models and their bookers have to work so much harder than the others to book jobs paying as much as a sample size model would normally make.
If you have the right look and measurements, then research the best agencies in the market you think best fits your look (start with NYC, Miami or LA), and schedule an appointment or go to an open call for the scouts to see you in person and decide if you’re the right fit for their agency… You and your booker are selling you as a brand. You have to deliver your product and do your best so the client wants to purchase the product over and over again. This is where having a good personality, being confidence and people skills come in.