How many women would love to look like a model, travel the world, be adored by fashion designers, and date sexy celebrities? How many teenagers dream of being the next Cara Delevingne? People with Money magazine revealed that Cara Delevingne made $46 million between June 2013 and June 2014. Not bad when you are only 21. Of course, not everyone can imagine earning as much. How many models actually live the same standards? Well not many. Let's have a reality check for a minute.
Picture taken by Onanton for 3 Colours Rule Fashion Event
Being a model is not generally as dreamy as it may look and only a few actually live the dream. There are four reasons why being a model sucks and why envying a fashion model is completely irrational.
Her body is a product
Like a product in a supermarket, a model is swiftly judged from head to toe. She waits hours at every casting hoping to be picked from girls as pretty as her. She strips to be criticised by people who might unconsciously damaged her body confidence. With the size 0 trend, she barely eats through fear of losing a potential contract or a catwalk with a great designer. No wonder 30% of fashion models have an eating disorder as Dr.Key from Medical News Today disclosed.
The bad money
Starting out means everyone expects her to work for free to improve her model portfolio. Every model desperately aspires to catwalk for the most renowned designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, or Burberry to name a few. For that unique wish, she is ready to do almost anything. Well, most models don't get paid for every job and earn on average £18K per year. They often get offered free clothing and accessories but that doesn't pay the bills. Consequently, some end up with debts. Because the number of models available on the market is higher than the opportunities, unknown models have no negotiation power against ruthless decision makers.
The constant pressure
The media has been given the power to define the standards of woman beauty. Those standards are sometimes very high. Fashion models are pressured by the degree of perfection set by the fashion and beauty industry. Simultaneously, through the women I styled, I witnessed their confidence issues because they unconsciously compare themselves to the models. It's unhealthy vicious circle.
The competition
The model world is also like a rat race where some fashion models are ready play dirty to get to the top. The competition between models can be so intense that some find themselves isolated and unable to trust anyone by fear of betrayal. This tough world mixed with sex, drugs and all sorts can create a destructive and deadly melting pot.
Being a fashion model sucks and envying her is normal but irrational. Models spend 100% of their time making their body perfect. Reaching the top of chain has great advantages but the initial battle to succeed requires challenging standards that the everyday woman could not tolerate. For women to compare themselves to models is comparing the incomparable. The saddest part of this story is that young girls are constantly bombarded with images of unrealistic beauty which gradually damage their body confidence. Real beauty is in fact body confidence not the beauty perfection created by brands who manipulate our self esteem.