2012 Charleston Fashion Week® Rock the Runway Model Competition Seeking Models

2012 Charleston Fashion Week will be held in March, 2012.

AB Media Publishing, LLC

Applications are now being accepted from tall, beautiful male and female models to participate in the 2012 Charleston Fashion Week® Rock the Runway Model Competition. There will be casting calls, which will take place in Charleston, Charlotte, and Atlanta throughout the fall. A panel of judges will select the best models to be used in the model book, which designers and runway participants will use to select people to walk in their fashion shows.

Models must be at least 18 years of age at the time of application. Women must be at least 5'7", men at least 5'10". You must be willing to work very hard for nothing more than a gift bag and exposure. Models are not paid for their time, and they are responsible for their own food and travel costs, although out-of-town models will be provided lodging for the nights they're working. The trade-off is that plenty of people will see the models walk the runway, including industry experts, so if your goal is to be a professional model, this could be your "in".

Only models booked for a runway show will be eligible for the "Rock the Runway Model Competition". Selection for the Competition is based on industry criteria including appearance, listening, poise, professionalism, and timeliness. The runway panel of experts then uses a point system to keep track of each model’s performance during the course of rehearsals and fittings to name the Top Ten models that will compete in the Competition. The 2012 Charleston Fashion Week® Rock the Runway Model Competition will be held on Friday evening, March 23, 2012, where one male model and one female model will be named the Grand Prize Winners.

Application Deadlines:

Models are required to submit an online application based on the city they select to be cast in. Deadlines by city are as follows:

• Charleston Casting #1 - Applications must be submitted by Friday, September 9, 2011 at 11:00pm EST. Model Casting will be held at the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina located at 20 Patriots Point, Mt. Pleasant, SC, 29464 on Saturday, September 24, 2011.

• Charleston Casting #2 - Applications must be submitted by Friday, October 7, 2011 at 11:00pm EST. Model Casting will be held at the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina located at 20 Patriots Point, Mt. Pleasant, SC, 29464 on Saturday, October 22, 2011.

• Atlanta Casting - Applications must be submitted by Friday, October 7, 2011 at 11:00pm EST. Model Casting will be held at the Art Institute Atlanta-Decatur, located at One West Court Square, Suite 110, Decatur, GA, 30030 on Saturday, October 29, 2011.

• Charlotte Casting - Applications must be submitted by Friday, October 28, 2011 at 11:00pm EST. Model Casting will be held at the Art Institute of Charlotte located at 3 Lake Pointe Plaza, 2110 Water Ridge Parkway, Charlotte, NC, 28217 on Saturday, November 12, 2011.

Go to the following links to fill out the application:

New Models Application

Returning Models Application

All applicants will be informed via email and/or phone at least one week prior to the casting call date if selected to attend. The email confirmation will include: the date and location of which casting call and an assigned time to arrive and register.

Note: Height will be checked at each casting call. Models under the height requirement will not be allowed to audition at the casting call. For complete information about the Model Casting Call, please download the following form:

2012 Charleston Fashion Week® Rock the Runway Model Competition

All models selected to participate in a 2012 Charleston Fashion Week®runway show will receive:

• Gift bag valued at more than $500.
• Recognition on the 2012 Charleston Fashion Week website.
• One ticket to the event.

Rock the Runway Grand Prize Winners, one male model and one female model, to receive:

• $1000 cash prize.
• Beauty gift basket compliments of The Cos Bar of Charleston.
• Additional prize information to be announced at a later date.

2012 Charleston Fashion Week® Rock the Runway Model Competition Overview

Models are cast in Charleston, Atlanta, and Charlotte and chosen by a runway panel of judges for the 2012 Charleston Fashion Week® model book based on an industry standard of criteria – appearance, poise, professionalism, style, and walk. Local retailers and bridal boutiques, the Emerging Designer semifinalists, as well as various featured designers from all over the country select and dress models to strut their stuff on the runway Tuesday, March 20 through Saturday, March 24, 2012.

Chosen by an expert panel of judges, ten top models compete in the 2012 Charleston Fashion Week® Rock the Runway Model Competition held on Friday evening, March 23, 2012, where one male model and one female model will be named the Grand Prize Winners.

How much models get paid

There is no one average pay rate for models. How much a model is paid for any particular job depends on many different factors such as the market the model is working in. A runway show in Miami might pay less than a runway show in Milan, Italy. The level of the model is also a major factor. A model who is "hot right now" or a "supermodel" would command a much higher rate than a more novice, lesser known model. And of course, the type of modeling job makes a big difference in pay scale.

Unlike actors, there is no union such as SAG governing the modeling industry, therefore no wage limits are imposed on employers of models. The pay can be as little as minimum wage to thousands of dollars per shoot and upward.

What They Say vs. What They Mean

Unscrupulous model and talent scouts have their acts down pat. Listen carefully to read between their lines:

"We're scouting for people with your 'look' to model and act."
I need to sign up as many people as possible. My commission depends on it.

* "Your deposit is totally refundable."
Your deposit is refundable only if you meet very strict refund conditions.

* "You must be specially selected for our program. Our talent experts will carefully evaluate your chances at success in the field and will only accept a few people into our program."
We take almost everyone.

* "There's a guaranteed refund if you're not accepted into the program."
Everyone's accepted into the program. Forget the refund.

* "You can't afford our fees? No problem. You can work them off with the high-paying jobs we'll get you."
We demand payment, whether or not you get work.

* "Commissions from our clients are our major source of income."
Our income comes from the fees we charge you.

United States Modeling Legal Requirements for Foreigners

You will need an American Model Agency certified by the United States Department of Labor to sponsor you for an H1, B3 Visa. If your Visa is approved you can work legally in the United States for up to 3 years. Visas can be renewed.

You must be a model of "international acclaim". This means you must have modeled in other countries. Generally the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service will require tear sheets from several magazines you were in. If you have never been in any magazines, it is considerably more difficult but still possible.

Wardrobe for modeling agency interviews

Always dress properly for interviews with agents. Dress sexy, fashionable, and look tall. Clothing that highlights your best assets help greatly.

You need to wear something that allows them to clearly see your bust, hip and waist measurements. The typical model wardrobe is skinny jeans or leggings and a fitted top, with high heels. You could also wear a fitted dress as long as it hugs your figure.

Do not dress like a stripper. Sexy is very different than cheap or vulgar. Hair, skin, nails must be done perfectly. Makeup must be light and natural.

Important Safety Information

NEVER meet someone outside of a professional environment such as a photography studio or modeling agents office. Do NOT meet someone at a restaurant, private residence, etc. You should ALWAYS let someone else know EXACTLY where you are going, WHO you are meeting, and WHEN you are going there.

Let the photographer know that you have informed someone of your whereabouts, and bring a cell phone.

Make sure that you know exactly what the shoot consist of, and never feel pressured to do anything that you do not feel comfortable doing. If nothing else go by your gut feeling.

Remember your body is yours, and if anyone comes within your safety zone, be sure to let them know. I have found that more reputable photographer's will NOT touch you. If you feel uncomfortable as stated before, tell them so. That is your right.

On a professional fashion shoot there is usually a stylist there who will keep your wardrobe neat during the shoot, but make sure anything they do is not inappropriate.

And a parent or guardian must ALWAYS accompany minors. A parent or guardian should NEVER be out of eyesight of the minor, whether it be at go-sees or on a photo shoot.

Modeling Information