Catalogue Modelling Tips
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Modelling isn’t all about catwalks and fashion shows: you can have a very successful (and lucrative) career as a catalogue model. These days it’s not just about taking shots for paper catalogues – websites for fashion retailers are just as important, if not more so.
Catalogue modelling can vary greatly depending on what the client wants. Some retailers purely display the clothing, showing just the model’s body and not their face, so the model is literally used a mannequin. Often, shoots will take place in a studio, and sometimes they’re on location.
At Simply Be we do the majority of our shoots on location, and we’ve taken our models everywhere from Paris to Morocco! The advantage of the more exotic locations is that the light is so much better. The right location can also really add to the mood of a collection.
Some of our Simply Be shoots are held in studios. This gives a much cleaner look and keeps the focus all on the clothing. This can be a more challenging shoot for a model as there are no props or scenery to interact with. Not that it’s a problem for our models!
The main thing the client will be looking for from a catalogue shoot is variety. When a customer is faced with a catalogue spread or a page of dresses on a website, they don’t want to see the same facial expression or pose over and over again. So get in front of that mirror and see how versatile you can be. Remember though, if your pose obscures too much detail of the product that shot won’t be selected. You’ve still got to sell the product so make sure you show off the item as best you can. Does it have a full skirt or flowing sleeves? Work with the product to show it off to its best advantage. Do your research about the brand as well to see what style they prefer. At Simply Be we prefer smiles and giggles to moody pouts!
In catalogue modelling you’ll often be asked to work with props, be it a cup of coffee, a hat or a motorbike! It’s a great way to introduce variety into a shoot. The model’s job here to make it look natural. It can be a fine line between pulling off a natural pose with a prop and falling into a really obvious cheesy pose – and that’s when good models can show what they’re made of.
