As London’s most established agency, scouting and nurturing British talent is at the forefront of our daily activities. During the summer months, we turn the dial up on our scouting as young people are out and about, free from school and ready to be seen. Of the thousands of faces we see in the Models1 office and on the streets of London, a handful go on to be represented by us and begin preparation for their futures as models. This future starts with our annual “M1 Sessions | New-Gen workshop”. Held at Spring Studios, the workshop is designed to give our new talent the tools and education that they need to thrive in the fashion industry. From talks with top casting agents on how to nail a go-see, to discussions on finances with the accountants – the workshop is crafted to leave our models ready for everything.

 

Our day started with a light exercise and wellness chat from our friends at Bodyism. Bodyism is a London based wellness studio designed for mind-body alignment and holistic healing, with a unique and mindful approach to fitness. From invigorating classes to supercharged supplements,  their ethos is infused with kindness – and is grounded in the belief that self-love is the first, most important step in each and every wellness journey. CEO and M1 Woman, Nathalie Schyllert informed the girls on the importance of being their best selves not only in mind but in body in order to succeed. After a session dedicated to learning exercises that the models could do while traveling or in small spaces, they were were all given Bodyism fitness bands and their Berry Burn supplement powder.

 

 

We knew 8hrs of model training would require some serious snack-age and our incredible sponsors at Bol foods, Kind Snacks and Propercorn were more than happy to help. Regular additions to our Fashion Week tote  bags, each of our sponsors are aligned with our goal of teaching models how to carry out healthy eating habits. Kind and Propercorn were on-hand throughout the day and we retreated to the cafe in Spring Studios to enjoy Bols assorted meals for lunch.

 

Taking advantage of the gorgeous natural light that floods Spring Studios, M1’s Art Director and in-house Photographer Aaron J. Hurley took new digitals of our new faces. “Digitals” or “Polaroids” are natural photographs taken a model to be sent to casting directors and potential clients. They are intended to show a models most authentic self, often including full length images of their personal style.

 

Our talks came to a close with chats from Establishment NY’s casting agent Finlay MacAulay and M1 models Luke Powell and Florence Kosky. Luke and Kosky (not pictured) spoke to the boys and girls individually about what life is truly like for a working model and opened the floor to any questions that they might’ve had about the industry from the model perspective. Having both worked with top brands such as Burberry and walking catwalks all around the world, Luke and Florence came with years of experience and invaluable advice.

As a casting agent, Finlay MacAulay holds one of the most important roles for a young model. E-commerce, editorials, shows and a whole host of other jobs all pass through a casting process that can make a models career. The often short meetings with casting agents is a models time to make an impression and show off not only their abilities but an intimate knowledge and desire to work with the brand they’re meeting with. Finlay stressed the importance of knowing background information on designers, photographers and stylists as a means of building relationships and standing out from the crowd when meeting various creatives in the industry. A simple conversation about a photographers most recent shoot or a stylists latest editorial could be the difference between booking a job or not.

 

 

 

For more from our M1 Session at Spring Studios, see the video above and keep up with our New Faces and scouting activities by following @Models1Scout on Instagram.