How to become a model in Paris

How to become a Model in Paris: The Truth

There are millions of young women and men who, blessed with great parentage, genes, and nurture have developed into beautiful, striking, young adults and are trying to find out how to become a model.

In a fascinating multi-media content approach, the BBC has investigated the world of modelling through the eyes of a young Russian aspiring model via an audio documentary podcast: ‘Model X’ and through an interactive visual media piece: ‘Anna in Fashionland

How to become a model in Paris
There are worse places than Paris to learn how to become a model

I have family experience of the fashion world through my sister who had to learn how to become a model very quickly at a young age having won a modelling competition in the UK. I remember her telling me how tough it was to traipse from casting to casting, alone in a big city with the other modles for both company and competition.

Listening to the BBC documentary and reading through their interactive content gives you insight into how these girls and boys, young women and young men survive on a tiny amount of pocket money from the model agencies to cover their food, shared accomodation, and transport. There is a lot of walking involved.

There’s a part of me that thinks that this lifestyle could be an incredible way to visit amazing cities and learn your way about fast – through necessity, but at the same time, listening to these girls’ accounts makes the experience feel very real – a struggle that is only liveable with the emotional and financial support of each other and their families back home.

If nothing else, these young adults come back with an appreciation of how hard it is to work, to compete with your friends for work, to survive on very little, and to live away from home at a young age.

The memories will last a lifetime.