Model Advice

I've just been approached by a former employee of Model Advice (Manik Auluck), looking to sell the whole database of models, with personal details and contact information.

Please be warned!

Same thing happened to me recently with my son :( They were extremely friendly and seemed very helpful at first over the fone. On the day of the assessment the girl who initially spoke to us didn't even acknowledge us she walked right passed me twice without even saying hello. I was asked to bring 5 outfits and not once did they advice me on what to put on him, when really and truly i was told they would advice me on the day of the shoot. Everything was rushed, they didn't have many crops for babies and some seemed unsafe  specially for my son who couldn't sit up on his own. The worst thing was that they told me he needed a portfolio because he didn't have previous experience and agencies would want to see him in a finished product. This was a MAJOR lie, agencies prefer not to have professional images as they like to take their own photographs. She was also extremely persistent and honestly looked p-off, i felt pressured because i felt like i was wasting they're time. In the end i ended up buying some images of them because at the time the packages they kept offering seemed very appealing. I wasn't even allowed to choose my own images  in the end I realized it was all just a waste of time and money. I'm happy I didn't pay the full price but i'm quite upset because the money i invested in the images could have been used to register my son with a few agencies. I guess we learn from our mistakes.

I contacted model advice towards the end of January as I really wanted to become a model and really thought they can help me. I WAS WRONG!

Firstly it was like a fish market there, so many people and I felt my whole shoot was rushed.
I told the makeup artist I had sensitive skin and she told me not to worry but then used a brush on my face that she had used on another model, I am lucky after scrubbing my face I didnt come out in a rash when I got home.

My shot was ok, I felt a bit uncomfortable as I don't think the photographer spoke english very well or didnt like me as nothing was really said to me through my shoot.

The horrid part came when I had my consultation with this lady, she asked me how the day went, showed me around 25 images of myself and told me she thought I looked really nice when to be honest I thought I looked horrible but she was the professional. She then told me I needed a portfolio to get noticed and this would be only shoot for agencies to see me and how good I apparently am and told me it would cost close to £2000!!! When i said I was a student she then said she could do it cheaper if i paid there and then, and I still didnt have the money she was asking for so said I had to think about it, she then seemed to be annoyed at me and seemed to be in a hurry for me to leave.

I went home feeling really down, asked my mum to try help me but I am so happy now she said no as after I contacted a few agencies they all told me that what model advice did and do is WRONG as I dont need a portfolio until after I am with an agency and normally the agency like to use their own photographers.

Please people dont make the same mistake I did, STAY AWAY FROM THEM

At first Model Advice seemed like a good idea. A company that would help inspiring people, guide them to become a model by sending them on the right track.

For a' £60 booking fee'  you will get a day of model treatment, hair & make-up with lots of creative photo shoots, and all that was done in a professional manner. They do all that really well, and as the day goes on you really believe your on to good thing.

Before i discovered Model Advice, other than a load of scam emails looking for models from scam agencies, I’d had no luck with getting into the modelling industry.

However, once i discovered model advice this very quickly changed.
Within less than a day of filling out my details on their website, I was contacted by a really helpful advisor! They gave me a lot of advice straight there and then, over the phone, and then invited me to come up the following week for a full Model Advice day, which involved a great photo shoot, and i even went on to have a portfolio made by Model Advice, after being so pleased with their service!

Since having my brilliant portfolio made, I have already been contacted by two big London agencies…

I went up to meet with one of them: ‘The Eye Casting’ and the recruiter was so impressed with my portfolio that he agreed to take me onto his books.
Within 3 days of joining The Eye, i’d been invited to four casting calls; which included an olympics and coca-cola campaign and a Sony playstation t.v advert! As well as these castings, I have more than 5 photo shoots booked!

Model Advice is an absolutely priceless resource and they have helped me more than i could ever have imagined! Since having my portfolio made, I have had regular contact with them and the first thing I do when I’m contacted by an agent is run it by them.

They always answer my calls and they are always ready and willing to share their brilliant knowledge of the industry.

I had a shoot on the 16 July and it was amazing. Went through different looks and styles.
Both fashion and commercial photographers were amazing and really really talented.
I am now waiting for my portfolio. I did speak with few agencies in modelling industry about modeladvice making portfolio for me, they were fine with it.
Can’t wait to get started!!!

Glad to see you are doing well Ndifreke.
I agree with you that Model Advice is quite good. They certainly seem to know what they are doing.

Model Advice Day London
What I experienced with Model Advice has helped my transform my dream into reality.

Few of these things I am sharing with you.
1.) The challenges that I faced were trying to get into a suitable and respectable agency. There was a lot of outright rejection. Rejection after rejection. There were times I didn’t get into the front door!

2.) Model advice gave me a model guide- the bad, the good and the ugly about the industry. In my opinion this is perfect! There are a lot of misconceptions about the industry and it is good to get real concrete information. I also received a lot of positive encouragement, which in turn gave me the strength to keep going. It has made a difference because I am now registered with three agencies.

3.) Model advice is important because they’re educating aspiring models. Model Advice is preparing them for what could potentially come. Also, model advice tests you to see if you are really cut out for the industry. Yasmin Le Bon said it best “you need to have a specific psychological makeup for modelling”. I agree!

4.) So far I have done a fashion catwalk for a young designer and recently did a medical leaflet for the morning after pill. (Apparently, I’m in cartoon form and then I come to life. It’s really cool. I’ll send it as soon as I get it)

5.) Due to model advice I have learnt that modelling is more than what you see on TV and in magazines. The industry is very fickle and you have to be able to adapt, work hard and keep fighting. I also believe that it is good to be patient (although I’m still learning that). I also believe that it is important to have thick skin and do not take things to heart, instead take it with a pinch of salt. In doing that, you are more likely to avoid the nasty effects of what the modelling industry can bring. For example, eating disorders and low self-esteem. “You win some and you lose some”- “you can’t please everybody”. Think and aim to be more than what you are, whether it is to become a top commercial model or top fashion model, whatever it is aim and shoot. I am also in university too and I struggle tremendously and my dad tells me the world belongs to those who do not give up and I have applied that in not only my education but of course modelling too! One last thing, please listen to the advice given by Model Advice and take whatever constructive criticism given.

6.) Be safe and good luck!

Directions to MA in kings cross London were useless and not close by the station at all. Didn’t know what to expect. Once i arrived I waited for my hair and make up to be done. Make up wasn’t great as I could probably do a better job myself. The hair was probably the best part of the whole process that I liked. The first shoot is just for your everyday, casual outfits such as, jeans and a t-shirt look. The second and third outfits and so on and so forth are more glam etc, what you would wear on a night out look. (your own clothes)
The stylist generally couldn’t style and gave me an outfit to wear which was terrible. If you do decide to book an appointment here make sure you bring enough outfits so you avoid wearing their outfits.
She handed me a black t-shirt and told me to wear it inside out (because it had a textured pattern on the other side) a demin waistcoat and awful brown lace up booties that I didn’t feel comfortable in, but with my own pair of demin topshop shorts. She asked me how I thought it looked and i commented I don’t like it and don’t feel good in it. She took this as a criticism and stated how she has been a stylist for ten years bla bla.. I merely just mentioned how the colours clashed, (black and blue). Apparently she works as a stylist for Burberry. Im sorry but then why? if she works at Burberry is she working in this run down studio?
The photographers were of standard.

After the dispute with the Stylist I left. The receptionist/who ever she is supposed to be was nice but obviously wanted me to stay for the ‘consultation’ which basically means they want to sit you down and ‘discuss’ your potential as a model and fill your head with the illusion of you becoming something big etc. Regardless if they want you to work for them as a model they will still want to rip you off for every penny you have. I purposely didn’t bring any debit cards or money with me for this reason and never sign up for their agency’s if it is going to cost you money.

It is £50 each for one photo or £395 pounds for 15 photos they take of you. The staff member mentioned how amazing i looked and should stay or book for in a weeks time for another ‘re-shoot.’ I declined the offer.

If you do generally want to be a model please don’t go through MA you are wasting your time and well earned money.
I glad I went because it make me realise how manipulative the staff are into making you sign up for it in the first place. The whole ‘Free consultation’ is false advertising. I wish i had come across this site before signing up because I definitely wouldn’t have bothered.

Not knowing what to expect I hesitantly booked for Model Advice day. I went down to London on March 19th for a whole day of photo shoot. BTW I did pay £60 booking fee over the phone. Day was long but great fun. They have great stylist and photographers (both Guy and the Girl) were amazing too. They seem to know what they are doing and they guide you well
I did buy the portfolio, but it was not as expensive as the one that I did in Manchester. The day was exactly what the lady said over the phone and £60 is well justified. I guess people get upset about the whole experience because they are not serious about getting into modelling and going to Model Advice does not mean that you will have easy ride in the industry.
I want to thanks them for the opportunity plus very good advice and wish them all the best!!

I came here not quite sure what to expect given previous reviews I read, but I was very pleased and surprised by the results. It was a great deal of fun and the staff were all kind and friendly to me. The lady doing make talked a lot and the hair stylist was very good at his job. They have a wide variety of outfits there and the stylists knew what suited me well and I preferred the outfits which they had compared to my own. The photographers were very good and told me all the poses to do which made me feel confident in knowing I wasn't doing a pointless poses, and the poses weren't embarrassing at all. Though they didn't offer tea or coffee there wasn't much time for it in between getting changed, putting on make up or having your photos taken anyway, but if you did want a drink, water was available the whole time. There wasn't much waiting around either and once you had done the first outfit, the order of events which happen stay the same so it wasn't difficult in the slightest to work out what your meant to be doing. When I saw the pictures I was pleasantly surprised as I have always thought I looked bad in pictures, but they turned out to be very good. As for the prices, they do appear to be a lot when you first see the figures but if your serious about modelling then the prices are very good and they get edited as well if you decide to go through with it, they also give a list of agencies which are fake or real if your going ahead with the pictures and want a portfolio (which is the general idea if your going there). Overall I can happily say that it wasn't a waste of time and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

I booked a model assessment day early October as i've never tried any form of modelling before and wanted to experience being a model for the day. I came all the way from Wales, a good 4 hour drive but didn't see much of london as I was in the studio from 12.30am - 7.00pm, a very long tiring day. The make-up artist was friendly but the other make-up artist didn't speak. The hair stylist was good and she was quite friendly but quiet. There was about 4 girls already in the studio having their hair and shoots done, so i was the last woman being worked with. The fashion designers took my case and started going through my case without asking, not that I had anything in there to hide, but though they would have asked or told me what they were doing. I spent a fortune on clothes and done everything asked of me, getting my nails done, waxing and tan etc. The stylist only used 2 of my 5 putfits, and used 2 of her own outfits which i didn't like but didn't say as she was the professional. I felt a bit lost too as no one sat down with you explaining what was the agenda, so after you had you hair done you would sit on the chair just waiting and looking around. I would advise to take plenty of food and drink as they only have a water machine there, plus they don't offer you tea, coffee etc despite you paying a hefty £50 for the day (non refundable). The shoot was very hard as again i had the stylist's shoes on which didn't fit nice and the heal was way to big, ive broken my leg so can't point my ankle as straight as they wanted it. The clothes they put on me were see through and made me look huge! I had a baby 7 months prior to the shoot so as you can imagine I will still have lumps and bumps. after the 4 dress changes and shoots, i was left for an hour to have a consultation upstairs with Carly who they said was a model before?? she showed me the pictures and the majority were horiible, I looked fat and uncomfortable. The pictures I did like were in my own clothes. By the time we viewed the pictures I was so tired from the journey and day plus starving I couldn't care less what carlyhad to say. She asked me what I wanted to know from her and I asked how to get into the industry where she answered, portfolio, business cards etc and i know you don't need a portfolio to get with an agency. Carly then showed me the prices of the pictures, £50 each or 15 pictures for £395 with a 3 month payment plan, despite the hefty price you only get the cd of the 15 images on!!! rip off and poor value for money. The other girls who were having a shoot done were havin a lot more attention paid to them too as their parents were there, as my partner left me no to be bored waiting, they hardly paid any attention to me. If you do go, take food (lots), drinks, and be warned of the ridiculous prices, the prices went up to £1500!! also dont panic buy clothes as they will just put on you what they want. If you were me, I wish I just went to NewID in Cardiff, very similar but £30 which includes images, and drinks throughout!! be warned.