W.G. Rowland wrote:
What is "too commercial"?

1.  Generally, "too generic", not distinctive, or "pretty".

2.  Not right for the agency which is giving the answer.  Other than "no, go away" it is meaningless in those kinds of situations.

Gare wrote:
My agency just say's im more suited to comercial work and i wanna know what i could do to prove to them i can do high fashion too.

Do high fashion.  Pay an excellent fashion photographer to shoot you in the style of the best fashion men.  Show the pictures to your agency.  It will work or it won't.

oldguysrule wrote:
in addition, there is a well established/documented racial bias in the fashion inustry. things are better than they were, but the almost automatic response from the industry is to see black and say commercial.

That is so true, and I work in the fashion industry. Some will even say "too ethnic" as the excuse

oldguysrule wrote:
in addition, there is a well established/documented racial bias in the fashion inustry. things are better than they were, but the almost automatic response from the industry is to see black and say commercial.

I have to say that this may not be true in the UK, or at least not to the extent it may be true of the US market.

I do also have to say that I think I'm quite a good judge of people's stats, and 5' 11" might be stretching things a bit...

Tikeya wrote:
I was about to say that 5'11" is definitely not too short for runway, but then I noticed that you're a male model.  I'm not sure what the height requirement is for males, but I'm thinking that you might've just made it.  I'm not sure.  One thing I do know is that my little 5'2" ass can't do runway...lol.

The requirement is 6'0 for males all the agencies i've been looking into have 6'0 for males as a requirement.

Tikeya wrote:
I was about to say that 5'11" is definitely not too short for runway, but then I noticed that you're a male model.  I'm not sure what the height requirement is for males, but I'm thinking that you might've just made it.  I'm not sure.  One thing I do know is that my little 5'2" ass can't do runway...lol.

lol! I too thought this was a girl posting and was like 5'11"! wth they arent short at all! I do believe 6' is the min for male runway models. He is so close to that, I'd say put some of those inserts in your shoe!

RED Photographic wrote:
I have to say that this may not be true in the UK, or at least not to the extent it may be true of the US market.

Very encouraging to hear.
Yep, I neglected to notice the OP's location. Had it been Paris, I'd for sure have seemed a fool.

ashara wrote:
In my humble opinion

1. You have A LOT of personality in your pictures
2. Your pictures are very commercial, but I could definetely see you doing fashion. As previously stated before, get a great fashion photographer.
3. Based upon your pictures, I would not think that you are 5'11. Some of your pictures make you look shorter. I think that with a good fashion photographer, he/she could help you "photograph tall"


Is your agency getting you work even based upon your deemed "commercial looks"?
('cause we all know commercial is what pays ... lol)

Thanks Ashara

You are quite right, a bit of the work on my port makes me seem shortish mainly since im not heavily built. I havn't had a casting in two weeks. And fashion week is coming up, while my friends are being told to prepare for castings i feel like im being left in the dark(it seems) www.targetmodels.com Is one of my agencies and they specialise in supplying runway models? I've thought about kicking up a fuss with them, but i realise that might be detrimental to my career. So im gonna take your advice and find a good fashion photographer(thank the lord for mm)

Thank you to everyone else for posting.

P.s. Im sure i can do the robot thing too, since theres not that much thinking required. Also its not so much a race issue(although its there=ratio of black to whites on top model agencies hence the creation of www.gorgeousblack.com ) alot of clients want edgy looking instead of stereotype/generic models in the UK. And i havn't had a chance to portray that side of me. Will do soon though.