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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

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Original poster

14 year old scouted for modeling

46 replies

TheMumOfThree · 26/07/2022 12:50

My 14 year old daughter was scouted by a modeling agency while on a school trip to London. They are due to call me this week to discuss the details. Does anyone have any experience of this please. She is excited and it is obviously a great confidence booster but I am sceptical.

OP posts:

Original poster

TheMumOfThree · 26/07/2022 14:33

Thank you for all your messages. All really helpful. I have checked it out and it is a well known, top London agency and she was in Covent Garden at the time. It was a school trip but the teachers were straight there to ask questions. We also live no where near London so I'm not sure if it would work. I need to check it out or I will get a very moody teenaged girl for probably years. :) I will ask lots of questions. Thank you

OP posts:

MistyRock · 26/07/2022 14:36

Potentially exciting times ahead.

takeitandleaveit · 26/07/2022 14:37

sunglassesonthetable · 26/07/2022 13:42

Scouting is a bona fide way some models are found.

Unfortunately scammers do it too.

I can't imagine that bona fide agencies would think it appropriate to approach children on a school trip.

FlorettaB · 26/07/2022 14:38

Scam or not I wouldn’t let a 14 year old anywhere near modelling.

sunglassesonthetable · 26/07/2022 14:43

I can't imagine that bona fide agencies would think it appropriate to approach children on a school trip.

The done thing is to hand. over a card and say ask your parents and get in touch if you're interested. That's it.

A group of 14 year olds would be among the target ages and I don't suppose it's necessarily obvious if they're on a school trip anyway.

Scouting is a done thing.

DramaticSunflower · 26/07/2022 14:44

I’m surprised you are even entertaining this!

sunglassesonthetable · 26/07/2022 14:47

I’m surprised you are even entertaining this!

Why out of interest?

lunar1 · 26/07/2022 14:52

For my children, I haven't ever paid a penny. Their transport costs are paid and they are fed while working.

Quite often I've been paid as a chaperone, including transport and food.

They have decent savings and they have had lots of fun on various sets.

I don't think it's necessarily helpful to use some of the online groups, there are some absolutely bonkers parents out there!

2bazookas · 26/07/2022 15:08

" Real Modelling agency" or its name fraudulently borrowed by a sex groomer who wants to take the kind of photos she'll regret later.

Eightiesfan · 26/07/2022 15:14

OP, do some background checks, make sure you get a landline number, not just a mobile. Ask for names and then Google the website. Finally, never leave her alone while they ask you to fill in forms etc.

Splicebaked · 26/07/2022 15:29

A good agency will not make you pay any money upfront.

Good luck and I hope it all pans out.

midairchallenger · 26/07/2022 15:30

FlorettaB · 26/07/2022 14:38

Scam or not I wouldn’t let a 14 year old anywhere near modelling.

Likewise. "Exciting" is not a word I'd use about this.

Splicebaked · 26/07/2022 15:30

Definitely follow it up as she could make fortune to help her with Uni etc during the holidays and weekends

Justleaveitblankthen · 26/07/2022 15:55

If anyone listened to Dessert Island Discs at the weekend, 14 is a standard age for Scouting young models. She was actually on a plane at the time. Worth a listen as she talks about the pitfalls as well as her good luck.

Justleaveitblankthen · 26/07/2022 15:56

Desert, not dessert 😂

purplecorkheart · 26/07/2022 16:01

Do plenty of research on the agency. There was a series on Channel 4 called The Model Agency which was a fly on the wall documentary of a Well Known model agency based in London that might be of interest to you. I think it is on 4od still.

Divebar2021 · 26/07/2022 16:13

They’re not going to know she’s on a school trip are they ? I think if you go forward with your eyes open it could be really exciting. I mean if she could even earn enough to pay for University that would be fantastic.

downtonupton · 26/07/2022 18:03

DD was scouted by a legitimate agency - they gave a card to her friend's Mum who was with them at a One Direction concert years back rather than direct to her. DD was (still is) tall.

I followed up a little - but DD wasn't very interested.

The link on the card took me to an agency page that basically said - 'so you got a card - this is what we want you to do'

They wanted us to call and for us to send them a couple of photos - absolutely no professional photos would be accepted. I had a chat with them and they were lovely but I got the impression they give out cards a lot and very few proceed further than that. They were very very clear that they will never ask for money to pay for anything.

DD decided that she didn't want to do it - which was probably the right decision for her as she is too self conscious and she would have probably ended up with an eating disorder or something.

SuperCamp · 26/07/2022 18:14

London (and festivals) are full of people recruiting teens as models / brand ambassadors / influencers. Typically tall and mixed race. They hand out business cards. The models get T shirts / clothes, some money. It’s not always old school modelling.

But also scams are rife.

And sexual exploitation.

OneFrenchEgg · 26/07/2022 18:31

Dd got scouted a few times at 14. Very week known agencies. We did go a couple of times - they did take her off for photos alone btw - but it sort of fizzled - I got the feeling they would have preferred not to have mum hanging around tbh. She was slim but they said she needed to be slimmer for the editorial stuff. She let it die in the end/they didn't follow - I can't recall really.
By contract the acting stuff has always felt a lot more organised.

Original poster

TheMumOfThree · 26/07/2022 20:14

Thank you for all you comments and messages. Spoke to them on the phone today and we will meet them and go from there.

OP posts:

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