One might wonder why young boys and girls, aged between 16 and 22 years old, feel the need or desire to appear on a runway to model. There are as many explanations as there are candidates. Some want to make fashion their profession and live off their beauty. Others see it as a hobby and approach the competition with curiosity.
This is the case for Vincent, a 20-year-old from Var, who is studying for a degree in Sports Science: “I just responded to an ad that I found in an H-Landers store. Just for fun, I sent some photos to the Enjoy Models agency, then I did a casting in Hyères, and here I am selected to be here and compete. I’ll see where all this takes me, but my goal is to be a sports teacher.” Vincent didn’t win. But he had fun, had a good day, and he will remember it.
It’s somewhat the same philosophy for his two playmates, Julien (16 years old) and Jérôme (18 years old). Julien is still in high school. He is one of the youngest in the competition. “There are people around me who are in this field, and my girlfriend is a model. I also wanted to experience fashion myself. I also did photoshoots when I was a child. The future? I don’t know much. I don’t know what I want to do later, but maybe continue to do photos…”
Jérôme was a child model in the Patricia Starke agency. Now an adult, he wanted to relive photo sessions to appear again in magazines. With this competition, that will surely be the case. It was an excellent way to get noticed. Meanwhile, Jérôme continues his studies in a BTS program in Computer Science.
Different objective for Alina: “I want to make it my profession. My ambition is to be a professional model and to travel the world.” Alina, 18 years old, from Lithuania, lives in Aix-en-Provence but does not yet speak French. “I’m here to win.” Alina already knows the basics of the profession. She belongs to an agency. Therefore, she has already walked runways, posed for photographers. Legitimately, she could not be on the Palm Beach runway to discover a profession she already knows. Behind this ambitious temperament hides a fashion enthusiast. She loves this environment. Just hearing her analyze and comment on the technique of the boys’ runway shows is enough to be convinced. She did not win this contest but can be satisfied with her remarkable performance, undoubtedly noticed by the jury of professionals.
Enzo is 16 years old, like Julien, he is one of the youngest in the competition. Reserved, he had to overcome his shyness to face the spectators’ gazes. This experience will be useful in everyday life. His performance made his father proud, a former amateur boxer: “It’s already very good that he was selected for the final. It’s already a victory and then he had a good day. He learned, discovered. For a father, it’s flattering to know that his son is liked. He likes this environment, so I hope for him that the Enjoy Models agency will contact him to do photos and that he will have the opportunity to go up on a runway to model again.”
The Enjoy Models competition brought together 30 very different candidates, each unique both physically and psychologically. A common characteristic: they all love this environment. Success in life is doing what you want to do, and the bonus is being able to make a living from it. We wish Enzo, Alina, Jérôme, Julien, Vincent, and all the other candidates all the success they deserve and hope for in the fashion industry.
Vincent Trinquat
