A day before London Fashion Week kicked off, I had the pleasure of spending some time at D1 Models, a boutique modelling agency in East London. Having worked at magazines and assisting on shoots (and having watched The Model Agency on tv), I knew a little bit how model agencies work, but this was a great opportunity to see it from the other side, and learn a little bit more about the industry. The timing of my visit couldn’t have been better, as things were a little frantic with the casting for LFW being in full swing.

D1′s owner Dean Cleary Patterson took the time to talk to me, answer any questions and let me follow him around like a puppy for a couple of hours. What I learned is that the reality of the modelling industry is not quite as glamourous as most of us imagine, but it’s a business above all. The small team of bookers have to take care of their models, making sure they’re happy, going to castings and most of all, getting booked. That means assembling their books to take to castings, dealing with fussy editors, making sure their models are getting everywhere on time and are looking and feeling as good as they possibly can.

I suppose the job of a modelbooker can be compared to babysitting, but then for models: it’s dealing with a model who’s left his book on a train, showing them the way to the nearest tube, explaining how the London Underground works or making sure their hair is the right cut to help them get booked. When I was around, lots of their male models came in to the office to pick up their casting schedules, their books and cards, which the bookers all had to prepare, all in between frantic phone calls and emails from the casting agents and flicking through the new magazines on the hunt for one of “their boys or girls” (like Milo Spijkers in the new Lanvin AW11 ad).

D1 currently has around 400 names in their books, around 150 of which model full time. There’s some big male names in their books, like Aaron Frew (who’s currently fronting the cK One Shock campaign with Lara Stone), Thomas Penfound (in the current AW11 Burberry campaign) and Luke Worrall (who’s just about everywhere right now). They’re now looking to expand their women’s department some more, so if you feel like you could be “it”, get in touch, details on how here!

Dean’s vast experience in the industry means he knows what works and what doesn’t – it’s not about your typical good looks, it’s about attitude and style as well. When a goodlooking boy dropped in to show his pictures, Dean flicked through his book, took a good look at the boy and immediately dismissed him. I asked what made him turn the boy down so quickly: “He doesn’t have the right look” was the sole explanation – I guess he would know. They don’t just allow drop-in castings at the office, the team also goes out hunting for new faces at other events like Glastonbury (where they found 20 potential models!).

During my time at the agency, the gorgeous Rae, a recent signing to the agency, arrived straight from New York with her suitcases in tow. Within minutes of arriving from the airport, she had changed, was given a stack of her newly printed cards (cleverly designed like a magazine cover), had her picture taken, did a little catwalk strut to check her walking and was sent on her way with a schedule for castings and instructions on how to get to the closest tube.

To say it’s a glamourous business is probably a bit of overstatement, but then when I spotted some of their faces on the catwalks a few days later, I couldn’t help but feel excited. It’s a lot of work, but those few moments on the catwalk or a picture in a magazine make it all worth it.

D1 Models
Unit 12, Union Wharf
23-25 Wenlock Road
London N1 7SB