The Reality of Being a Model

This week Pulse Management's Armon Eastman had a taste of disappointment that all models face at one point or another.  As you may have read on our blog (or other social media), Armon is beginning his modeling career and has already had some amazing experiences.  From test shoots in LA and New York, to meeting with one of the best fashion photographers (Steven Meisel), to being placed on option for Prada and Burberry, Armon's career took off faster than a lot of models.  Armon was recently informed that he was released from being on option from Burberry and Prada.  Obviously that is not what any model wants to hear, but we thought we would take this moment to have some honest dialogue about what it is like working as a model.  

The fashion industry is a mercurial one, and any model will tell you they have had their fair share of disappointments along with their successes.  The very fact that Armon was placed on option for two of the biggest designers on the planet, speaks volumes about his potential as a model.  The fact that he was released on option does not mean that he did anything wrong or that there is anything wrong with him.  I REPEAT THIS TO ALL MODELS, just because you do not book a job does not mean you are ugly or a bad model, or not good enough.  It means the companies had something else in mind for their project, and a lot of the time the reasons are beyond your control.  In Armon's case it was because he is too young.  Other times it is because a model is too tall, too short, too blonde, not blonde enough, teeth too straight, or not straight enough, the reasons are endless.

Pulse Management President, Stacey Eastman, is not only Armon's manager, he is Armon's father.  This has given us a unique perspective into how this business can affect our models.  Stacey said the following about this situation:

"I feel I need to post this due to my son being released on option for Burberry & Prada. Due to all the excitement we had about him being placed on those options, we posted about those on our social media.  To put it into perspective, in our world option means that those prestigious clothing companies PICKED him out of thousands of guys and chose to put him on "option" to walk wearing their clothing. Which is why we said "option" MIND YOU IT USUALLY NEVER HAPPENS THAT FAST FOR A NEW  MODEL. We use that to gauge the potential of their carrier and that is massive. He was released from the "OPTION" only due to being so "NEW" so "YOUNG" even though we feel bad it didn't confirm at the last second is sad. None the less it's miraculous such designers wanted him exclusively till the very last second  and then released him. For sure this tells us ITS NOT IF THIS KID'S GOING TO WORK, BUT WHEN AND WE KNOW HIS SUCCESS WILL BE BIG! So to friends, family, fans, it's a tuff blow. A lesson every successful model has had to learn to reach the top. Fact is, he even had the lesson to learn so big so fast, speaks volumes of his potential. Times on his and our side. Please cut the kid some slack and his very proud father and manager as we continue building his and all of our other amazing models' careers.  ALL THE TIME FOR AND IN BEHALF OF THE FUTURE ROCK STARS OF TOMORROW!! 

Thank you,

His dad and Manager Stacey Eastman. "

We would like to hope that this post will help you all see what it is really like being a model.  You get to travel to amazing places and see yourself in magazines and get to wear clothing that most people only dream about.  It also can be really humbling, and heartbreaking and you  have to learn really fast that your self-worth does not depend on what others think of you.  Unfortunately in life there are people who enjoy seeing other people not succeed.  Whether it is kids at our models' schools or comments on the internet, we hope that our model's realize that those people are not the people they need to impress.  People's comments and negativity is a reflection on them, NOT YOU.

We love all of our models, and know that everything worth having has to be worked for.  We are here to help you navigate the ups and downs of being a model. We are just as proud of you for how you deal with your rejections as for your successes.

Ali Stephens in October 2013 Marie Claire Editorial

Did you guys see our girl Ali Stephens in the October 2013 issue of Marie Claire?  She was the sole model in a multiple page editorial about winter coats, and we had a hard time picking our favorite pics to share with you.  Nothing better than a warm and beautiful winter coat, and no one better to model them than Utah-native Ali.  Check out more pictures from the editorial here.

Life Imitating Art with Larisa Fraser

Larisa Fraser, a Pulse Management discovery, and one of our more successful models tied the knot with MLB all-star Ryan Braun.  Pulse Mgmt President Stacey Eastman and his wife, (Pulse Mgmt COO) Shayna Eastman attended the wedding last month to celebrate with Larisa and her new husband.

Stacey, Larisa, Ryan and Shayna

When we found Larisa she was a teenager from Alpine, Utah.  We have been managing her since then, and now consider her a part of our family.  It is crazy to think that had we never scouted her, she  might not have pursued modeling, and may have never had the opportunity to meet her future husband.  We love that we are able to literally change our models lives, and it was really special for us to be able to celebrate with Larisa and Ryan on their special day.  The fact that we were celebrating in their gorgeous home in Malibu, definitely didn't hurt!

Stacey and Shayna Eastman enjoying the date night the wedding provided

As you can see, Larisa was a stunning bride, which was no surprise to anyone.  She had a lot of practice being a bride, when she did this campaign for bridal designer Maggie Sotero.

More from Liz's LA Trip

Liz's trip to LA last month proved to be a very successful one indeed.  She shot with multiple photographers, and we are absolutely in love with these images from her shoot with Kevin Trinh. He posted this image on his blog, and it looks like it is getting reposted by some other fashion/model bloggers. We are smitten with the simplicity of the top shot, but also love seeing her in the various wardrobe and hair looks.  The minimal makeup suits her well, because to be honest she doesn't need much makeup to look phenomenal.  When we went to dinner with Liz in LA last month, I couldn't stop admiring her gorgeous skin and features, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one!  We love these pics Liz, and we are so proud of the model that you are rapidly becoming.

MAJOR MOMENT MONDAY: Hannah Holman for Marc Jacobs

For today's MMM, we are going back to when our girl, Hannah Holman, landed this huge advertisement, Marc Jacob's fragrance Daisy Eau So Fresh.  In the world of fashion, there are few names bigger than Marc Jacobs.  Whether it is his eponymous line, Marc by Marc or the work he did while at the helm at Louis Vuitton, he is arguably the best American designer today.  (I may be partial to him because we both attended Parsons, but that is beside the point...)  Hannah was photographed by Juergen Teller for this ad that ran in most major fashion magazines.  Hannah grew up in rural Utah, and that came in handy on this shoot as she detailed in this article for Teen Vogue.  These days Hannah is still busy modeling and we are so proud that we are the ones who introduced this beauty to the world's fashion forum.