Meet Our Featured Members for October 2011

This month brings a new batch of ModelWire Network members!  We are excited to see our numbers growing, people becoming more active on the site and more importantly - members collaborating and working with each other to create some amazing work!  Take a look at our members of the month.  As usual, if you have any questions/concerns please don't hesitate to contact us at support@modelwirenetwork.com.  Happy October!

Model of the Month:  Sheila J

Who is your favorite model of all time?

My favorite model of all time is actually Wilhelmina Cooper.  The reason for this is because I see myself in her and she started her own agency, which is what I would like to do in the future.

What inspires you?

My friends and family inspire me the most.  They keep my head on straight and make sure I am doing what I need to do.

What do you look for when selecting a photographer to work with?

People who are going to give me photos that are better than photos.  People that take my book to another level and one step closer to where I would like to be.

What genre does your work focus on?

I don't have a specific genre because I like a little bit of everything.  It's all fun to me.

What is your favorite band or song of all time?

My new favorite song is "I was here" by Beyonce.  It is such a powerful song.  She says, "I was here / I lived / I loved / I was here / I did / I've done / Everything that I wanted / And it was more than I thought it would be / I will leave my mark so everyone will know I was here."

Photographer of the Month:  Fitz Carlile

Who is your favorite photographer of all time?

Such a hard question - there's too many greats out there to mention without sounding cliche.  I'll mention a few locals here in LA that I think are doing great things:  Ricky Middlesworth, Tuan Lee and Casey Curry.

What is your favorite project you have worked on?

I'm most excited about an upcoming project.  I'm in creative talks with a major international alcohol brand to shoot a campaign where I'd travel across to ten major city markets and shoot environmental portraits of these so-called 'celebrity mixologists' - and also a handful of stylized studio portraits to mimic one of their current print campaigns.

What is your personal style?

I've always kept my wardrobe style very clean and simple - a lot like my personal photographic style.  I'm a big subscriber to the "Less is more" philosophy in all aspects of living, and I strive to convey that message in my photography.

What is your favorite band or song of all time?

Since I just finished listening to the following three artists, I'll say these artists are some of my favorites at the moment:  James Vincent McMorrow, Jamie Cullum and Jamiroquai.

What is your most embarrassing moment professionally? 

That moment when you're about to start shooting, everything is ready to go, you lift your camera and start those last minute set of directions to the model, and he/she says "Your lens cap is on."  That happens pretty frequently.  I think I blushed the first time.  Now I just say, "Good, I see you're paying attention to me, that's exactly what I need from you!"

Wardrobe Stylist of the Month:  Christopher Mannor

What inspires you?

I'm inspired by each of my clients.  My approach to styling isn't about the clothes, but about the people.  What I do is figure out how my clients perceive themselves and help them to express that in the way they dress.  It's a much more rewarding and organic process this way.

What is your personal style?

My personal style is a cross between proper chic menswear and Americana angst.  I love layers and texture and fit is probably the most important thing I look for when choosing an item of clothing.  And then there are my signature fur hats which are really just a reflection of my own stylistic audacity.

What genre does your work focus on?

Most of my work is celebrity based.  I've worked with some great talent like Lindsay Lohan, Brittany Snow, Terrell Owens and Mike Tyson.

What is your favorite store to shop at?

I love shopping vintage.  Wasteland has to be one of my favorite stores to scour through

What is your favorite band or song of all time?

My favorite song is "I wonder" by Kanye West.

Makeup Artist of the Month:  Theresa Jones

Why makeup artist? 

Makeup artistry is another form, or in other words, an extension of my love for art.  I still utilize the principles of art:  space, line, shape, color, texture, form and value.  But instead of working on a textile canvas, I'm now working on a human canvas. 

Who is your favorite makeup artist of all time?

I have many favorite makeup artists that inspire me, but my all time favorite is Pat McGrath.  The flexibility in her creative range from beauty to theatrical makeup really drives my artistry to what it is today.  She gives hope to what extent a career in makeup artistry can bring for you.

What inspires you?

My source of inspiration stems from my environment, climate and culture that has helped to develop me into the artist I am today.  Color really stimulates my creative ingenuity.  Looking at photos of animals and studying the colors that make them up gives inspiration for color design and arrangement.

What product can you not live without?

To be truthful, I really can't live without my brushes, but that would be considered a tool and not a product.  However, the second most important factor I can't live without are my prepping and primer products.  As many artists can contest, what goes under the makeup is most important.  Skipping or cheating the prepping step will have you cringing at the final outcome.  

Do you have any advice for the members of MWN?

My advice to members of MWN is to be life-long learners by continuing to study and perfect your craft.  If you keep this mind-set, those artistic blocks will be few in between.

Hairstylist of the Month:  Danielle Jackson (PhunkyFly)

Why hair styling?

I chose to be a hair stylist because of all of the traumatizing haircuts I received as a child!  I started doing all of my friends' hair for every event.  I always said in high school that I was going to go to cosmetology school for something to fall back on.  Years went by and some more awful haircuts later, I again needed to change my hair.  I went to the closest store, bought a haircut magazine and with a pair of clippers and household scissors, I went to town.  Everyone was asking where I got it cut.  I enrolled in cosmetology school the following week and 8 years later, here I am.

Who is your favorite hair stylist of all time?

I love Vidal Sassoon's work so much.  It takes me to a happy hair place.  The sleek, clean and intentional shapes are just so classic and timeless.  Plus, his ability to make everyone look at hairstyling as a real profession and that it's more than just hairspray and bobby pins.

What inspires you?

As a hair stylist, I feel like it is our job to be innovative and forward thinking.  That takes inspiration.  For me, inspiration comes from everything around me.  I am so easily inspired really.  It can be something as simple as a noodle or something as elaborate as an old building.  My imagination is always moving and can be quite large and a bit never ending.

What is your personal style?

My style has a lot of rules.  I always have the same type of neck line, same shape jeans and the same cut of a dress.  If I try something different, it just makes me look too round or too frumpy. Although I stay on top of the constantly changing industry, I only change the colors/shades of my own style.  

What product can you not live without?

There is only one thing I love more than shoes and that is my Rusk W8 Less Hairspray!  It is strong enough to hold, but soft enough to mold and rework without looking heavy or wet.  It is perfect for photo shoots.  I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't haven any. 

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