I signed Pippa and Gigi with an agent in Paris a while back, and Pippa has recently landed her first two modeling jobs here. I am sure this makes me some horrible version of a stage mom, but the girls have been doing this since they were babies, and both of them love it. Some cousins I greatly respect live in Southern California, are "in the business", and strongly advised me against have the girls do this, since from their experience it leads to girls with self-esteem problems, eating disorders, and unhealthy egos. But I think that must be an L.A. child-actor thing. It's a whole lot mellower in San Francisco: parents are nice to each other, and to the other children -- sharing books, toys, snacks, and emergency diapers. It's a friendly group, and nobody seems to take the situation (or themselves) too seriously. And I have to admit that both the girls and I get a kick out of seeing them in the occasional catalog and ad (below: Potter Barn Kids, Hanna Andersson, Mervyn's, and Old Navy).
In Paris, there's the added bonus that at the end of each job, they give the models party favor bags including little toys and, of course, lots of candy. That's after trays full of candy and pastries and juices during the job. As we've seen, the French are not afraid to sugar up their kids.
My girls love the attention and performance aspect (now, who could they have inherited that from?), and they also love the process of having their hair and make-up done. It's a girly-girl's dream.
In an interesting coincidence, Pippa's first job (in May) is to model for the catalog and next year's collection of Lanvin. Besides being the oldest fahion house in Paris, dating from 1889, it's also one of the most elegant. That means that the outfits Pippa models are undoubtedly more expensive than anything I've ever owned, including my wedding dress! The people at Lanvin understandably asked us not to post photos of the fashions till the catalog comes out (the dotted shirt above is her own), so you're just getting a sense of the setting here, not the specific outfits. The shoot takes place at the Hotel de Crillon, which is a treat in and of itself, since it is transformed from a building constructed in 1758 under the auspices of King Louis XV.
In Paris, there's the added bonus that at the end of each job, they give the models party favor bags including little toys and, of course, lots of candy. That's after trays full of candy and pastries and juices during the job. As we've seen, the French are not afraid to sugar up their kids.
My girls love the attention and performance aspect (now, who could they have inherited that from?), and they also love the process of having their hair and make-up done. It's a girly-girl's dream.
In an interesting coincidence, Pippa's first job (in May) is to model for the catalog and next year's collection of Lanvin. Besides being the oldest fahion house in Paris, dating from 1889, it's also one of the most elegant. That means that the outfits Pippa models are undoubtedly more expensive than anything I've ever owned, including my wedding dress! The people at Lanvin understandably asked us not to post photos of the fashions till the catalog comes out (the dotted shirt above is her own), so you're just getting a sense of the setting here, not the specific outfits. The shoot takes place at the Hotel de Crillon, which is a treat in and of itself, since it is transformed from a building constructed in 1758 under the auspices of King Louis XV.
Today, Pippa has a runway modeling job, which is something the girls haven't ever done before. Gigi and I are not allowed to stay while the show is happening, so all we can do is hear about it afterward. Pippa struts her stuff on the catwalk for Bonpoint, another very high-end kid's clothing line, in front of a couple hundred buyers. She dances, wears pretty outfits and some silly accessories, and, as she says, "walks back and forth a hundred times." She wakes up excited this morning for the job and, I'm happy to report, is not disappointed by the experience. The only ones disappointed are Gigi and me who wish we could see it, and also wish we could be in it! If she's still "in size" (meaning size 6), they've invited her back for the winter collection show in January. High fashion runway model in Paris -- not bad for a six year old!
[Author's note: I have often been asked about how (and whether) to get a child involved in modeling. I'll say this: I honestly think most kids this age are so adorable, they could be models. The main thing is whether a) the parents have the time and inclination to take them to occasional auditions and jobs (virtually always during business days and hours), and b) the children enjoy trying on lots of clothes and posing for photos. The photographers and stylists always make it fun, since it obviously makes their job easier to work with happy and playful kids. And while it does pay well per hour, when you factor in driving time, unpaid audition time, and the fact that the parent is sitting around not getting paid, it's not really for the money....unless you get a national TV commercial or something like that....which we never have and, given our low-level of commitment, probably never will!]
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