Maximise your relationship with us

We’re here to always help and support you which is why we encourage you to approach our Models Direct specialist coordinators any time. It’s our job as a modelling agency to provide our models and clients with comprehensively led, tried and tested services. Our goal is to satisfy your representation needs but it doesn’t stop there. We encourage you to communicate with us actively. We’ll never get bored or tired of listening to you. That’s our promise.

It’s important to us to know your expectations as a model and client. It’s not just about us. You play a big role in building our agency, so talk to us. Goals, new skills, your interests in modelling divisions and clients and models you’d like to work with – let us know. For models, we ask for your feedback after working on your assignment, but you can request our clients’ feedback about you too. It can be a bit nerve-wracking to learn how our clients feel towards your modelling skills but it’ll help shape your progression into your modelling career. Constructive feedback is a good learning curve across all professions and as a Models Direct model, it’ll benefit you moving towards more assignments.

Expand your skills

As you already know, modelling doesn’t just rest at being in front of a camera, it stretches beyond that with promotional modelling. Other interesting skills our agency is on the lookout for are acting, dancing and singing to name but a few. Our “Feature Me” section includes a spotlight on our models’ online profiles for clients to see. If you’re looking for January to look differently from your previous years, then set a goal for learning a new skill to help your self-development. From anything like football skills to learning a new language, start setting something up so you can stand out from the crowd.

Are you interested in taking a worthy cause to the next level?

We’re all passionate about something [or several things in life]. Whether it’s promoting charitable causes for the planet or people or both, there’s something we can all do to help. If you haven’t been able to explore ways you can participate, perhaps this January is your chance to do just that. Not only will this help you grow as a person, giving you the opportunity to be hands-on and proactive, but network with others and learn more about what you can do and where you can help. It’s a rewarding investment.

There’s a lot you can do this January and we say that once you’ve established your goals and what you’re hoping to achieve, start setting it up in the first month so you can start as you mean to go on. You can make it a productive 2025 so dive into different areas to elevate not only your personal growth but as a model too!

Whether the request is for our baby models, adult models or even our pet models, the demand is quite high. The year can end on an incredibly busy note but remains a magical time for us, our amazing models and our top-tier clients.

We see so many festive campaigns come to life and it makes our MD team feel very proud that we’re a part of so many people’s memorable journeys.

And then the Christmas magic rolls onto the next year where we’ve accumulated over thirty years of festive spirit now as a long-standing modelling agency in the UK. 

We’ve had great highlights this year and the collaborations have been absolutely incredible.
 
Looking back, we always smile and remember the great times we’ve had year after year. We’re looking forward to seeing what 2025 brings and hopefully, you’ll be a part of the magic, whether you’re a new model, already an MD model or a client looking to hire with us. Models Direct is here to make a big impact with incredible results.

If models don’t help themselves, the chances of being chosen by our clients are dramatically reduced. If a model hasn’t been offered a modelling assignment for some time, it could be that their portfolio looks tired, stale and outdated. Also, it could also be the case that we’ve tried to contact a model, only to find that they’ve changed email address and mobile numbers – both scenarios defeat the object of being available for work. Help yourselves by helping us, which in turn helps our clients when they come to making decisions about which models they’d prefer to appear in their modelling campaigns.   

As a government-regulated modelling employment agency in the UK, our team of professionals are experts at presenting the right models to our clients. We’ve been doing this for three decades, so the brands that rely on us have total faith in our judgement. After we’ve read the modelling briefs, we shortlisted a group of registered models and contact the client. They can then peruse a model’s portfolio and decide which models they’d like to work with them. We’ll then get in touch with the successful models and offer them the assignment.

Models will know if they’ve been booked for a job when we contact them with the good news that they’ve been chosen by our client. This is usually done by email or a phone call. We tend to tell a model about their offered job as soon as a client tells us which model (s) they have chosen.

It’s then a model’s decision to accept the job. Most do, naturally, but others may decline because of unavailability or travel restrictions. That’s fine, and we always understand when a model turns down a booking. When a model accepts the job, we’ll pass them more details (client name, point of contact, job location, special requirements / specific clothing etc), and discuss their fee with them.

We’ll always been in touch with models prior to their job, as well as during and post-job. Our team are available at any time during office hours to assist in any way they can. Models are not alone on jobs – we know that support before, during and after a modelling shoot is vital for a model’s success.

It’s important to note that some bookings are done at the last minute, not through the lack of preparation, but more so because complications and cancellations can – and do – happen.

Don’t be disheartened if our clients haven’t selected your skills for a little while after registering with us. With the amount of clients and jobs on offer, it’ll only be a matter of time before you get recognised. In the meantime, keep the faith, and show us your current looks by way of new photos on your portfolio.

Our experienced and approachable team deals with every kind of model booking, liaising with clients and models to make sure every aspect of the booking runs like clockwork. However, there are moments in our busy schedule when we must compete against the clock and secure a model at the drop of the hat. It’s something that doesn’t happen often, but it’s part of the nature of the booking process. Fortunately, we have the knowledge and skills to overcome these challenges.

A last-minute booking is when we look for a model at short notice. We may be given just a few hours (the pressure!) or one or two days to find our clients the perfect model. Obviously, we supply most of our models to clients within a more casual timeframe, but occasionally we’re presented with an urgent request.

How do last-minute bookings occur?

We don’t have accurate data, but we guess that there are probably three main reasons for a last-minute booking:

• Changes to a client’s work schedule
• An unexpected deadline
• A model’s / client’s illness or change in circumstances

All our clients are professionals, and they appreciate that organisation on our part and at their end helps the assignment from start to finish. It’s why we give tips to all models about preparation and what they need to become a successful model. We place thousands of wonderful talent in exciting jobs in all parts of the UK and abroad, so it’s unsurprising that a handful of bookings suffer from a slight glitch here and there.

Most assignments are planned well in advance. There are many components that contribute to a memorable shoot or film, some or all as follows:

• Weeks of organised themed content
• Photographers / filmmakers
• Coordinators
• Designers and make-up artists
• Lighting
• …and top-notch models, as supplied by us

If any one of these is disrupted near the assignment date, we may well put out an urgent request for a last-minute booking.

Models who’ve registered with us with us need to know that we never judge anyone who refuses a job – particularly last-minute bookings. We understand that most of our models lead busy lives and therefore accepting a job on short notice with simply not feasible.

All we ask is that, should a model who has accepted a job cannot do so due to a change of circumstance, they inform immediately so we can look quickly for a substitute model. This will help the whole process, and we’ll continue looking for modelling work for them.  

Our clients know that one of our many talents is finding models at the last minute. It’s why they’ve rated us as the best modelling employment agency in the UK, and we don’t want to let them down.

It’s a three-way system: clients, models and Models Direct. 99% of the time it’s a perfectly oiled machine, but there’s always the potential to fulfil a last-minute booking. At the very least, it keeps us on our toes!

Booking inquiries land in our Models Direct inbox from clients based locally, nationally and internationally every day. We have clients ranging from entrepreneurs to industry giants. Our extensive client list speaks for itself!

Our team understands that time is an asset most of us are chasing after as there’s always so much to do but so little time to do it within. Models Direct takes the hassle out of finding models, negotiating fees, and briefing models to help clients’ marketing vision seamlessly come to fruition. The following steps are what our booking team does daily:

Step 1

Clients make an online request and ideally provide a brief of what they need from us. Our booking team then gets to work by meticulously searching our modelling pool according to their requirements.

Step 2

Once we’ve shortlisted a selection of our talent, we send our clients a link to access their portfolios, showreels, body measurements and extra talents so they can see who we’ve selected for them.

Step 3

Clients get to choose who they would like to hire along with a second and third option in case of unavailability. This info then sources back to our booking coordinator.

Step 4

Our coordinator contacts selected models to brief them about the assignment and whether they’re happy to go ahead. If they are, the following steps are actioned.

Step 5

Documents officially finalise the agreement between our models and clients.

Step 6

Models turn up for their assigned jobs and can indulge in behind-the-scenes fun.

Step 7

We complete our happiness checks and initiate model payment within five working days of the work being completed.

The day in the life of our MD booking agents is very hectic. There’s perseverance, consistency and quality support alive and kicking in our booking team’s HQ. Thanks for reading!

Mature models have always been popular, although you can never have too much of a good thing. Many modelling assignments call for mature models to get their message across. We’ve seen countless examples of mature models being recognised for their talents, from working for residential care homes to holiday parks. Whenever a big brand needs a model in their prime of life, they invariably to us to provide them with the best talent on offer. We’ve always had a successful relationship with our clients because they can rely on us to recommend exactly what they’re craving for. Our mature models certainly know they’ve joined the right team when they register their interest.

Opportunities for mature models continue to increase. We consider any model over the age of 40 years a mature model, and they’re instrumental in appealing to audiences of similar ages, or in a wide range of family modelling jobs. One of the benefits of commercial modelling is that there are chances for just about anyone, so mature models don’t get left out. In fact, the rise in mature models is not that surprising. We can come to some conclusions why models with a lot of life experience are popular:

1. Some assignments only require mature models because of the target audience. Whilst other models have the same talent and ambition, some briefs specifically need older models to see the job through from start to completion. Need an example? Look no further than the Aviva retirement campaign video, which appeared on the company’s website. Seen by a potential 30 million customers, this one really hit the mark.
2. Mature models often have more spare time on their hands as they turn their thoughts to retirement. Modelling is a fantastically fun way to earn money and make friends; some of our models consider it a hobby, accepting jobs only when they have the time. Whatever works for our models is fine with us.
3. As we have the largest range of vetted clients on our books, the odds of mature models finding ideal roles soar. The NHS, famous banks and pension schemes all need older models, and this trend seems likely to remain.
4. In general, mature modelling is slightly less competitive than other genres.

Stigmas in modelling have largely disappeared due to an increase in awareness and inclusivity. Mature models have never been stigmatised, though modelling was perhaps seen as something only younger talent could be involved in.

We never thought that, and our judgment has been confirmed by the rise in mature models year-on-year.

We welcome applications from enthusiastic and dedicated mature models – it could be the best thing you’ll do this year. As dictated by the demand from clients, we always need mature models so you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Without further ado, welcome, everyone to Liverpool Fashion Week. 

The annual iconic showcase of fashion designers’ dream collections are presented down runways in New York, London, Paris and Milan. Critics, influencers, fashion students, fashionistas, photographers and top-tier media outlets are also at the edge of their seats eagerly awaiting the newest trends and styles that will dominate the catwalk. But, did you know that our hometown Liverpool celebrates the largest fashion extravaganza outside of London?

LFW’s back story 

Liverpool Fashion Week (LFW) was launched in 2009 by Liverpool Lifestyle magazine’s owner Amanda Moss. A TV stylist proposed a collaboration with the mag to arrange a local fashion show to help new models and designers breakthrough onto mainstream runways and media.   

The positive reception and recognition that there was a gap to fill meant that Moss wanted to continue its success. And here we are today, fifteen years on.

The fashion shows motto is: “Fashion is for everyone,” which embraces everyone – from children to people enjoying life in their later years, through to the first transgender model to grace their catwalk in 2013.

This mirrors our agency’s diverse and inclusive ethos (before it was even a thing as we’ve been in the biz for over thirty years!). We see the modelling world through the same lens – where this profession should be accessible for all regardless of age, gender, size or ethnicity. It’s set to roll for this October so watch this space! 

Fun alumni trivia: Abbey Clancy’s sister Ellie modelled with Ross early in her career, whilst cousin Chloe Cummings is following her footsteps. There are many model hopefuls that walk through the show’s doors that have the scope to learn how to strike the pose, whilst designers get the ultimatum media coverage treatment – full catwalk package, networking opportunities and exposure. 

Our agency’s grit

Liverpool Models Direct has teamed up with some exceptional local clients as well as models. In this case, because we’re feeling the fashion show week vibes, we’ll take a look at Liverpool’s hair client, Pro Blo, with their award-winning DIY blow dry brush that’s been curling heads! 

Our model Sam had lots to say about her assignment: 

“Had a great time on Wednesday shooting a campaign for @problogroup! Despite the 4 am wake up call and a 3-hour drive to Liverpool, I was greeted with smiling faces and very exciting energy! The team were fantastic and the other models were so friendly and fun! We had an incredible time My biggest thank you though, goes to Charlie at MD – she was always just a call away, made me feel so comfortable and excited for the campaign, kept me informed at all times and if anything went wrong then I knew I could call her and she’d have my back. It’s amazing to be able to develop a relationship like that with your agent and I really look forward to working with her again. Thank you Models Direct, Pro Blo, the other 3 models and (especially) Charlie for making Wednesday such a wonderful experience! “Til next time! Xxx” – Sam

The story doesn’t end here though, it’s just the beginning! 

We’ll be bringing more current digital issues just like this one. Stay connected with our Liverpool Models Direct modelling agency right here for all the latest trends and news in our world. 

At MD, our client list has expanded far and wide, across the length and breadth of the UK. We’ve had trendsetters and creative dreamers contact us, usually via our hire-a-model application, on a quest to search for models who can shape their campaigns. From advertising moguls to fashion wizards and everyone in between, our team has worked with top-notch clients who had the desire to bring their marketing ideas to life with the help of our talented pool of diverse models.

From emerging start-ups to humble industry giants, our dream team has helped launch successful projects where many have returned for our reliable and professional services. So, who have we specifically worked with over our thirty-year presence in the UK modelling industry? This reading will reveal all with some of our most recent clients. These are our top picks for this edition of Who Are Our Clients? Get ready, get set…enjoy!

Why it’s good to know who we’ve worked with

Firstly, why is it good to know who we’ve collaborated with? We’ll outline the reasons why here:

It provides a space to learn about our industry reputation, particularly through the feedback we receive from clients and models alike (which you’ll find out more about later on). Working with well-established clients also demonstrates that we deliver what they need, and how well we get the job done.

If you’re considering working with us, our client history can show you whether our ethos, mission, and goals align with yours. If they do, we’re good to go!

Our respectable record of clients illustrates the demand for our modelling services.

It builds industry connections and opportunities. Prospective collaborations with other clients and creative agencies are great for networking whilst learning who your competitors are gives you a potential market lead.

The Goodsyard

Based near Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter station, this was a recent shoot for the new neighbourhood regeneration project of apartment and must-have amenities with London’s creative marketing agency, Identity Design.

“Models Direct has provided a fulfilling modelling experience. Great for those seeking enjoyable assignments and a positive modelling environment. Highly recommended.”

Participating in “The Goodsyard Apartment & Amenities Shoot” with Identity Design was a fantastic experience. Collaborating with another talented model, we seamlessly showcased the accommodation and highlighted amenities. The production team provided excellent direction and support throughout the day. The wardrobe requirements were communicated in the detailed shoot brief, ensuring a smooth and well-prepared experience. They provided refreshments and kept energy levels up. Looking forward to future collaborations.”

– Male Model David Fadimu on his photoshoot (4th February)

Spacelabs Healthcare

Another company that recently approached us for a promotional shoot and filming on how to apply their ECG equipment was Spacelabs. They have over 60 years of experience in helping care teams across the globe, and how to deal with patients who are in critical, sub-acute and perioperative stages of their health journey. Our male model Gary was selected to step in for their marketing campaign in Hertford. We’ll fill you in once the finals have been completed. In the meantime, you can see Spacelabs Healthcare’s work here.

Say it With Diamonds

This gem of a company has come to us several times over the past few years to re-establish its strong connection with our team. Most recently, Zuri, her mum and grandmother were the modelling three-generation sensations booked for the jewellery company’s 2024 Mother’s Day campaign. Booked on 6th February, their work will be coming to a digital screen near you!

If you’re interested in reading more about our collaborations with other clients, please take a look at our booking blogs. For model reviews and client testimonials, they’re here – highlighted in blue! Or, if you want more – an extensive list of the people who we’ve worked with so far. Enjoy!

We don’t expect part-time, debut or even full-time models to know everything about commercial modelling. That’s why our monthly blogs and social media pages are so important to keep everyone in loop with success stories, as well as the latest fashions and general news. Knowledge is power, that much is true!

The kind of modelling work we offer depends on each individual brief we receive from our clients. These brands are an eclectic mix of multinationals, charities, start-ups and government agencies. Companies need to evolve to move with the times, transcending previous marketing campaigns to keep an audience’s attention. The audience is most often customers if they are profit-orientated; if they’re not, then the general public is the target audience.

With the recent surge in interest in AI, you might be forgiven for thinking that most marketing has minimal human input. We can’t predict what will happen in years to come, but we can tell you that humans are a crucial factor in all the assignments we receive. It’s been that way for decades, and it’ll remain that way in our lifetime for sure. Whether it’s a basic photo shoot or a job requiring acting, human models remain the most effective way to reach target audiences.

We offer varied assignments on behalf of our clients. Every client is different, so they send us various briefs. The most common types of modelling jobs we present to models are:

1. Fashion photo shoots

2. Marketing / promo photo shoots – e.g. being photographed displaying products for a brand’s website

3. Video shoots

Whether you’ve been chosen for work by multi-million pound companies like Barclays Bank and Next or been selected by a small local brand, there are some common traits to our modelling jobs. These should help you imagine what to expect on your modelling day:

1. Organisation – we give models all the necessary details before each assignment      

2. Working with clients that have been approved by us. Only clients that have been assessed by us have access to a model’s portfolio

3. The best modelling fees around – all paid within 5 working days

4. Fun! Modelling is work, obviously, but there can’t be as many jobs that people genuinely enjoy so much

At the time of writing (Jan 2024), a new review came in from Emma – a debut model who had registered with us only three months previously. Emma had a shoot with a large hospitality company, and was delighted to submit her evaluation:

“It was nerve-racking at first, considering it was my first ever modelling job! I didn’t know what to expect, but we had a lovely team and I worked alongside other models that were lovely; they made me feel settled so quickly. I’d work with Greene King again in the future.”

Not knowing what to expect as a model may seem daunting. However, our models always report that they work with friendly, understanding teams and can’t wait for more work. We take reviews seriously – and personally!

This year should be another fascinating and successful one for all involved in the Models Direct family – our models, our clients and our colleagues. Whatever the types of assignment we offer you, you’re in good hands.

For some jobs models might be paid £100 while for others it could be into the thousands.

What we can tell you, however, is that if you carry out work through Models Direct we will always ensure you receive a fair fee.

So, how are modelling fees worked out?

Modelling fees vary greatly depending on a number of factors. These include:

1 How experienced the model is.

2 The duration of the photoshoot.

3 The location of the shoot and how far the model has to travel.

4 The complexity of the shoot and the tasks the model will be expected to carry out.

5 The role the model has within the shoot and the amount of time they will be spending in front of the camera.

Any genuine, reputable company will discuss the fee in advance with the model.

They will make it clear whether any other expenses (travel, accommodation etc) will be covered.

The model will then be able to make his or her own decision on whether to accept the job.

At Models Direct, we not only ensure we negotiate a fair fee for all our models, but we also make sure they are paid promptly, within a few days of successfully completing the booking.

Regardless of what any other photographers or so-called agencies tell you, a genuine agency will always offer you a fee for taking part in a photoshoot.

If you are asked to work without payment – perhaps on the promise of something else, such as more prestigious jobs – be very wary.

Sadly, we also often hear about models who have been promised payment for taking part in a shoot, but then the cheque or bank transfer never materialises.

At Models Direct, we like to be upfront and clear about all financial matters.

We know our fees are fair and at industry standard, but if you feel the payment we are offering is not enough, then you have the absolute right to refuse the booking.

We do, however, have many, many happy models who are only too pleased to be paid a good fee for work they enjoy.

Find out more by reading some of our reviews here.