Answering a Reader Question #249

Cheyenne Wrote:

Hey Dania! My name is Cheyenne, I have been working at becoming a model for a while now. (I have never been turned down) I have the looks, the body, the size, everything except I am 5'5" :(. My hardest part is all the stretches and exercise I do every day to grow just a little. My question is I live out in Los Angeles and I want to get signed by Ford, I know the ideal spot to move onto VS is Ford Modeling in New York, but just how hard is it to get hired from the one in Los Angeles? Is it nearly imposible or if I work super hard, is it posible?
Thank You!

Hey there, Cheyenne! First, let me say that unfortunately, there are no exercises that will result in you growing significantly taller, especially to do fashion/runway modeling. Human growth and anatomy just doesn't work that way. It's all in the genetics so if height doesn't run in your family and/or if you're already 18 or older and still 5'5", it's 99.9% likely that you're at the height you'll be for the rest of your adult life--even with all the exercising and stretching.

That being said, you won't be able to get signed to Ford in New York in order to do VS work because the minimum height requirement for them in that market is 5'9"--they've actually raised it from the industry minimum standard of 5'8", which puts you even more out of reach, height-wise. Ford in LA probably also maintains the 5'9" minimum height requirement but you'll have to check the Ford website for the LA location to make sure.

You are the right height, however, for commercial/print--I highly recommend submitting yourself to agencies in LA with commercial/print divisions. This is the most realistic route to pursue in order to start a modeling career. I wish you the best of luck!

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