Author of Model Student,
Robin Hazelwood
Robin Hazelwood
Copyright 2008-by Celeste/All Rights Reserved
Celeste: What inspired you to write Model Student?
Robin: While I was modeling, I kept thinking, someone should write a book about this crazy business. Many years later, I decided that someone would be me.
Celeste: You grew up in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and you became a model yourself. How did you break into modeling while living in Wisconsin?
Robin: I took a class at an agency in Milwaukee and started getting local work thereafter. I was also stopped by Billy Ford, Eileen Ford’s son, at Summerfest, and was encouraged to join the Ford Modeling Agency in New York, which shows, I guess, that if you have the right look for the business, the business is pretty good at finding you, no matter where you are.
Celeste: I have to ask-- about the bathtub scene in your book--did something similar happen to you in your modeling career..and if so, how did you handle it?!
Robin: Every scene in my book was inspired by real things that happened in my modeling career, as hard as that may be to believe! I wasn’t always as calm, cool and collected as Emily; when situations made me really uncomfortable, I’d either call my agent, flee the scene, cry, or some combination of the three!
Celeste: Robin-you graduated from Yale and were a professional model in the 80's and 90's. How did you survive? What motivated you to stay in the top of your game in academics and in the beauty department?
Robin: I used to be a competitive swimmer and I think all those hours of training instilled a strong work ethic in me. But I hardly feel as if I mastered both realms: far from it!
I undoubtedly would have had a better GPA if I hadn’t modeled and I certainly would have had a much more lucrative modeling career if I hadn’t gone to college. But life is about tradeoffs, isn’t it? I decided to pursue both, even if it meant I would sometimes be flailing.
Celeste: What is your beauty regime today?
Robin: Hmm. Well, I have dry skin, so I use Cetaphil to cleanse my face and then a vitamin C serum, followed by a moisturizer with sunscreen. Sunscreen is key, even in Wisconsin, and I prefer those with Mexoryl SX because it is more stable than many sunscreens and goes on well. At night I use Renova and a heavier moisturizer. But I can’t take credit for any part of this regimen: I happen to have a great dermatologist.
Celeste: You say models are born pretty. In your opinion, what defines a model?
Robin: That line was a refutation of the oft repeated phrase, “I was SUCH an ugly duckling,” spoken, invariably, by a stunning supermodel, about herself when she was younger—my character, Emily Woods, was having none of that!
From my perspective, a model just happens to have a certain type of look that translates well in photographs. She often doesn’t have to be gorgeous in the conventional sense, she mainly needs to be interesting to look at, and to have a body type that flatters the clothing she is paid to wear.
There are so many stunning women out there who, for whatever reason, don’t work well as models, and so many models which are very plain looking in person. It’s better, I think, not to conflate the two because it leads to the idea that there’s only one form of real beauty and that’s simply not the case.
Celeste: There has been a lot of talk in the media lately about models being too thin. Why now and is anything REALLY being done about it? (i.e. designers hiring curvier figures, etc.)
Robin: It’s strange to think of body types being trendy, but right now in fashion, there is a tendency to favor incredibly skinny models. Models have always been thin, of course, but so many today look like they must have an eating disorder, and that’s what led to the outcry.
Abroad, some countries have taken steps to ban emaciated models; here, I’m not clear what the fashion industry claims to be doing; I, for one, haven’t noticed any sort of pendulum shift back toward a healthier looking body type.
Celeste: The main character, Emily, found it challenging to balance being a student and her modeling career. Do you think a girl can be successful at both at the same time?
Robin: I think it’s very hard. In fact, when my book came out, I received a call from a woman enrolled at Princeton who was also a fashion model. She’d read my book and felt she faced many of the same challenges to the point where she ultimately stopped modeling in favor of her course work.
The problem is: the peak money making years for a typical female model is her late teens/ early twenties; the agencies hardly have an incentive to try to work around a rigorous academic schedule.
Celeste: How is modeling different today than it was in the 80's and 90's?
Robin: Models are much thinner. Also, I modeled in the era of the Supermodel: fashion models commanded the majority of the covers, the advertising campaigns. Today, the lucrative contracts all go to actresses. It’s a different game now.
Celeste: How did your parents influence your own modeling career?
Robin: My mother was the one who suggested the modeling class, but it was really from the perspective of a parent wanting to explore every opportunity for her child.
My parents were not very involved in my career, but were okay with my modeling so long as it didn’t interfere with my education. It did, of course, but I managed to stay in school and get decent grades. If my parents hadn’t been so adamant, I’m not sure what would have happened; looking back, I’m glad they were.
Celeste: What advice would you give to parents out there who have a son or daughter interested in pursuing the modeling industry?
Robin: There are many people out there who will charge you a lot of money in order to help you pursue this dream; you’ll know you’re right for the business when an agency is willing to invest in you: front the cost of getting your pictures taken, spend time developing your career, educating you, that type of thing. If that doesn’t happen, you’re better off making a living in other ways.
Celeste: When will your next book be hitting the shelves and will it be as juicy as Model Student?
Robin: Perhaps even juicier! My next novel, tentatively called Hampton Share, follows five thirty-somethings over the course of one summer, and it’s set in the Hamptons, the glitzy resort community located at the tip of Long Island. I’m there right now; it’s a place I know well, and the book should be a fun read, I think!
Look for it in the summer of 2010.
Celeste: Robin, thank you so much for this interview.
Robin: Thank you! I feel honored that you wanted to interview me.
Robin: While I was modeling, I kept thinking, someone should write a book about this crazy business. Many years later, I decided that someone would be me.
Celeste: You grew up in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and you became a model yourself. How did you break into modeling while living in Wisconsin?Robin: I took a class at an agency in Milwaukee and started getting local work thereafter. I was also stopped by Billy Ford, Eileen Ford’s son, at Summerfest, and was encouraged to join the Ford Modeling Agency in New York, which shows, I guess, that if you have the right look for the business, the business is pretty good at finding you, no matter where you are.
Celeste: I have to ask-- about the bathtub scene in your book--did something similar happen to you in your modeling career..and if so, how did you handle it?!
Robin: Every scene in my book was inspired by real things that happened in my modeling career, as hard as that may be to believe! I wasn’t always as calm, cool and collected as Emily; when situations made me really uncomfortable, I’d either call my agent, flee the scene, cry, or some combination of the three!
Celeste: Robin-you graduated from Yale and were a professional model in the 80's and 90's. How did you survive? What motivated you to stay in the top of your game in academics and in the beauty department?
Robin: I used to be a competitive swimmer and I think all those hours of training instilled a strong work ethic in me. But I hardly feel as if I mastered both realms: far from it!
I undoubtedly would have had a better GPA if I hadn’t modeled and I certainly would have had a much more lucrative modeling career if I hadn’t gone to college. But life is about tradeoffs, isn’t it? I decided to pursue both, even if it meant I would sometimes be flailing.
Celeste: What is your beauty regime today?
Robin: Hmm. Well, I have dry skin, so I use Cetaphil to cleanse my face and then a vitamin C serum, followed by a moisturizer with sunscreen. Sunscreen is key, even in Wisconsin, and I prefer those with Mexoryl SX because it is more stable than many sunscreens and goes on well. At night I use Renova and a heavier moisturizer. But I can’t take credit for any part of this regimen: I happen to have a great dermatologist.
Celeste: You say models are born pretty. In your opinion, what defines a model?
Robin: That line was a refutation of the oft repeated phrase, “I was SUCH an ugly duckling,” spoken, invariably, by a stunning supermodel, about herself when she was younger—my character, Emily Woods, was having none of that!
From my perspective, a model just happens to have a certain type of look that translates well in photographs. She often doesn’t have to be gorgeous in the conventional sense, she mainly needs to be interesting to look at, and to have a body type that flatters the clothing she is paid to wear.
There are so many stunning women out there who, for whatever reason, don’t work well as models, and so many models which are very plain looking in person. It’s better, I think, not to conflate the two because it leads to the idea that there’s only one form of real beauty and that’s simply not the case.
Celeste: There has been a lot of talk in the media lately about models being too thin. Why now and is anything REALLY being done about it? (i.e. designers hiring curvier figures, etc.)
Robin: It’s strange to think of body types being trendy, but right now in fashion, there is a tendency to favor incredibly skinny models. Models have always been thin, of course, but so many today look like they must have an eating disorder, and that’s what led to the outcry.
Abroad, some countries have taken steps to ban emaciated models; here, I’m not clear what the fashion industry claims to be doing; I, for one, haven’t noticed any sort of pendulum shift back toward a healthier looking body type.
Celeste: The main character, Emily, found it challenging to balance being a student and her modeling career. Do you think a girl can be successful at both at the same time?
Robin: I think it’s very hard. In fact, when my book came out, I received a call from a woman enrolled at Princeton who was also a fashion model. She’d read my book and felt she faced many of the same challenges to the point where she ultimately stopped modeling in favor of her course work.
The problem is: the peak money making years for a typical female model is her late teens/ early twenties; the agencies hardly have an incentive to try to work around a rigorous academic schedule.
Celeste: How is modeling different today than it was in the 80's and 90's?
Robin: Models are much thinner. Also, I modeled in the era of the Supermodel: fashion models commanded the majority of the covers, the advertising campaigns. Today, the lucrative contracts all go to actresses. It’s a different game now.
Celeste: How did your parents influence your own modeling career?
Robin: My mother was the one who suggested the modeling class, but it was really from the perspective of a parent wanting to explore every opportunity for her child.
My parents were not very involved in my career, but were okay with my modeling so long as it didn’t interfere with my education. It did, of course, but I managed to stay in school and get decent grades. If my parents hadn’t been so adamant, I’m not sure what would have happened; looking back, I’m glad they were.
Celeste: What advice would you give to parents out there who have a son or daughter interested in pursuing the modeling industry?
Robin: There are many people out there who will charge you a lot of money in order to help you pursue this dream; you’ll know you’re right for the business when an agency is willing to invest in you: front the cost of getting your pictures taken, spend time developing your career, educating you, that type of thing. If that doesn’t happen, you’re better off making a living in other ways.
Celeste: When will your next book be hitting the shelves and will it be as juicy as Model Student?
Robin: Perhaps even juicier! My next novel, tentatively called Hampton Share, follows five thirty-somethings over the course of one summer, and it’s set in the Hamptons, the glitzy resort community located at the tip of Long Island. I’m there right now; it’s a place I know well, and the book should be a fun read, I think!
Look for it in the summer of 2010.
Celeste: Robin, thank you so much for this interview.
Robin: Thank you! I feel honored that you wanted to interview me.
