A model student (From Hampshire Society)

A model student

12:16pm Saturday 6th June 2009

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A thirteenth birthday outing to the Clothes Show exhibition in Birmingham ended with rather more than party bags and cake for Barton-On-Sea schoolgirl Annabelle Porter.

Enjoying a ‘girlie’ day celebrating with her best friends she couldn’t have wished for a better birthday surprise after she was scouted by London’s top modeling agency Select Model Management.

And faster than you can say Naomi Campbell she was invited to go to their London offices to join their books.

Now she is being promoted as one of their exciting ‘New Faces’ or ‘Verve’ models, with an international modelling career at her feet.

And before Annabelle’s feet could touch the ground, she was also asked to film several scenes with Martin Clunes for his new BBC comedy series The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin.

The Durlston Court school pupil, who has studied theatre at Swish of the Curtain Theatre School in Bournemouth for the last nine years, had joined an extras agency based at Pinewood Studios.

She and three other Swish pupils were offered the Reggie Perrin job, just two days after joining.

Annabelle has previously played the young Meg in the film The Phantom of the Opera and has taken part in many Swish stage musicals. But she loves fashion and designing her own clothes, so the Select signing was ‘a dream come true’.

Select pioneered model ‘scouting’, getting out onto the streets to find natural, individual and unique looks to be groomed into major names in the fashion world and they have discovered the likes of British models Agyness Deyn, Sienna Miller, Daisy Lowe, Lily Donaldson, Eliza and Stella Tennant.

Susannah Hooker, who heads the Verve team, said: “Eighty per cent of our models are English. We love discovering and promoting the cool British girls.

“Annabelle has a strong editorial look and she stands out from the crowd as she is so tall (5ft 10”) for her age plus she has such a great character, which is very important in this business.”

Annabelle was invited to London to meet the team so they could talk to her and her parents about Select, modelling and the industry.

Professional photographer, Richard Stow, took some natural snaps without make-up, then she was whisked to hair and make-up to be styled for the proper studio shots.

Susannah said: “I think Annabelle has great potential and her experience as an actress means that she is comfortable and confident in front of the camera.

“I envisage her doing magazines, catwalk (not before she is 16), lookbooks and campaigns.”

As one of the top international agencies in the world Select is well positioned to take her to the dizzy heights of catwalks all over the world and to help her grace the covers of some of the fashion industry’s top magazines, like Vogue.

Fashion is always looking for the next big thing and Susannah explains that it is her job to look after the girls, who can be as young as 13.

And at such an impressionable age it is important to offer good advice on diet and health.

She said: “Girls’ bodies are regularly changing and therefore we recommend drinking lots of water, healthy eating and exercising. And try not to eat too much junk food as it is bad for your skin. We do not recommend dieting for young girls.

Does she have any views/concerns about over-skinny models?

“At Select we are a family-run business and many of the bookers have children themselves. We look after our girls and their health as a priority and if girls need help with their bodies we get them personal trainers and nutritionists.”

At Select many models have branched out into TV and the music business.

Having represented the likes of Vernon Kay, Holly Davidson, Sadie Frost, Camilla Rutherford, Sienna Miller and Alesha Dixon, they have strong links with the entertainment world.

So what advice can Susannah give to parents of young models/aspiring models?

“Thoroughly check out any agencies you are taking your children to see. Look at the websites first and get a feel for if your child would be right for that agency. Also look at height requirements. If you are ever approached by people saying they think your child has potential and they can do a portfolio for £500, run a mile! Any reputable agency will be able to tell potential from just a simple snapshot or holiday photo and we do not ask for any money. Also if you live far from an agency, email in a clear head shot (no make-up and natural hair) and a full length shot, with age and height details and then someone can respond from the agency.”

Annabelle has already done three shoots with Select in order to build up her portfolio and she is now being promoted as one of their bright new talents.

But because she is still at school her working day is limited to weekends and school holidays.

Surprisingly, Annabelle who lives at Highcliffe with her mum Jo, dad Richard and brothers Alfie, 11, and Freddie, six, has taken it all in her stride.

Describing her second photo shoot for Elle – where a team of six including a designer, make-up artist, hair artist, two assistant stylists and a photographer were on board – she said: “It was all really exciting, like a dream come true but I felt nervous. I was scared I might damage something, especially when my dad asked how much some of the dresses cost and they said ‘a few thousand!’ “It was really interesting and exciting and I learnt a lot from it. They taught me how to relax my mouth and told me all about the make-up and the clothes, which were all designer. They told me to relax, be myself and just look natural. They said don’t pose, but they told me how to stand.”

“We shot pictures in this old-fashioned building, like a barn, and it was really cold but they had a heater and kept warming me up with hot drinks. It was very hard work.

I thought it would be easy but I was really tired by the end. The best part was feeling so glamorous – and important!”

Annabelle has been told she can earn anything from £50 a day to £50,000 a day or more. And one of the bonuses is travelling to glamorous and exotic locations.

In the near future, who knows?

Annabelle could be the face of the next Top Shop or Miss Selfridge campaign, but in the meantime viewers can look out for her in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, in scenes shot at the factory, at Marylebone train station and in the scene where he visits his wife’s school to talk to her unruly pupils!

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