Model agent Anjel Amend-Chamberland
As a model booking agent for 14 years now, her job also involves promoting the Guild's beauties and, at times, being honest and offering constructive criticism.
"If clients say, 'You know what, we love her but we feel she should drop a few pounds or cut her hair,' " Amend-Chamberland said, "we let the model know. ... We know it's helpful for them."
The Guild's more than 300 clients include Eddie Bauer, Nordstrom, The Bon and outside firms such as L.L. Bean and Land's End. Amend-Chamberland estimates that about 80 percent of the catalog work caters to outdoorsy, leisurely fashions. She helps match these companies with the faces they need.
"For our market, the men and women in their early 30s to mid-30s tend to work the most," she said. "The men need to look believable wearing a suit. The women need to look a little more believable wearing tailored clothing."
All the pretty faces: Amend-Chamberland sits in on the Guild's open calls, which are held three days a week. Model hopefuls who meet industry height standards — at least 5-foot-8 for women, 6 feet for men — drop in with photos in hand.
"We kind of like to see how they present themselves. And they don't need to be professionals," the model agent said. "The photos are important. Sometimes they look average in person, but the camera loves them."
The Guild lands "really strong" models about three or four times a year. Finding someone with a "good look" is easier, and happens about 10 times a year. The company does not conduct photo shoots, but Amend-Chamberland estimates that at least one of their approximately 450 models — 250 of whom are local — does a shoot for someone, somewhere, every day.
Among the Guild's most famous faces (though each went onto become actresses): Hilary Swank, who was once a child client with the Guild, and "Melrose Place" star Josie Bissett.
The Seattle modeling industry ranks among the top 10 in the country, Amend-Chamberland said, but the local market does take a backseat to New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago and a few other cities. Modeling work here consists largely of catalog material, commercial print work, and some film and video, but very little for editorial purposes such as magazines.
"If you were to open Vogue and they had a spread with Gisele (Bundchen) and Gucci, that kind of stuff doesn't happen in Seattle," she said.
Despite the bad rap that often surrounds modeling agents, Amend-Chamberland says it isn't difficult to be taken seriously, or as someone trustworthy, when approaching potential model clients in public.
"Because I look like a somewhat approachable woman," she said. "I think they're more or less taken aback and flattered. I think it's a little bit easier, having done it for so long."
The 5-foot-7 Amend-Chamberland has also been on the other side.
Once a model: Her most memorable shoot during her three-year modeling career in the late '80s was for a cheerleading catalog.
"The hair was bad, the outfit was bad, and I remember they wanted all of the models to be super-busty," she said, laughing. "But we were teenagers, so we weren't. So they had a fake table of enhancements. We got to pick how big we wanted to be."
Amend-Chamberland eventually decided, though, that she wasn't about to uproot herself and move to New York for a modeling career. Instead, she joined the Portland casting agency that represented her and started working as an assistant booking agent.
She remembers what it was like to be a young professional, and coaches models, especially those still in high school, with lessons on professionalism and the high expectations others have of them.
"Some don't have a driver's license yet, and they're making $1,500 a day," Amend-Chamberland said. "It's our responsibility to lead them and give them information that's going to help them and better them."
Her advice: 1) Be professional: "Just having them show up on time, dressed and appearing appropriate to whatever job they're booked for."
2) "Personality plays a huge role in this business. The client needs to spend a full day with the person for the shoot. It doesn't mean they have to be the class clown or the most interesting, but just pleasant."
Young Chang: 206-748-5815 or ychang@seattletimes.com