How it all started

OK so like I get asked all of the time how I got in to scouting......

Well basically it was kind of a full circle thing really....

I first came across 'scouting' a number of years ago whilst at still at college. Myself and a few friends decided to occupy ourselves one weekend by hitting Birmingham for the Clothes Show at the N.E.C.

Whilst there my friend (an exchange student from America) was stopped by a couple of scouts from Storm, one of which was Sarah Vickery. They explained to my friend they liked his look etc and that they would love to take some quick pics of him there and then. After that we just chatted to them for a bit and I remember Sarah being surprisingly cool and down to earth.

Some years later (2010 now) I was invited to a party in London by my cousin who was designing for Chloe at the time. Whilst there I got chatting to a few people from Select who suggested I might want to pop in and have a word about scouting for them. Instantly I remembered back to Sarah and thought how cool it would be to do that job and so a few weeks later I made contact with not just anyone at Select, but...Clare and Chrissie Castagnetti (owners) of Select.

I was tasked by both Clare and Chrissie to prove myself prior to a meeting I was to have with them, so prior to the meeting I went scouting in the city that I was living and studying in (Liverpool) and found what I thought to be a good couple of potential models. The time had now come for my London meeting at Select and I was really nervous about showing them the people that I had 'scouted'. Clare really liked the girls I had spotted but pointed out a few areas of development, which were great to take forward. From that moment on I was invited to scout officially with Select at the Clothes Show Live at the N.E.C where my friend was stopped about 5 years ago!

 
I had arranged via Clare to meet the Select Model Management team inside the N.E.C as they had a stand there. Not knowing any of the team I was really nervous about meeting them all and in a strange way....being judged I guessed.

Arriving at Birmingham Airport train station I hurriedly headed over to the Hilton Hotel where the team we also staying to drop my bags off, get changed quickly and head over to begin a days scouting.

I called my contact, Hannah for my 'staff badge' to get my in. I was meat by a Junior Booker who took me in to the arena before it opened so I could get to the stand and get changed in to a 'Scouting' T-shirt. 

The stand that Select had was amazing, it was covered from top to bottom in front covers of the world's biggest magazines with their models - it was incredible.  The stand itself had a big high desk and a consultation area where scouted models and parents could go for a chat and on the other side was a mini photographic studio where scouted girls and guys had some polaroid shots taken to help the team decide later on who they should be invited down to London. 

To get to that point though a team of scouts had to walk the entire N.E.C over and over again looking for those special few that could go on to model for one of the finest and well respected agencies in the world. During the Clothes Show I had managed to find some good people for the agency and upon the event closing after a few days I was invited to scout for them going forward.

However whilst at the Clothes Show Live who should I bump in to but none other than Sarah Vickery who had scouted my friend all of those years earlier. Sarah was now working for NEXT Model Management a global mega brand. After a catch up etc I had set up a meeting in London with Sarah and the team and so my network began.