If You Want to Be a Model, Watch Your DMs Carefully

From ELLE

When New York City–based actress Coco Baudelle sat down for lunch at the Lower East Side hipster eatery Dimes precisely 83 weeks ago, she didn't think much of the post-meal Instagram the restaurant later posted. She certainly didn't expect that photo to lead to a modeling career.

"I thought I was the opposite of what the modeling world is looking for," she says. "I'm short, petite in every way, I have a weird tooth." But it was that photo that caught the attention of Glossier founder and CEO Emily Weiss, who subsequently slid into her DMs. "I thought it was a prank because I was a pretty big fan of Into the Gloss [the blog, created by Weiss, that preceded the launch of Glossier]," Baudelle says. "She set up a casual meeting, just me and her, and we just talked. By the end of our coffee Emily said, 'You laugh a lot, I love that.' A few days later we were shooting Glossier's first campaign."

We've all lost hours, days, hell, probably even months of our lives at this point down Instagram's rabbit hole: one wedding hashtag leads to the page of a girl you sorta remember and were sorta scared of in college and definitely want to find out what she's up to now-Whoa. She has three kids!? But if you work at Glossier, the cool-oozing beauty start-up, it's part of the job. That's how the company finds the fresh-faced, bold-browed beauties who represent their brand.

"In the beginning when we were doing the first round of casting for Glossier, I was totally consumed with discovering these amazing girls on Instagram," Weiss says. "I would literally fall into a black hole until the wee hours of the morning, scrolling through girls' feeds who I found inspiring." Annie Kreighbaum, Glossier's executive editor, lays the strategy bare: "I find girls just through good old-fashioned stalking," she says. "I see someone post a photo and tag their friend, go on her page to see more and so on. The trick is to look at the 'tagged' photos. Especially with so many people using Photoshopping apps, Instagram can be a bit misleading."

Occasionally the strategy backfires. "I DM'd this really cool girl with an amazing haircut and bone structure," Kreighbaum recalls. "I'd been following her for a while because she's so intelligent and witty. We planned to meet up at the offices on a Saturday because it was best for her schedule. And the night before she messaged me saying "Hey, is it okay if my dad comes? I'm only 15." Anyway, that's why we haven't used her-she's a baby! Needless to say I felt like a huge weirdo. Her dad was actually really good looking, so I'll keep him in mind if we transition into men's products."

Traditional modeling agencies have been using Instagram to scout for the past couple of years. In December 2014, IMG launched @weloveyourgenes, an Instagram account with the express purpose of "finding new modeling talent around the world!" "By using social media we no longer have to rely on chance to discover a fantastic new face," says Jeni Rose, VP of IMG Models. "Scouting no longer has to be random process for us. It's a pleasure to connect directly with potential talent via the strength and following of our brand." Casting agent Noah Shelly told The Cut in March 2015, "They have interns at the model agencies going through Instagram and looking for people with large followings, and they're just signing them."

But it wasn't until fairly recently that brands have started to forgo modeling agencies and head straight to Instagram. Because more and more, Instagram-not the NYC streets or a South London mall or some far-flung corner of Russia-is the most effective place to discover new faces in the modeling world. In some instances, as in Glossier's, Instagram has all but replaced traditional modeling agencies. (Glossier still, on occasion, uses agencies, but relies heavily on Instagram.) Two years ago, Marc by Marc Jacobs cast its campaign via Instagram, inviting submissions with the hashtag #CastMeMarc. Jacobs told WWD at the time that he thought the strategy was "current and strong."

It's a strategy that works for Glossier. Because even though Instagram is known for its filters and is filled with Facetune-d selfies, it's also become a place where women feel increasingly comfortable sharing #iwokeuplikethis no-makeup, pimple-revealing photos of themselves. "Right alongside someone that uses fillers and Facetune, you'll see someone showing off their zits and natural eyebrows. Sometimes it's the same person!" Kreighbaum says. "We have a long way to go before the digitally and surgically enhanced options lose out to something more raw and real, if that's even what people want. But, at least with Instagram, people are rapidly learning the difference." What's more, Instagram offers a fuller and richer portrait of a potential model. "I like to work with girls that have a strong sense of self," Kreighbaum adds. "It doesn't feel natural just to pick a girl from a few images on an agency's website and say, 'She should represent our brand!' Even if we decide to go with someone signed to an agency, we do our homework to make sure we're right for each other." That homework, naturally, involves an "Instagram creep."