IMTA - Exclusive Interview with Top Model Zhanna Ved

IMTA is very pleased to present an exclusive interview with Zhanna, an amazing, grounded, stunningly beautiful and very successful model!

IMTA: Please describe your IMTA experience...

Zhanna: In one phrase, that actually is quoted to this day at every IMTA convention: "It's the place to go, to make your dreams come true in the industry..."

IMTA: What are your best tips for success for someone who wants to be a model?

Zhanna: Do not lose focus of what is important, modeling is a tough job, never the less very rewarding. The travel, the social life, the perks can go to your head and you can lose focus of why you started to model in the first place, I can not even say how many models I have met through out my career that have been dropped by their agencies because of bad conduct and not doing their job. Stay healthy, eat healthy and always stay close to your family one way or the other, that always keeps your feet on the ground makes you want to do better as a model.

IMTA: What did you learn at IMTA that helps you in your career?

Zhanna: EVERYTHING, How to walk, how to pose, how to talk to clients, how to portray myself as a professional model and as a professional woman.

IMTA: Tell us about your favorite shoot? What are some of the most exciting places you have traveled?

Zhanna: My favorite shoot was for Marie France, where I got to go Mexico for 5 days, all expenses paid, I got treated like a rockstar. We finished in a day so I got to vacation for 4 days and I got payed for the whole length of my stay there, it was amazing. And the pictures didn't come out too bad either ;)

IMTA: What is a typical day for you? i.e. go-sees, interviews, etc.

Zhanna: I wake up early in the morning to double check my schedule ( I check it before I go to bed ). I make myself a healthy breakfast I like to eat multi grain cereal and some fruit. I go for a quick run and then come back and get ready to hit my castings. I usually on average have around 4-6 castings a day. After I am done with my castings which I try to always be on time,l since the clients time its quite important and valuable...I hang out with my friends for tea and girl talk.

Later I meet with my boyfriend who is in the industry also and we usually go get dinner or watch a movie, occasionally we go to a friends party or an industry event as we are invited to a lot of those event, but we try to keep it within early hours so we can go to work fresh and focused the next day.

When we get home I like to cook dinner, my favorite is some Asian salad and grilled chicken, then usually I read whatever I can on the industry to keep me updated, then a little TV to unwind and then try to go to bed as early as possible.


IMTA: Would you recommend IMTA as a starting point for aspiring models and actors?

Zhanna: Definitely IMTA helped me out so much in my training and focus as a model, and introduced me to the agencies I have been working for years now. A great platform for anybody to start and get pushed in the right direction within this industry.

Quick Answer!

Favorite Food: Red Apples
Favorite Band: The Beatles and Coldplay
Favorite Movie: The Devil Wears Prada
Favorite Celebrity: Angelina Jolie
Favorite Magazine: Cosmopolitan
Favorite Possession: My boyfriend hahaha just kidding, my yellow hand bag I take everywhere with me to castings...its my everyday bag, and my iphone.
Fascinated With: Life and Fashion
Grossed out by: Creepy crawlers (bugs...anything that can sting you or crawl up to you), especially spiders.

*article courtesy of IMTA

SOMW welcomes Jasmine Pierce into the family

We are proud to introduce to all of you Jasmine Pierce, this bright young lady was introduced into our lives a couple of months ago, becoming a good friend. Now she has decided to share her gift of writing with us, being a contributor for Cosmopolitan Magazine, she has found her way into the SOMW family as our new columnist, with her fresh sparkling personality we are excited to welcome her on board and looking forward to see what exciting articles she will be sharing with all of us.

Please stay tuned on what Jasmine will be up to...if you want to reach out to her, you can email her at: jasmine@somw.org

Welcome to the family Jasmine!!

Masha Rudenko for Cosmpolitan Germany - November 2009 Issue

Check out the spread Masha Rudenko did for Cosmopolitan in Germany...you just gotta love her look and attitude...keep the good work Masha!!

Masha is with Major Model Management in New York

IMTA: scam? window of opportunity? blessing?

We were fortunate enough to attend the IMTA awards this past week that where held at The Hilton Hotel on 53rd and 6th Avenue.

This being our first physical interaction with IMTA gave us a lot of mixed signals and different opinions, this is how our evening started and how it developed:

When we arrived we were taken to a back room with an open bar, we saw some models, bookers and other fashion industry insiders. Our first impression was this is quite the small award ceremony compared to VH1 fashion awards (if you remember those). Talking to presenters that were giving out the awards for model of the year (female and male) we saw how they were discovered during this convention.

We took a walk through out the halls and saw aspiring models, and other young people that think that they can model when the reality is completely far from the truth.

They escort us to the VIP section at the dinner, and to our surprise we see around 3,000 guests at this dinner, everything from scouts, bookers, agents, photographers, coreographers, models, aspiring models, aspiring actresses, parents, guests...WOW it blew our mind away the great impact this convention has on the American culture and the whole world for that matter.

At our table we had the pleasure to meet some models that are signed with Whilemina and Elite Model Management, they actually got discovered at this event a few years go.

We ran into bookers from M4 Model Management in Germany, Ford Models, Elite, IMG, Major, Whilemina, Beatrice in Paris..well a lot of important names in the industry. Surrounded by tables with major players in the scene and talking to them apparently it all comes down to the final rounds of MODELS OF THEY YEAR (female and male).

The ceremony starts, there are some performances by some young aspiring musicians, which I have to say they were NOT good at all, except for this phillipino brother and sister who blew our minds away with their voices...young men aspiring to be the next Justin Timberlake, or the next Yianni (famous piano player in case you do not know!)

We can see how IMTA is a business, they feed off of the dreams of hundres, THOUSANDS of young men and women around the globe with the "opportunity" of getting their foot into stardom. The scence of "scam" comes to our heads...but the slowly we start seeing how 1 out of 500 actually has potential, and is that 1 person that makes a complete difference, either if he or she is a model or actress.

By my left side I see this older gentleman sitting down enjoying his cheesecake, and slowly I notice how every agent in the room waved or came by to pay his/hers respects. This was no other than a huge producer for TV and MOVIES that is there with the sole purpose of seeing who is the female/male model of the year and also to see what potential there is for the acting division competition. Now this competition for actors is quite impressive, the most impressive category was the kids division...the kids that won their categories...WOW!! You could see an 8 year old little boy nailing to perfection his role, this is what this gentleman was looking for.

We started talking to this producer which we will call AL, he started telling us about how he has been attending this conventions for 23 years and has discovered talent for famous TV shows and BLOCKBUSTER MOVIES, he did not give away names as for confidentiality of his clients, but I can see this guy is not joking around. Even though IMTA is a well oiled machine that charges around $5,000 dlls. to each contestant to participate, it is what they claim to be...A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY.

Now after numerous awards for dancers, singers, actors...the awards for MODELS OF THE YEAR start, this is what we are here for...with the question mark in our heads...is this for real or is this just a scam?

Well ladies and gentleman its as real as it gets, we had the opportunity to see amazing talent walking down that stage, faces we will see in NUMERO, V MAN, VOGUE, COSMOPOLITAN, NYLON, GQ to mention a few, gracing runways of Paris, Milano, New York...I mean the talent they brought to this competition took my breath away, I got to see FIRST ROW how young men and women from all over the country came as an aspiring model and left as an agency model.

IMTA is definitely an opportunity to shine and learn, do not miss the chance if you have it.

For more information on IMTA please do not hesitate to email us at info@somw.org

You can also visit their website: www.imta.com