Former model writes book revealing secrets of modelling industry

Clare Wilson’s modelling career began in Bristol when she attended a casting call at the Marriott Royal hotel on College Green when she was just 16 after her mum heard an advert on the radio.

The shy teenager had taken the train here from her home in Taunton and was soon signed up by the prestigious Models 1 agency in London.

Fast forward a few years and Clare was rubbing shoulders with the likes of Naomi Campbell and Cameron Diaz, shooting worldwide campaigns for leading brands.

After leaving the life of a professional model behind, Clare founded her own agency, Gingersnap, which is now based in the Paintworks.

Uniquely positioned to see every aspect of the industry, she has now written a book, So You Want to be a Model?, a how-to guide for how to have a successful career.

Clare Wilson with a copy of her new book, ‘So You Want to be a Model?’ – photo: Clare Wilson

Clare, 49, lives near Keynsham with her husband Damion and their three daughters, Amber, 23, Darcy, 21, and Connie, 11.

She started writing So You Want to be a Model? in 2018 and is having a launch party for the book on Friday at Gingersnap’s offices.

On a recent morning at Alex Does Coffee in the Paintworks, just a few hundred yards from the headquarters of her business, Clare recalls her first tentative steps into modelling as someone with no experience at all of the profession that later took her across the globe, onto catwalks and into the pages of industry bible Vogue.

“I have spent 30 years in a career that I think is still a bit of a hidden world,” says Clare.

“People see it from the outside and they don’t know how it all works. It can seem frightening. Over the years, I have been building up all this experience and brilliant stories that I hope people can learn from.

“Now I’m older, I have got a bit more confidence but when I was a model I was often embarrassed. The industry still has a certain stigma.”

As a model and an agent, Clare has built up a wealth of experience from both sides of the industry – photo: Clare Wilson

As a model, Clare was a “slow burn” in her own words, spending much of her time at the Models 1 flat in Fulham in London but also travelling to work at shows in cities like Milan and being the face of campaigns for companies including Salon Selectives.

Her striking red hair was much sought-after in Milan and Clare took every opportunity presented to her in order to progress as a model, which was top of her career goals after leaving school followed by a nurse and air hostess; far removed from a job which at its height saw her accompanied by security guards looking after her clothes and jewellery.

“I could write ten more books about my experiences,” says Clare, who once even was booked for a private event hosted by Cherie Blair while she was living in number 10 as the wife of the prime minister.

“I talk in the book about mental health and how to cope with rejection. I was successful and I probably only got around 20 per cent of the jobs that I went for.

“The impetus for writing the book was the amount of times that I get asked how the modelling industry works, the inside scoop and what is actually going on. This book pulls back the curtains and reveals how people can get into modelling. I feel that I needed to shout about how this industry is available to everyone.”

To buy Clare’s book, visit www.amazon.co.uk/So-you-want-model-Successful/dp/1800422423

Main photo: Clare Wilson

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