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Author Q&A: Almost 5'4"

By Julia Scirrotto on Friday 19 March 2010

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Almost 5 4-book review - marie claire LP

Petite model Isobella Jade talks to Marie Claire about her memoir, Almost 5'4": Confessions of an Unconventional Model

As the madness of the autumn/winter 2010 fashion shows came to a close a few weeks back, we picked up a copy of Isobella Jade's new memoir, Almost 5"4' (£7.99, The Friday Project/HarperCollins), for an insider's look at the modelling industry. As the title suggests, Jade is a petite model, deemed too short by the elite agencies for runway work. The book tells the story - often in painful detail - of her journey from an amateur model booking unpaid jobs on the internet (think racy photos shot by "photographers" with dubious credentials) to a seasoned pro nailing jobs with MTV, Victoria's Secret and US department store Macy's, among others. We chatted with the NYC-based model/author/blogger about writing, turning dreams into reality and looking your best in pictures.

MC: You're known in the New York press as the girl who wrote her entire manuscript on the free computers in the Soho Apple store. How did you pull that off?
IJ: My then-boyfriend and I had broken up, and when he moved out he took his computer with him, so I started using the free Internet and display computers at the Apple store. The Internet was my lifeline, and I would research new modelling jobs and connect with agents about castings and bookings. I started writing my memoir at Apple as naturally as I would check my email. The store now has a time limit, but back then you could stand at a computer for hours and not be disturbed at all. I would hold my pee for hours, then when I couldn't take it anymore I would race to the second floor, go, and then hope with all my might that my computer wouldn't be taken when I got back down!

Your book is a pretty raw account of your experiences. Was it hard to put it all out there?
When I wrote Almost 5'4" my bank balance often read zero, but I was not a naive model in an amateur photographer's basement anymore. By writing it all down, I was confronting and forgiving myself for all I had been through and moving on. I also wanted to show the real day-in-the-life of a shorter model, when there is no Vogue, no catwalk and no agent to give you a hug - where it's just your own desire and grab-your-bootstraps mindset.

 You are now a vocal critic of online modelling sites like the ones you initially started on, and you use your blogs to discourage aspiring models from promoting themselves on the Internet. When did you realize that the web wasn't going to get you where you wanted to be in your career?
It is very easy to be that show-off, half-naked girl on the Internet waiting to get comments or clicks. Once I started wanting more for myself, working with real photographers and striving for higher-quality work, I realised online modelling sites are not where the professionals are. Modelling when you are shorter than 5'7" is about discovering yourself and being realistically ambitious. You need the right photos, a comp card, a portfolio and a positive spirit. To rely on a model site to make you a model is to be stuck in amateur-land forever.

 Is being a working professional model what you'd imagined when you first dreamed of getting into the industry?
I love being a part of a concept to sell a product through a photo-story, and I love that modelling is not as much about being perfect as it is about having character. When I first wanted to pursue modelling, it was all about being seen, desired and liked. Over time (and after many mistakes and not-so-wonderful encounters with the wrong people), that ego-driven desire transitioned into thinking like a marketer and businesswoman. I knew I wasn't tall, but you don't have to be tall to model a handbag, a shoe or many other products properly.

Your top three tips for looking great in photos?
The more you smile the better you look; when standing put more weight on one leg, you will look longer; and watch your posture because you can look a few inches taller when you're standing upright and aiming high!

For more on Isobella Jade, plus tips for petite models, vist her website: isobelladreams.com

Review by Julia Scirrotto

Release date: Friday 19 March 2010

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After reading "almost 5"4" last summer I was inspired to become a petite model and am successful and happy. Isobella is such an inspiration. I even started writing about my modeling experiences after I saw her openly share hers.
Comment by Michelle on March 22 18:23

I really liked almost 5'4 and short stuff very reall account on what she endured to become successful.
Comment by Jessica on February 11 00:10