Megan Moore: Modelling & Living Life

Megan Moore: Modelling & Living Life

 

Megan Moore is a 26-year-old US-based model. Throughout her time in the industry, she has managed to balance all that she does while remaining humble and maintaining her authenticity. Our intern, Trivia, had the pleasure of speaking with Megan this past fall. Read below for the interview. 

 

Can you speak to the shift happening in the modeling and fashion industries towards body positivity and inclusivity?


 “It’s been a slow process” Megan explained right off the bat, “I started at 16 and I’m 24 now so I just feel like it’s been a long time coming”. She explained that the past couple of years have seen great improvements, that “things are definitely shifting in the right direction” and despite the slow changes she’s optimistic for the future. Being an in-between model herself, Megan has enjoyed seeing more representation for her fellow in-betweens. “4 or 5 years ago the plus-sized community [was] finally being represented in the industry, which was amazing to see, so now I’m just waiting on the in-between sizes to come through a little bit more.” She concluded her statement with the phrase, “I think that the average-sized women would love to see themselves represented”, which I think we can all agree on. 


When you first started modeling, you mentioned that your agency wanted you to be a High Fashion model. What does that mean and do you have any interest in that still?


“So at the time, it meant runway, which was size double 0,” she sighed, “that was hard.” Because she had such a rough start with that sector of the industry when beginning her modeling career, she said that it scares her now. “I am absolutely terrified” Megan explained, even after noting that there has been more diversity and curve models represented on the runway. She would like to try it one day, but is unsure of when that will be. Her current agents have asked if she’d like to cast for runway, and while grateful for being included in those discussions, she has refused out of fear. What scares her the most isn’t the act of walking a runway, but instead “being judged by the fashion side of it because they never accepted me before”. Megan explained that it’s definitely a “confidence thing”, but was adamant that one day she’d try it out at least once. 

Megan in Celeste dress

 

What is one thing that you’d like to change about the modeling industry and one thing that you love about it?


Megan’s answer was immediate, “one thing that I’d like to change would for sure be the inclusivity, the body diversity - I just want it to get there - because I’d work more if it were there, but also for the girls that were like me growing up and just searching for their body type in magazines and commercials.” On the other side, she loves meeting new people, explaining her intense shyness at the start of her career. “I’ve had to get comfortable in situations that were way outside of my comfort zone” noting that since modeling, her confidence has improved, “which was interesting, because I think it definitely tore my confidence down at first, and then slowly built it back up again through the people I’ve met and positive experiences”.  She recalled shooting for Miriam for the first time a few years back and feeling nervous that her body wouldn’t be well-received, but was instead greeted with love and encouragement. She owes much of her confidence now to experiences like that, stating “you can’t really be shy in this industry”. 

 


What stigmas do you face as an in-between model, either on or off set? Can you speak to that in-between-specific lack of representation?

“It’s just a lot of confusion, even with casting directors, as to what I am, which is what I was hinting at earlier, how it’s slowly changing but it’s not quite there yet.” She told stories of showing up to a casting and having directors question her authenticity as a “curve-model”, but also say that she isn’t “straight sized” (fashion-sized). She’ll try on some different garments for them to see but there still is a general sense of confusion as to “what she is”. Both of us were off-put at the thought of someone looking at a woman and not knowing “what she is”, another reason that changes still need to be made in the industry. 


How important is a good agency for  getting bookings, along with your mental and physical well-being?


“Oh my gosh, that is one of the most important things” Megan urged instantly, “I had an agency before who was photoshopping my images on my comp cards, so they obviously didn’t believe in my look without the photoshop.” She explained the world of a difference it makes when you have an agency who believes in you, “they’re going to cast you for more jobs, send your portfolio to more clients, and push you in the industry. You need that, you need good management, especially when starting out”. From experience, she recalls her own feelings of “what’s the point? Why am I here?” when she didn’t have good agencies behind her. It took 4 or 5 years to find an agency that believed in her, but she’s finally happy with her team now, “it’s worth it when you get it” she ended with. 


What makes for a good shoot?


“Everyone plays a part, even the makeup artists, stylists, like you walk onto a set and if one person is in a bad mood, it can kind of ruin everything.” Megan sticks to kindness, “saying hi to everyone, being super friendly” in hopes that her good vibes will rub off on everyone around her. She happily shared, “I’ve never really had a bad shoot experience, so I think it works!”

 


 

How do you feel the morning of a shoot? Are there nerves or are you pretty comfortable at this point?

Although she was nervous when she was younger and just starting out, now it’s all quite normal for her, “once you shoot for a few years you kind of get the movements down and it just becomes a muscle memory”. She touched on her post-shoot feelings, explaining the mental exhaustion, simply because of how much is going on, but that she is left with a high and immense feelings of accomplishment. 


Has the modeling industry been what you expected/ did you go into it with expectations?


“So I was in high school when I started, and I didn’t necessarily even want to model. I’d been scouted a few times and I honestly didn’t have any expectations,” Megan explained, “I didn’t really know anything about the industry”. She revealed that she grew up a tomboy of sorts, home was Alaska, and she spent much of her time running around, fishing, and doing outdoor things, “I never really did much research into the fashion side of anything”. She reflects on her open mindedness as both good but it also made her naive in terms of agencies at the start of her career. “It’s been a wild ride but I’m glad I went into it with no expectations because I think that when you do, you can be let down in this industry. You expect it to be a lot more glamorous than it is”. 


What career may you have gone into if it weren’t for modeling?


“I wanted to be a Veterinarian for the longest time” she reflects, “my first job was working at a vet clinic while I was in highschool to get a feel for it, and I ended up not wanting to do that”.  At 18 she quit that job and started fully pursuing modeling and remembers asking herself, “what do I want to do??? I don’t know!”. Although she opted out of being a Vet, she’s still an animal-lover and could picture herself studying Marine Biology if it weren’t for modeling, “I love the ocean, love animals, I’m still passionate about that kind of stuff,” she said. 

 

 

Who is one person that you’d like to see on the cover of Vogue who may not traditionally be represented?


“Geena Rocero,” Megan decided, “she was the first trans Asain-Pacific Playmate and I’ve loved the conversations she’s started, even under the comments in Playboy, she just seems so strong”.  Due to Vogues huge platform and following, Megan thinks the result of making Geena a cover model could be “groundbreaking” in terms of continuing those conversations and further pushing inclusivity and transgender representation in the fashion industry. “Originally, a long time ago I probably would have said Ashley Graham but she’s been kicking butt and I think she’s already been on the cover of Vogue... it makes me so freaking happy. They’ve [Vogue] done a good job but we still have a ways to go with the LGBT community, the trans community, and I can’t wait to see that.”

 

 

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