We are often asked about how to get your start modeling, instead of us telling you what we think you should do. We thought it would be best to go straight to the source and interview the Co-Director of the Ford+ board Jaclyn Sarka (second in from right).

How did you get started as a Booker at Ford+ Models?

I started out as an intern from an ad I saw on craigslist that I was blown way to find out was “THE” Ford models. After moving through divisions and advancing from intern, to assistant, to Booker then eventually (after busting my ass for 2 years) becoming co-director on the plus board with Gary Dakin.  The job allows me to make and impact on all of my girl’s lives so an even bigger honor than being named director is being a mentor.

What do you look for in aspiring models who come to you at go-sees?

I look for the wow quality or “it” factor. I want to see someone I can believe in, whether it is a very “in your face quality” or something that you might have to look deep for. It’s almost like digging for gold, sometimes there are layers you have to chip away and break through.  Also, confidence is a quality that makes a difference when I first meet you.

As one the main bookers at Ford+ models, have you seen a spike in using plus models due to all of the hype recently?

In the past year there has definitely been a higher demand for the girls, whether it be a company doing a trial test using plus models to see the consumers reaction or adding more shoots to their schedules or more days. However, it has really been more in the past couple months due to Crystal Renn’s book Hungy dropping, V Magazine shooting the Size Issue, Yo Dona using Inga Eiriksdottir and Candice Huffine, and French Elle putting Tara Lynn on the cover along with a 21 page spread. The boundaries have been pushed and the world is seeing these girls are here to win. There is always going to be a need for a size 0 model but there is also a need for a size 16 model and that has truly been recognized.

Do you think this is a fluke or there will be a social shift towards wanting to see more relatable, but still beautiful, models in advertising?

This is not a fluke. This is something that has been so strategically and carefully planned on our and the models part that calling it a fluke is like calling it a mistake. There are so many goals and dreams that are yet to be reached, but it takes time and an enormous amount of work. The success of these girls was not something that happened over night. All of us, agents, models and clients as well as the public, have to work 10 times harder for everyone to look past their hips, waist, and bust to see their face and beauty.

What changes have you seen in the modeling industry as a whole during your time at Ford+ Models?

The plus size modeling industry is evolving very quickly, and may even be out pacing an already rapidly shifting fashion world. There was a day when “basic body shoots” of a plus size girl would be the sole basis for their success. Plus size models would be “booked” solely because or their size, hired only to model not so flattering clothes for lower end department stores and .com’s. Today, a plus size model is not only hired for their full look, but more importantly for the relationships they can build with clients and their aptitude to make any outfit look phenomenal. Today’s plus size model must have personality along with a distinctive range of talents which translate into “their brand”. A plus girl’s recognition is the new passport into the high-end world of fashion.

What do you think of the Ashley Graham and Lane Bryant Bra commercial controversy with FOX and ABC?

Everything happens for a reason and there are always 2 sides to a story. Thankfully they used a girl that has an extreme amount of confidence and can handle the positive and negative comments she has come under fire to.

When Lane Bryant came to you with the idea of the commercial, how did they decide to use Ashley as the IT bombshell girl?

Ashley has been working for Lane Bryant for years and shooting their Cacique line for their catalogs so was not shocking at all to have her cast for the IT bombshell. She has this confidence that radiates from her that that says I can sell your clothes and tell your story without even having to think twice. I would have been more shocked if they did not use her.

What has it been like working with so many high-profile plus models?

I don’t look at them that way. Of course you have the girls whose names are better known in the industry, but each model that is represented on the Ford + board is a successful model and deserves the same attention as the next. I feel honored and privileged to work with each individual woman and will continue to help them become successful in all aspects of their life, whether is be getting out a specific message or just plain being a good friend. We all support each-others achievements.

As a booker, do you notice a difference between working for plus-size models vs. straight-size models?

Of course there is a difference in plus-size models vs. straight-size models, however, that line is becoming more blurry each day. If you would have asked me this question a year ago or even 6 months ago it would be extremely different, but the barriers have in fact been pushed, which has left me believing that anything is possible. Plus size hasn’t had the everyday opportunity to work with all the high-end designers until now; the coveted beauty campaigns are next.

What do you see your future holds in the fashion industry?  What are your personal goals?

Considering I never knew this job existed when I was studying career paths in college, it is a job that I can’t imagine not being a part of.  I want to continue to grow as a person and as an agent. You can never stop learning and listening to what is going on around you because you because that is how you grow not only professionally but personally. It’s a great feeling knowing that you can leave a footprint behind and teach what I know years from now.

What advice do you have for girls who want to get into the plus fashion industry?  Any do’s or don’ts?

Just be yourself. Don’t try to make yourself into something that you aren’t or turn yourself into someone that you are not comfortable being. If you can’t be comfortable in your own skin then it comes across in everything you do. I love seeing girls that are confident with what they have and embracing it. When girls come in dressed up in clothes that are extremely flashy and pounds of makeup covering every flaw they have, they are asked to come back as themselves, fresh and clean. What some girls consider flaws, we see as beauty and individuality.

Finish the sentence…

Always… think outside the box. The most creative minds are the most intriguing and beneficial to the world. Make your mark. You are a blank canvas…make it colorful.

Never… ever limit yourself. Make goals for yourself and build off of each one. One goal can lead to something so beyond what you were imagining for yourself it can shape the person you become. Don’t let life live you…live your life. AND NEVER BE SCARED TO ASK FOR HELP, we all need it.