Models and the Fickle Finger(s) of Fate

I had a go-see for models for my new lookbook on Monday. (This is the first time I’m using a model in a lookbook; we’re shooting it later today.) On a go-see, a model comes in with her portfolio, so you can see her in person and look at her photos. If the go-see is for a runway show, the model prances back and forth a few times to show her runway walk. I didn’t request hand models — I’m not shooting rings exclusively — so a couple of the models who came in seemed a little surprised to be trying on rings instead of prancing.

Here's a little Instagram shot of Tina, my final choice, during her ring try-on.

When I show my jewelry to stores or magazines, it’s like a go-see, so it was interesting to be on the other side. I know from experience that rejection feels personal when you’re on the receiving end, but I didn’t actually dislike any of the gorgeous models who stopped by. I simply had very specific requirements: short hair, an edgy portfolio, and fingers that fit the rings. There was nothing at all wrong with the long-haired, girl-next-door models. They just weren’t what I needed.

As for the ones whose fingers were too big for the rings, that’s nothing anyone should ever feel bad about — ring size depends on bone structure as much as weight. There’s no negative connotation to any ring size. My sample size for a woman’s ring is 6, which is fairly mid-range. It usually fits on at least one finger of a woman’s hand — a pinky, if nothing else — so a customer can get a sense of the ring, which she then orders in her size. When the first model at the go-see had the right look but couldn’t get rings on all her fingers, I briefly wished that I had samples in a broader range of sizes. Then I thought, “How would I decide which rings should be which sizes? And what if they still didn’t fit this particular model?” Basically, I was brought back to my 2010 post on sample sizes, in which I pointed out that, by definition, clothing/jewelry samples don’t come in the full range of sizes. Fine jewelry in particular is too expensive to make in unnecessary multiples.

Incidentally, my right index finger is a perfect size 6. My other fingers range in size from 2.5 (pinky) to 7.25 (thumb). Alas, easy-to-fit fingers are not enough to qualify as a model, so I had to bring in a professional. I can’t wait to see the pictures!