Three women are behind the organization of the largest national model contest Elite Model Look in Switzerland. Ursula Knecht, Grazia Covre and Jenny Settembrini reveal what they look for in applicants, take a look back at the difficult corona year and look ahead to the international anniversary of EML.
FACES: You are a trio of three women. Who is responsible for what, and what do you do if you disagree?
Ursula Knecht: So far, there have never been any discussions or disagreements, and if that should ever happen, all three of us are so strong in our areas that we always have good arguments for good decision-making.
Jenny Settembrini: The three of us are very different. Grazia and I are the more spirited characters, and Ursula is the gentler one. Our mutual respect is so great that we can always talk honestly and directly in order to reach a decision together.
Grazia Covre: All three of us have the same vision.
JS: Responsibility is divided according to individual strengths: Ursula is responsible for model scouting and all the handling of the models, Grazia is bubbling over with ideas and is responsible for the entire artistic direction, choreography, styling etc. She has also been a jury member together with Ursula for many years, and I take care of all the communication and project management, Grazia and I are also jointly responsible for sponsoring.
F: What skills are most important in your jobs?
GC: We have to be creative, communicative, strong in organization and tough enough to deal with constantly changing situations. But the most important thing is people skills, we have to be able to lead and motivate a wide variety of people, young models, sponsors, stylists, partners, designers…
JS: Each of us has good people skills, and the other skills are well distributed so that we complement each other perfectly.
F: What was the most important experience you had while working for Elite Model Look?
UK: My most important experience and at the same time my greatest joy was the discovery and subsequent career support of young, successful talents. These include two Swiss EML world winners, Sandra Wagner in Korea and Julia Saner in Sanya, China. Manuela Frey achieved an outstanding third place at the EML World Final in Shanghai. Other well-known Swiss models who have emerged from EML Switzerland include Sarina Arnold, Nadine Strittmatter, Patricia Schmid, Ronja Furrer, Vivienne Rohner and many more.
GC : I have been able to creatively accompany and help shape the EML for over 20 years, so my artistic signature is always evident. Shaping and developing the EML appearances over so many years makes me proud.
JS : Grazia brought me into the EML team almost two years ago, and the most important experience for me, apart from the teamwork with Grazia, Ursula and with EML International in New York, was to see how strong a brand can be. EML will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year, and the lively exchange with the EML teams in other countries last year showed me how important it is to have a strong brand, because thanks to the constant and global brand development, EML was also able to survive a pandemic year well, despite less media presence.
F: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given yourselves during your careers, and what tip of your own would you like to share with others?
GC: From my experience, I have taken the guiding principle “Stay authentic, honest and never lose heart” with me. I would like to give today’s models the following advice, as the dance scene has also changed in recent years: Don’t be dazzled by people who promise you a lot and only end up taking advantage of you. It is important that professional model agencies are behind the marketing of your own person!
JS: “Shoot for the moon even if you miss you’ll land among the stars.” To all the young people who don’t yet know which path to take: Choose a career you love and you won’t have to work a day in your life.
UK: Stay true to yourself in everything you do or achieve.
F: What’s the best story you’ve experienced as part of EML that you have to tell us?
UK: During one of my visits to Elite in New York, I talked to Gisele Bündchen, who was at the beginning of her successful career at the time. She was holding her Yorkshire terrier Vida in her arms when her agent rushed in and said she had to leave immediately for a Vogue casting. She didn’t hesitate, gave Vida a hug and ran off with the words: “You are the best, take care of Vida, see you soon.”
F: Which Elite Model Look encounter has been the most exciting so far?
GC: That’s difficult to answer, because for me every encounter is valuable and unique. There is not just one, but always many and new ones. I feel honored that I have met so many exciting people who have had a lasting impact on me and that I feel such a deep sense of appreciation.
F: How do you explain Elite Model Look to people who don’t know it?
JS: Elite Model Look is the most prestigious international model and digital creator competition where you get the chance to win a global contract with the agency network of the Elite World Group (Women Management, The Society, Supreme and Elite Europe). Elite Model Look also offers ten to 14 selected models a valuable boot camp experience with experts from the fashion world, with tips and workshops directly from the professionals.
“The phenomenon of the 90s is being repeated in social media.”
F: Why are contests like Elite Model Look so important as talent forges?
GC: I think it speaks for itself that EML has been around for 50 years. EML has become an important brand that offers aspiring models a real and great opportunity to push their modeling career. Especially because there are professionals behind the scenes who look after the young women and men and support them in building their careers. We all know that so many top models have been discovered by EML.
F: Elite Model Look has been around in Switzerland for over 20 years, and internationally for almost 50 years. What does the future hold and how will EML change?
UK: Society is constantly changing and with it the media world, which means that the needs in the advertising scene are also changing and with them the “role models” and the expectations of the target groups. EML also has to keep pace with this change and will be looking for more and more personalities to meet these needs in the future. Personalities who can be deployed in a variety of ways, who can be used in all channels. But above all, we want to show that it takes more than the right mass to be a model. There are so many beautiful, great and intelligent young people applying to EML.
F: What can we look forward to at this year’s EML?
GC : Due to the pandemic that has been with us since last spring 2020, this industry is also suffering. Digitalization has forced us to learn to be flexible and find new ways of communicating. Many relied on digital channels to provide backstage and background stories. It may well be that one or two people get lost in it. Followers or viewers still expect authenticity, styling tips and so on. And not just for models, but also for “normal people in everyday life”. The boot camp takes place in September with numerous workshops and preparations for the final.
F: What is the biggest challenge in organizing Elite Model Look?
JS: This year it’s the uncertainty about what we can and can’t do and the general economic situation. Some partners had to postpone or cancel their product launches, or marketing budgets were frozen. We have to remain flexible and have divided the year into stages so that we can plan and organize the different parts and adjust everything depending on the Federal Council’s decision.
F: After the show is before the show? What will happen in your work once the EML winners have been chosen?
JS: We are already in the process of collecting ideas for the anniversary year and examining further possibilities and feasibility together with New York. This year
it will continue without a gap.
F: Which part of your work on EML do you enjoy the most, and which is the most tedious?
All: As with all projects, the search for funding is the most challenging and hardest work. However, we enjoy the moments with the models
or with the photographers, sponsors, stylists and so on. They are so enriching and motivating that in the end they even make up for the difficult coronavirus year.
F: Where are you in the organization of this year’s EML?
JS: We have split the project into three stages this year, the casting and preparation part is now underway, the models are applying online and we are casting the potential candidates. We then select the final models for the boot camp, where we work with them for three staggered days and organize workshops and shoots. The Swiss final will then take place in November.
F: Is modeling a dream job? And what about your own jobs?
GC: Oh, what do you mean by “dream job”? Anyone who likes their work and identifies with it to such an extent because it’s fun has their “dream job”. These are also people who have another profession outside the fashion world. But there is also a flip side to the coin. You often don’t see how hard people work to achieve success. I love my job, creativity and working with different people. It enriches me immensely and I am grateful that I have been able to have so many exciting experiences over the years.
F: How has the modeling business changed in recent years?
UK: The biggest change is the unstoppable increase in the importance of social media.
F: How has the definition of beauty, and therefore the concept of beauty, changed in recent years?
GC: Normally it is said: “Beauty comes from within.” But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and also of various cultures. Not everyone has the same ideal of beauty. The perception of beautiful people has also been massively reinforced by social media. They have to be perfect. A model must primarily be versatile and expressive and, as an actress or actor, empathize with the role and requirements of the show. And yes, so-called “flaws” such as freckles, albinos or tattoos are now an integral part of the modeling world. They make every person unique. Social media has created much more scope for testimonials or influencers. These models no longer have to conform to the so-called model ideal and be the 90-60-90.
UK: However, catwalk models still need to have this mass, especially for big brands and names.
F: Who do you find at EML?
UK: EML Switzerland is looking for models who are 16 to 24 years old, any gender is welcome.
F: What does a model have to bring to the table to score with you?
GC: In addition to the age limits and basic dimensions, it must have a strong character and that “certain something” and be extremely versatile.
F: What do you look for in the women and men who apply to you?
UK: For personalities with potential.
F: Are models also influencers, and how important is your applicants’ presence on social media?
JS : If you like, we are all influencers, each of us influences our own environment. Of course it is important for us that applicants talk about us and are also present on social media, but this is neither a requirement nor do we demand it of them. Of course, we post stories and articles about the applicants on our channels.
F: Do models have to be role models?
JS: I think that all members of the public have a responsibility. Do they have to? This is the responsibility of each individual.
F: Which preconception about the modeling profession is true and which is not?
GC: There are so many prejudices that it’s not even worth commenting here. Most of them are not true either way.
F: What idea of the modeling profession do you always have to clear up?
GC: There is still a lack of appreciation for modeling work today. The profession tends to be ridiculed. Except for the top models, of course, who have had a firm place in the VIP world for years.
F: Are today’s requirements for models less strict than in the past?
UK: You have to realize that the big labels are still looking for the classic masses, but yes, we are a bit freer and perhaps want to open up more categories in the future.
F: Do you base yourselves on beauty ideals, and how would you describe the current one?
UK: Today, people are more open to everything, it depends a bit on what for, after all, it’s not just the finalists who progress in their careers, there are many applicants who we continue to support, even if they don’t make it to the final. But if you want to have a chance of winning the world final, then all model scouts still stick to the more classic model ideals.
GC : With today’s ideal of beauty, and I’m not talking about the model ideal here, I would say that almost nothing is off limits as long as you feel comfortable in your own skin and radiate that.
F: Does something like the supermodels of the 90s still exist today, and is this term even still relevant?
GC: You can make a very good living as a top model. But the days of the 90s, when modeling made a lot of money, are also over. The classic names from back then are certainly Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista or Claudia Schiffer, and they are still among the best known names who can still make appearances today. The phenomenon of the 1990s is now being repeated in social media, where influencers are becoming superstars and have a huge presence through these channels.
The faces of Elite Model Look
Ursula Knecht founded the OM Option Model Agency in 1987 and has worked with the Elite World Group International since the beginning. In 1995, she organized the first Elite Model Look Switzerland in public at Kaufleuten and has continued to organize the contest in Switzerland every year since then.
After completing her commercial training in Zurich, Berlin, New York and Paris, Grazia Covre completed various dance training courses and gained stage experience as a dancer in these and other national and international cities. For many years now she has been working as a choreographer, show producer and artistic director for various productions in TV and film as well as for video shoots and fashion shows at home and abroad.
Jenny Settembrini is a PR consultant and worked for 13 years in the media for print and radio and then spent six years as head of corporate communications at an international chemical company. She later worked as a consultant in a large advertising agency and finally founded her independent communications agency YComm in Basel two years ago.
Elite Model Look
Elite Model Look is the most important young model contest in the world, receiving more than 350,000 applications every year. The national contests are followed by the world finals in the fall, where all the finalists from the various countries compete for victory. With Sandra Wagner in 1995 and Julia Saner in 2009, two Swiss women have even stood on the international podium. For other models such as Ronja Furrer, Sarina Arnold, Nadine Strittmatter and Manuela Frey, winning the Swiss Elite Model Look was the starting signal for their careers.
The application is open to everyone until August within the framework of the conditions of participation: www.elitemodellook.com/apply
www.option-model.com/de/become-a-model
