How to Become a Model in Ukraine: The Honest Guide for New Faces

To become a model in Ukraine you don't need experience, professional photos or connections — you need clear daylight phone photos and an agency that develops new faces for free. Here's the whole process in five steps:

• 1. Shoot simple digitals at home — a front headshot, a full-length, a side profile and one natural smile, taken in daylight by a window, no makeup, no filters.
• 2. Measure yourself honestly — height, bust, waist and hips, plus hair and eye colour, age and city.
• 3. Apply to a real agency for free — never pay to be represented. A genuine agency earns a commission from your bookings, never an upfront fee from you.
• 4. Meet and develop — a relaxed video call, then a test shoot where you learn to walk, pose and build your first portfolio.
• 5. Start getting booked — the agency presents you to clients and partner agencies in Kyiv and abroad (Milan, Paris, London, New York).

You can do every step from anywhere in Ukraine — Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa or the smallest village. The rest of this guide explains each step in full.

Forget the idea of "perfect." Perfect is boring, and it isn't what books jobs. Agencies that develop new faces are looking for raw potential and a person worth working with — not a finished product. Here's what actually catches our eye:

• A distinctive face. Not flawless — interesting. Strong features, unusual proportions, something a camera wants to keep looking at. The "too unusual" girl at school is very often the one we want.
• Healthy proportions and good skin and hair condition — signs of someone we can develop, not a fixed look you must already have.
• Personality and presence. Can you relax in front of a lens? Do you light up when you talk? On set, an easy, kind, reliable person is worth more than a difficult "perfect" one.
• Coachability. The willingness to learn how to walk, to pose, to take direction. Everyone starts at zero. We expect that.
• Professionalism, even before experience — turning up on time, answering messages, treating people well.

What we do NOT need: experience, a portfolio, professional photos, a famous look, or any kind of "connections." Genuinely. Most of the women we sign had none of those on day one.

This is the part that actually matters, so read it twice. "Digitals" (also called polaroids) are simple, honest photos that show agencies the real you — no styling, no tricks. They're not meant to be beautiful art. They're meant to be clear and true. A phone is completely fine.

The setup:

• Light: stand facing a window in soft, natural daylight. No direct harsh sun, no overhead lights, no flash. Morning or late afternoon is kindest.
• Background: a plain, light wall. Nothing busy behind you.
• Clothes: fitted and simple. Skinny jeans or leggings with a plain fitted top, or a simple top and shorts. The point is to see your true shape and proportions — not the outfit.
• Hair: down, natural, off your face. No fancy styling.
• Face: no makeup (or as close to none as possible). We want your real skin.
• No filters, no editing, no retouching. None. Filtered photos get a faster "no" than a bare-faced spot ever will.
• Posture: stand tall, shoulders relaxed, arms by your sides. Look straight into the lens. Breathe.
• Get someone to take them, or use a timer/tripod — selfies distort your face and proportions.

The exact shots to send:

• Front headshot — head and shoulders, neutral relaxed face, looking into the lens.
• Full-length front — head to toe, standing straight, arms relaxed at your sides.
• Side profile — full body or head-and-shoulders, turned 90° so we see your profile.
• Natural smile — a real, warm smile (teeth showing is great). This one shows personality, so let it be genuine.

Optional but useful: a back full-length, and a three-quarter turn. Keep everything sharp, well-lit, and unedited. That's it. That's the whole secret.

Go deeper: we wrote a full step-by-step companion to this section — read How to take model digitals at home, with the exact shots to send and the mistakes that get an instant “no”.

Ready to try? Apply free →

Knowing your numbers makes applying easy. Measure honestly in fitted clothes — there is zero benefit to rounding up or down, and we re-measure anyway. Have ready: height, bust, waist, hips, shoe size, plus your hair and eye colour, age, and city. If you want the thinking behind every number, we've written up model requirements: height, measurements and age separately.

Fashion division — height matters more here because of how runway and many editorial/campaign clients work. As a general guide, fashion new faces often fall around 173–180 cm. But please don't disqualify yourself over a centimetre: shorter and taller women work too, especially in editorial and commercial. If you're unsure, apply and let us decide — that's literally our job.

Creators division — here's the freeing part: there is no strict height requirement and no age ceiling. Creators work in content, influence and digital, where your personality, your face on camera, your style and your connection with an audience matter far more than centimetres. If Fashion's height ranges aren't for you, Creators very likely is — and it's a real, growing career, not a consolation prize.

A note on age: we work with women 16 and over. If you're under 18, you'll need a parent or guardian's consent (more on that in the FAQ).

No black hole, no silence, no "we'll call you" forever. Here's the real process at Andrews:

• A real person reviews your application. Not a bot, not an automatic filter — one of us actually looks at your photos and your details.
• You'll hear back within 7 days. Yes or not-yet, you get a reply. We think ghosting applicants is rude, and we don't do it.
• If we'd like to know you better, we'll invite you to a short video call. It's relaxed — a conversation, not an interrogation. We want to see your personality and answer your questions too.
• If it's a fit, the next step is a test shoot and development. This is where you start to learn: how to move, how to pose, how the camera reads you. We build your first real portfolio together.
• From there, we begin presenting you to bookings and to our partner agencies — with the goal of placing strong talent in Milan, Paris, London and New York.

Every stage is free to you. Always.

A lot of what stops talented women from applying simply isn't true. Let's clear it up.

• Myth: "I need experience." Reality: New faces, by definition, have none. We develop you from zero. That's the whole point of an agency like ours.
• Myth: "I need professional photos and a portfolio first." Reality: You need a window, a phone and the simple digitals described above. We build the portfolio with you, for free.
• Myth: "I have to live in Kyiv." Reality: We scout across all of Ukraine. Many careers start from small towns and villages. Where you live is not your ceiling.
• Myth: "I'm not pretty/tall/thin enough." Reality: "Pretty" isn't the brief — distinctive is. And Creators has no strict height rule at all. Let us decide; you'll be surprised how often the answer is yes.
• Myth: "If they say no, that's the end." Reality: "No" very often means "not right now." Faces mature, divisions differ, client needs change. A "not yet" at 16 can become a "yes" at 18. Reapplying is welcome.
• Myth: "It must cost something somewhere." Reality: Not with a real agency. It's free. If it costs you, it's not real.

Yes — and this entire agency is built on it. "New faces" means women with no experience: no portfolio, no classes, no runway hours. Every model you have ever seen in a campaign started with zero experience — the difference was an agency that developed her.

What replaces experience in your application? Exactly what this guide covers: honest daylight digitals, real measurements, and a bit of nerve. We do not expect you to know how to pose or walk — teaching you is our job, and it costs you nothing. If you can follow the digitals instructions above, you already have everything a beginner needs.

One thing you can safely skip: paying for a "modeling school" or course first. You do not need to pay anyone to become a model. A real agency for beginners develops you for free and earns only when you do — read more in the full guide to starting with no experience.

Andrews scouts nationwide, and the application is fully online — so it works the same from Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, or any small town in between. You do not need to travel to a casting to be considered: your daylight digitals are the casting.

Kyiv has the densest market of clients and shoots, and our development work is anchored there — but signing does not require moving. When a real booking or test shoot needs you in person, we plan it together and tell you honestly what travel is involved before anything is agreed. For women currently abroad, the same applies: we scout Ukrainians wherever they live.

• How old do I need to be? We work with women 16 and over. There's no upper age limit for Creators; Fashion new faces are typically younger, but apply and let us assess.
• I'm under 18 — can I still apply? Yes. You'll need a parent's or legal guardian's consent, and a parent or guardian is welcome (and encouraged) to be involved at every step. We expect to talk with them too.
• Can I apply from abroad? Yes. We scout Ukrainian talent, including women living outside Ukraine. Tell us where you're based and we'll work out the practicalities together.
• Is it really free? Yes, genuinely. Representation at Andrews is always free for models. We only earn a commission from real bookings you're paid for — never from you, and never any upfront fees.
• Do I even need an agency? An agency opens doors, handles negotiation, protects you on contracts, and connects you to clients and partner agencies abroad you couldn't reach alone. For a new face, good representation is the difference between hoping and working.
• How long until I get actual work? Honestly, it varies — weeks for some, longer for others. New faces usually go through development and test shoots first. We won't promise overnight fame — but we will promise real attention and honest effort, every step of the way. Applications are open year-round.
• What height and measurements do you need to be a model? Honest answer: it depends on the division. For Fashion (runway, editorial, campaign) agencies usually look for around 173–180 cm, but that's a guideline, not a hard wall — proportion and presence matter too. For Creators, height barely matters at all; what counts is your face, your energy on camera, and your audience. If you're not sure where you fit, just apply. We'd rather look at your photos and tell you honestly than have you rule yourself out over a number.
• How much does a model earn — is the work actually paid? Yes, real modeling work is paid — but let's be honest about the path. New faces usually start with development and test shoots, which build your portfolio rather than pay a fee. The money comes once you start getting booked, and earnings vary a lot by job, client, and market: a local shoot pays differently than a campaign abroad — we break down how much models earn in Ukraine in full in our Journal. Anyone promising you a fixed big number from day one isn't telling the truth. What we can promise: we never take money from you, and we only earn a commission once you've actually been paid.
• I'm from a small town or village — can I still apply? Absolutely. We scout across all of Ukraine, not just Kyiv, Lviv, or Odesa — and some of the strongest new faces come from small towns and villages. You don't need to live in a big city or travel anywhere to apply. Just send your daylight phone photos from wherever you are. If it's a fit, we handle the next steps together, and we'll be straight with you about what travel (if any) a real booking would involve. Where you're from is never a reason to count yourself out.
• What photos should I send when I apply? Keep it simple — that's the whole point. We need clear, natural daylight photos taken on your phone: one straight-on portrait, one full-length, and a side profile if you can. No makeup, no filters, no professional studio, hair pulled back, plain clothes (think fitted jeans and a top). We want to see the real you, not a heavily edited version. And to be clear: we never ask for revealing, swimwear, or lingerie shots to apply. If anyone tells you that you need a paid photoshoot first, that's a scam.
• What should I wear to a casting? Simple and fitted, so the people in the room can actually see you. For Fashion, that usually means skinny jeans or fitted trousers, a plain top, and clean shoes or simple heels you can walk in — minimal makeup, natural hair. Bring your portfolio if you have one. Skip baggy clothes, loud prints, and heavy makeup; they hide the very things a casting is checking for. And one rule that never changes: no real casting asks you to undress or wear anything revealing. If that happens, leave.

If you've read this far, a part of you is already curious — and curiosity is exactly where every model starts. You don't need to feel ready. You don't need perfect photos, a famous look, or a Kyiv address. You need a window, your phone, four honest shots, and the nerve to press send.

Here's our promise to you: when you reach us, a real person will see you, reply within 7 days, and treat your dream with the seriousness it deserves. Always free. Always honest. No nude photos, no fees, ever.

The worst that happens is "not right now." The best that happens could change your life. Applications are open year-round.

Become a Model — apply today →