Lana Winters is the President and Founder of VNY Model Management, a small boutique modeling agency she began in 2001 in New York. It was her vision to create an agency that nurtured models, and thanks to her commitment to talent, Lana has launched the careers of supermodels like Sean O'Pry and Nick Bryant. Her close relationship with some of the top fashion brands in the industry have allowed VNY to land some of the top fashion campaigns, such as D&G, Prada and Calvin Klein.

What do you look for when scouting new talent?

It really depends on the individual, but I would say it’s half-looks and half-personality. But, even with the “perfect look,” they're going to have to have a personality.

In this industry, the “classic beauty” will always be the “classic beauty.”  Some faces will always work no matter what, and there will always be a market for that. Of course, VNY looks for the unique, high-fashion men and women that we think are happening this season and are going to last. We've signed quite a few of Nijah/New Faces Development's models who fit the mold perfectly.

What is the importance of development?

It's really important to the models and talent that they listen to whoever is trying to develop them. You can't come into this industry with the thinking that you know how to look, how to pose, or how to speak to agents or directors already. There's a lot more to it than that, and it's not a practical way to enter this industry.

Why do you attend events and competitions?

We’re always looking for amazing new talent, and those events do a lot of the work for us. It shows us the individuals who are devoted to learning and growing in the industry, and who take the few opportunities there are to meet with agents and directors seriously.

What advice would you give to someone trying to break into the modeling industry?

It sounds cliché, but less is more. I cannot overstate the importance of development. For example, the staff at Nijah / New Faces Development are experts and they're trained to prepare you for everything you know, and don't, about the industry. As a model, one of your additional responsibilities is to improve and grow. If you really listen to the people that know what they’re talking about, that job becomes a lot easier.

Follow their suggestions, and then you will see how far you can really go.