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“I like the freedom it gives me. If you have a few really busy weeks and then have a week with nothing it’s like spring break. I’m going to hang out with my friends and go shopping,” Palmieri said. “The people you meet when working in different locations and when it’s hectic is also really fun. Sometimes you have to run around the city one day; It’s just not like anything else.”

In her apartment in downtown Brooklyn, Marissa Palmieri, age 20, gets ready for another day of work.

^{Marissa wakes up at 7 on mornings she has shoots and fittings}

Just like anyone else, she selects her outfit for the day, puts her hair back in a slick professional bun, and chooses a natural look for her makeup.

^{For a shoot, Palmieri spends an average of two hours in the chair for hair and makeup}

But this line of work is different than most kinds. It doesn’t leave her when she gets home. It is an ever-evolving industry. And she never knows when she will get her next paycheck. Palmieri is a model.

She began her modeling career at the age of fourteen in her hometown Tampa Florida. She moved to New York at eighteen to further pursue fit modeling and modeling for shoots.

The fashion industry is a demanding career path with overwhelming pressures and unsteady conditions that can affect the mental state of models, specifically those in college.

^{She goes to the salon every three months to maintain her hair and be ready for shoots}

In a study conducted by Model Alliance, they found that fifty-one percent of respondents said they could not cover essential needs if they were unable to work in the next three months. Fifty-five percent said they were owed money by clients, and forty-nine percent said they were owed money by their agencies.

^{Palmieri arrives at Hill House in Soho Manhattan}

^{Hill House was founded in 2-16 offering timeless and delicate styles}

“Clients can take up to three months to pay you and a lot of them do. I can do the job and not see the money for three months or more. If they don’t pay you on time, there’s no penalty. And they’re using the photos on the website. You’re seeing yourself in the advertisement, and you haven’t been paid for it. It’s so enraging,” Palmieri said.

Despite the downsides of the industry, Palmieri shares that she chose to pursue this career path because she found fulfillment in it.

“I just think getting a good photo, not that you look good in it, but that you just got a good photo is such an art and I love getting good photos with people and just nailing the vision they had for whatever they’re shooting. I love the artistic component, and I find that satisfying,” Palmieri stated.

After finishing her morning routine of hair, makeup, and dressing, Palmieri makes her way to a fitting with Hill House, a lifestyle brand, whom she has worked with for two years.

^{Palmieri shares that the unique experiences this job provides are what attracts her}

“I like the freedom it gives me. If you have a few really busy weeks and then have a week with nothing it’s like spring break. I’m going to hang out with my friends and go shopping,” Palmieri said. “The people you meet when working in different locations and when it’s hectic is also really fun. Sometimes you have to run around the city one day; It’s just not like anything else.”

^{Palmieri’s time at work varies weekly. Fittings range from 2-8 hours}

But the reality of being a model is not always the glamorous life many imagine. It is all consuming and sometimes thankless.

“Modeling, you don’t just leave it at the studio, it comes home with you. It’s something that you have to be thinking about and doing stuff for all the time… It’s really hard work, it’s not a lot of money, and it’s really competitive,” Palmieri said.

Models are constantly hearing opinions on their image or their work.

“Not everyone is gonna like the way you look or act or the way your skin is or what your style is like. And you’re not gonna make everyone happy so you need to be able to shove off when you get negative feedback because people can be really harsh and just keep moving because it’s just part of the job that you’re gonna feel crappy sometimes,” Palmieri said.

This pressure-heavy industry, hypercritical of their models and specific about their standards, influences the model’s self-perception.

“When I was younger, having agencies tell me I was fat at the age of fourteen messed me up and how I perceived myself. If I find that things are slow for work, I find myself thinking, maybe I gained weight so people don’t want to book me anymore. That’s not a good way to think of yourself,” Palmieri said.

After Palmieri returns to her apartment from her fitting, she spends some time in the gym.

^{Palmieri aims to workout 3-5 times a week for an hour each session}

The Models Kit writes some models workout hours a day. Aware of the dangers of overexercising, Palmieri explains that she works out to take care of her body rather than harm it and to maintain a healthy physical state.

^{She strives to eat nutritional foods while leaving space for a fun night out with friends}

“I like to focus on getting to the gym and eating well more so than it making me look good, that I just feel better when I do that. And keeping myself mentally chilled so I can be more successful in every aspect of my life,” Palmieri stated. “If I’m out with friends and we want a sweet treat, we’ll have a sweet treat,” she said.

^{Palmieri enjoyed her Sunday evening with an intimate group of friends}

Palmieri finishes her workout session in the gym and walks up to her apartment, but her day isn’t over. As she settles back into her apartment, she takes out her computer and begins her assignment. Palmieri is a dedicated college student studying business management.

^{Palmieri focuses on strength training and makes sure to not overemphasize cardio}

“I think a lot of people want to be models these days and you have to be all in or not in at all. To be fully candid, if I have to choose between something well for something in school or doing well for something in work… I would rather do something that will better my career. You have to be fully invested,” Palmieri shared.

^{Palmieri attends University of Florida as a business major}

“What has helped is that my best friends are also in the industry and they get what I’m going through and they go through the same things. And also remembering where your worth comes from,” Palmieri said.