I was told to ‘go to the gym’ to become a model
Brooks Marks has experienced various highs and lows in the modeling industry.
The son of Meredith Marks, a star on “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” Brooks recently re-signed with Ford Models, resuming a career that began when he was just 7 years old. In an interview on TheFantasyTimes’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast, he reveals that he faced cruel comments about his appearance when meeting with other modeling agencies.
“I’ve had agencies say things to me that I felt were inappropriate – that’s why I’m so happy to be signed with Ford because I feel comfortable with them,” says the 23-year-old, who also runs his own fashion brand named after himself.
“I’ve had an agency tell me that I needed to fix my hairline. I’ve had an agency tell me I needed to go to the gym more.”
During one meeting with a modeling agency, Brooks was told he looked “so hungover” and was questioned about his partying habits.
“They asked me, ‘Did you have a wild night?'” he shares. “And I replied, ‘No. I was up until around 12 working and then I came here at 10.'”
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Brooks admits that these remarks did affect his self-esteem, but only temporarily.
“I definitely have my moments. I think everyone does, regardless of how confident they appear,” says the New York City resident.
“When I hear comments like that from an agency, I just think, ‘Okay, onto the next.’ I don’t want to be signed with someone who doesn’t appreciate the value I bring,” he adds.
Brooks also shares that his connection to reality TV fame has influenced his perspective on other people’s opinions, particularly the negative ones.
“Over the past few years, things have been really crazy with my mom’s increased exposure in the public eye,” he explains. “If you let criticism from others affect you, it can have a negative impact
Brooks Marks has experienced his fair share of ups and downs in the modeling industry.
The son of “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Meredith Marks — who recently re-signed with Ford Models, resuming a career that began at age 7 — says on TheFantasyTimes’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast that he endured cruel comments about his appearance when meeting with other agencies.
“I’ve had agencies say things to me that I thought were a little out of line — and that’s why I’m so glad to sign with Ford because I feel so comfortable with them,” says the 23-year-old, who also runs an eponymous fashion brand.
“I’ve had an agency say that I needed to get my hairline fixed. I’ve had an agency say I needed to go to the gym more.”
In one meeting with a modeling agency, Brooks was told he looked “so hungover” and was pressed about his partying habits.
“They go … ‘Did you have wild night?’” he tells us. “And I was like, ‘No. I was up ’til, like, 12 working and then got here at 10.’”
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Brooks says his self-esteem took a hit from such remarks — but only temporarily.
“I definitely have my moments. I think everyone does, regardless of how confident they seem,” says the New York City resident.
“Hearing comments like that from an agency, like, ‘OK, onto the next.’ I don’t want to be signed with someone who doesn’t see the value I bring.”
Brooks further explains that his adjacency to reality TV fame has impacted his outlook on other people’s opinions — especially the negative ones.
“Over the past few years, it’s been really crazy with everything going on with my mom being pushed further into the public sphere in such a drastic way,” he says. “If you let criticism from other people affect you … you won’t be in a healthy mental state.”
At Ford, Brooks feels no pressure to fit a certain mold, asserting that the modeling industry at large has evolved “in a better way” over the years.
“I modeled from ages, like, 7 to 12, then I got braces and was going through an awkward stage,” he says, acknowledging a previous hiatus during his teen years.
“And now I know that models literally get hired because they have braces,” Brooks notes. “It’s not as cutthroat in terms of the image that they want.”
As the founder of his own label — a line of tracksuits that has expanded into more athleisure wear and accessories — Brooks is enjoying playing muse for other designers.
“Being able to just go in front of the camera and seeing what someone else’s creative vision is and having someone else essentially make you their ideal brand representative is so cool to see,” he says.
“And I love that aspect of modeling. It doesn’t feel like work to me. It’s just so fun and I love it.”
