A new app called Swipecast might change the way the modeling industry works forever. The app allows people who work in the industry and need models—photographers, stylists, designers, and brands—to directly book talent through an app that works an awful lot like Tinder, but is being called "Uber for models," according to Business of Fashion.
Swipecast works seamlessly by letting models upload a portfolio to the app that only verified users can go through. The app is meant to help more under-the-radar models who do not have representation or those who are signed to an agency that isn't benefiting them that much. "Agents have favorites and certain girls fall through the cracks," Peter Fitzpatrick, the app's founder, tells Business of Fashion. "Wouldn't it be great if there was a way for a model to network and access opportunities in real time, in a safe environment?"
The app could potentially change the process of the modeling industry by cutting out the middle man: the agencies. Plus, Swipecast takes only 10 percent of a job instead of the typical 33 percent that agencies require. However, Fitzpatrick doesn't believe that the app will ever replace modeling agencies, according to BoF.
Brands like Marc Jacobs have used technology and social media to book models for gigs before. The modeling agency IMG has also sought new talent through Instagram. However, Swipecast may still be a game-changer because it concentrates the effort for anyone that is in need of a model.
