Expert: Kitty Kavey - 10/2/2011

Question
I've been told that some impoverished fashion models will acquire new outfits by accepting donations. As it was explained to me, it works like this:

1. The model posts a link or pic of a cute outfit she wants to buy for a shoot.
2. Visitors/fans register an account and send a small donation (a few dollars at most).
3. When the donations are enough to buy it, she does, and then does a shoot in it. She emails the donators the photo shoot, including exclusive pics that only they'll ever have.

Do you know if this is a real option, and if so, what sites are designed to facilitate this?

Answer
In this case the model would not technically be a fashion model, but an adult model.  They are individuals, females usually, who set up a private or members website.  They can choose their own outfits and/or do shoots in outfits donated by members/fans.

They can choose to sell or keep private the shoots, which can consist of photos, video or both.  This can be also done with a professional-type photographer or videographer, or on a webcam, or simply a shoot done by a friend or family member.

The outfits of course should be tailored to the target market of the model, and there are many examples online of various fetish models, underwear/lingerie models, and so forth who have member or fan sites where they can choose something for the model to wear, donate various articles or gifts, purchase video and/or photos or arrange a custom shoot with the model.

Since this is considered adult work, when you are setting up a website for such a model you will need to use an adult hosting company.  There may be some companies already set up which an individual girl can go to work for, but most fan sites are set up through the model and her team as individual businesses.

The exception are the larger webcam companies who have a large number of girls working through one parent company, although generally that tends to be quite a bit more adult than simply modeling a sexy or erotic outfit.

One alternative that has become increasingly popular, although not really what you mention, are the various individuals and families (including a few pets) who will "wear your tee-shirt" for a specified period of time.  In that case they are 'modeling' in a sense, and wearing the advertiser's message on a tee-shirt as they go about their daily business.

The only limits are one's imagination and what the market will bear.
~Kitty