ShopNBC has been rolling out all sorts of new products for their big Beauty Discovery Week. And all I can say is that it’s about time! Their beauty offerings have long lagged behind their competitors and it’s good to see them bringing unique, undiscovered products to the marketplace.
I spoke with one of the latest vendors, Lisa Bass, who is bringing a new Model Results to ShopNBC. The line focuses on an oft overlooked area—the hands. Lisa is an artist and a real estate agent, but she’s also a hand model (see the above gorgeous picture ... wow!) She worked to develop a product that would protect her hands without having to keep them in white cotton gloves all day--always convenient when you need to change diapers and wash dishes!
QB: Kathy Levine, a favorite former QVC host with gorgeous hands, wrote in her book that she tried to get into hand modeling, but didn't have any luck. How did you break into the industry and what led you into hand modeling?
LB: It was a catch 22 - can't get work until you have an agent/can't get an agent until you've done work! It was perseverance and I believed I could do it. I was going art school at the time and working as a graphic designer for Michael Friedman Publishing Group in NYC. The book I was working on was called, "Creative Gift Wrapping". They needed "how to" shots for the gift wrapping shots and they used my hands. I worked with a photographer named, Tony Cenicola, for this book. Whenever he needed a 'hand', pardon the pun, he would call me. After about a year, he recommended me to an agency. I went to see them and after I left, they called me back that afternoon to ask if I could do 5 commercials the following week? My immediate response was, "hold on, let me go quit my job!" Ever since then, I've been extremely lucky and fortunate to have worked with the most important and fabulous photographers, directors, actors, art directors, fashion editors special effects people in the industry. It's offered me the chance to travel to different places in the world to work, while remaining in my quiet anonymous fame.
QB: Did you work with any celebrities or do you have any interesting tales from any of the jobs you were sent out on?
LB: Yes I have worked with many different celebrities - all of whom have beautiful hands, but for either scheduling on their part or if it was a complicated hand position, I was asked to step in and help. I've worked a few times with Brooke Shields. She has gorgeous hands and was great to work with. We worked together while she was starring in “GREASE”. And because of her busy schedule there, I was asked to help for her commercials and print work.
Claudia Schiffer, who also has beautiful hands, thanked me for making her look so good! Can you imagine? This woman is so incredibly gorgeous and thanked me for making her look beautiful. I was blown away by her graciousness!
Madonna - I was her hands for a Japanese Sake commercial.
Julia Roberts - I was hired to be her hands for the movie, “The Pelican Brief”. My hands were that of 'Darby Shaw'. Julia Roberts hands are also so beautiful. But I think because of her honeymoon with Lyle Lovett, it was easier to get me in to do the hand parts rather than getting Julia back from her honeymoon! That was an interesting job in that the director asked me to get into Julia’s wardrobe and I looked at him puzzled? Did he not remember I was just the hands and not the full thing? Julia was a size, what, 2? And there’s a real big reason why I wasn’t a full model! I had to wear her clothes for the shot because that’s what she was wearing in the scene. After I squeezed into here skirt and shirt, I then had to tuck in my shirt! Only a woman can understand where I’m coming from with that - and spanx was not yet invented! I was fine as long as I didn’t breathe!
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