the fashion / beauty /cosmetic business is not very protective
and very cut-throat.
it is similar to music where a bottle of beer or a case of six is all you get for playing in a club.
.. every girl and guy wants to be on the catwalk or be able to tell their friends/fiends they did a show for xxx or xxxx during xxx or xxx , even though most never really get paid for doing it.
many modeling agencies, (not Ford, of course, that's an exception), will also tell their wannabees
to stop working with other than their own photographers , once they sign with them.
it is also , as rinderhart say, very short shelf-lived, as most of these startups never last very last.
a good proof is to check out how many designers/ modeling agencies,etc are still there in a period of 6 years.
and to quote someone who used to be in the merchandising and fashion trade once told me, "always get cash before you deliver anything to anyone in this business"... (because, they disappear very fast).