In short
- London agencies are concentrated in the West End (Soho, Fitzrovia, Covent Garden) and in the east around Shoreditch, Old Street and Clerkenwell.
- The rhythm of work is set by London Fashion Week in February and September; the February 2027 dates have not been announced yet.
- A Lithuanian model usually comes to London through a mother agency and only with permission to work.
- In Zones 1–2 travel costs no more than £8.90 a day, and the average rent for a whole home was £2,332 a month in August 2026.
This page covers only what is specific to London. Agency rules, taxes, under-age work and visas are covered in our guide Modeling agencies in the United Kingdom.
Where London's agencies are
Our catalogue lists 30 agencies in London, 15 of them BFMA members. Going by the addresses they give themselves, they are spread as follows:
- West End – 9. Soho (Broadwick and Poland Streets), Fitzrovia near Oxford Circus, Marylebone (Baker Street), Bloomsbury near Tottenham Court Road and Covent Garden (St Martin's Lane, Parker Street and Tower Street).
- East: Shoreditch, Old Street, Clerkenwell – 8. Shoreditch High Street, Charlotte Road, Hoxton, Old Street, Clerkenwell Green, Great Sutton Street, Farringdon Road and Bethnal Green.
- West – 6. Hammersmith (two agencies), Shepherd's Bush, the former BBC Television Centre in White City, Chiswick and Kensal Road.
- South-west – 3. Chelsea (Jubilee Place), Pimlico near Victoria station and Battersea on Battersea Park Road.
- South of the Thames – 3. Southwark, Bermondsey and Herne Hill.
For one agency we found no address on its website, so it is not counted here. The Central, Northern and Elizabeth lines link the West End with the east, so you can visit several agencies and clients in a day. You will find agencies by board on the pages women, men, new faces, talent, senior, curve, kids and sport.
London Fashion Week
London Fashion Week is organised by the British Fashion Council. It takes place twice a year, in February and September, and shows womenswear and menswear on a single platform, with no separate men's week.
| Season | Dates |
|---|---|
| February 2026 | 19–23 February |
| September 2026 | 17–21 September |
| February 2027 | not yet announced (as of 10 October 2026) |
In the fashion calendar London comes after New York and before Milan and Paris, so for some models it is the first European stop of the season. Castings start a few days before the week.
Castings, go-sees and types of work
During fashion week the agency sends a daily list of castings with addresses and times. Between seasons there are go-sees with photographers, magazines and brands. Work in London falls into three main groups:
- Editorial – magazine shoots, which pay little but give you pictures for your book;
- commercial – advertising campaigns, catalogues and TV commercials;
- e-commerce – online store shoots, often several days in a row in a studio.
In our London catalogue, 15 agencies have a new faces board, 14 a talent board, 6 a mature board, 3 a curve board and 2 a kids board. We explain how to prepare in model castings: how to prepare.
How a Lithuanian model gets to London
The usual route is through a mother agency in Lithuania. It sends London agencies your digitals, measurements and an intro video. If a London agency is interested, it invites you for a specific job or a few weeks, and before you travel you need permission to work: an ETA on its own does not let you work. Which route fits your case is explained in the United Kingdom guide. In the first days the agency often arranges test shoots; you should know their price in advance.
Apartment, living costs and transport
For new faces the agency usually finds a place in a model apartment and deducts its cost from your future fees as an advance. We found no reliable public data on model apartment prices. As a guide, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) puts the average private rent for a whole home in London at £2,332 a month in August 2026, up 3.5% on a year earlier and the highest in the UK.
TfL fares
The Tube, buses and trains are run by Transport for London (TfL). You do not need to buy a ticket: tap a bank card, phone or Oyster card at the gates and on the bus, and use the same one every time.
- bus or tram – £1.75; the Hopper fare lets you change as many times as you like within an hour. The fare is frozen until 1 November 2026;
- Tube and rail fares rose on 1 March 2026, but the caps are frozen until March 2027;
- in Zones 1–2 you pay no more than £8.90 a day and no more than £44.70 a week (Monday to Sunday); in Zones 1–3 the caps are £10.50 and £52.50.
Before a casting, check what to wear in London today.
What to expect in your first season
- Most of your time will go on castings and go-sees; a few weeks without bookings is normal.
- A first season often ends with agency debt: the apartment, tests and travel cost more than you earn. Before you go, ask how it is repaid.
- Check every deduction on your model statement; if tax was withheld, keep the FEU2 certificate.
- The most valuable results are pictures for your book and clients who already know you next season.