The next top model app
Throwing in a coveted job as a model booker and launching a start-up business might seem a daunting prospect to many. But it was a risk *Cottesloe *-raised creative *Tori Bowman *needed to take in order to turn her idea for a groundbreaking new app into a reality.
Formerly the men's division manager for Vivien's Model Management in Melbourne, where she has lived since 2008, Bowman recently launched Snaptch - a digital portfolio that allows models to carry their photographic work with them at all times and group their social media feeds together in one place.
The 24-year-old, right, told _Access All Areas _she first noticed a gap in the market a year ago for an online tool that saved her charges the hassle of lugging their books between castings, meetings and work trips.
"It seemed like there wasn't an efficient solution for them to carry their portfolios on their smart phones," Bowman explained.
"Social media has taken such a turn in the fashion industry and it is such an important strategy for models to keep in mind. For them to actually have their social media feeds within a portfolio is very relevant today."
The free app, which can be aligned with any modelling agency, has now been downloaded nearly 2000 times and will be entered in the 2014 Melbourne Design Awards because of its sleek interface.
Bowman launched a fashion version, Snaptch Designer, last week and is also planning
releases for other creative industries in the future.
The former *Methodist Ladies College *student said the app's growing success gave her confidence that leaving her day job had been a good move.
"The decision to leave Vivien's was a risky one because leaving a full-time job is not a comfortable thought," Bowman said.
"But I do see a lot of potential with the app and I wanted to give it a go while I was still young. I don't have much to risk at this stage so it seemed like a good idea to build this start-up and see where I could take it."
JESSIE PAPAIN
