Wonderful head shots of hand models in M.G.T-designed book

From the dainty digits that show off wedding rings to the Marigold-clad hands that demonstrate the power of toilet cleaners to the precious paws that poke at futuristic gadgets, it’s easy to forget that the hands that advertise are attached to bodies and heads we seldom see.

Hand models, therefore, are afforded an anonymity that means they walk the streets attached to hands sometimes apparently insured for seven figure sums, safe in the knowledge that they won’t be pestered for selfies or snapped having a crafty fag outside Wetherspoons like their traditional supermodel peers might. However, a lovely new book, Head Shots of Hand Models, designed by M.G.T Studio, presents us with the faces of those bearing some rather famous hands.

The book is the brainchild of Alex Holder, who spends her days as executive creative director at ad agency Anomaly London, and her spare time apparently tracking down hand models. “After spending lots of time on sets with hand and feet models I became fascinated with this strange industry,” she says. “How did they become hand models? Were they ‘spotted’? How do they look after their hands?”

The models featured in the book are all from the Hired Hands Agency (clever!), and were shot by Alex and photographer Oli Kellett. The book and its cover were designed by M.G.T, and we love the simple layout and typographic approach that lets these faces finally get the page-space their hands so often do.

The book caught our attention not long after we featured a similar project, in which Lernert & Sander interviewed four foot models for new 3.1 Phillip Lim campaign. It’s perhaps little surprise we’re so intrigued by these sort of models, showing only bits of the body most of us don’t really think too much about. There are certainly some fascinating stories to be told, as Alex found out.

“Nina is a hand supermodel and is Kate Moss’ hand double, she moisturises her hands about 30 times a day,” Alex reveals. “Frederic comes from a line of hand models, with both his father and his uncle doing the same job.  One of the models had to be taken off the books for a year as they had a wart.  Giulia stands in for little boys’ hands so if you see someone playing with a Power Ranger model on TV it’s probably her. Adnan is the only double jointed, Middle Eastern hand model on his agency’s books – who doesn’t want that accolade?"