You probably think of Jennifer Lawrence as the face of Dior or the girl on fire in The Hunger Games. But before the Oscars and the memes, she was just another teenager trying to make it in New York. One of her first big breaks—well, almost breaks—was a gig as a jennifer lawrence abercrombie model.
It’s a rite of passage for Hollywood stars. Channing Tatum did it. Taylor Swift did it. Even Jamie Dornan stripped down for those grainy, black-and-white ads. But there’s a reason you’ve never seen J-Law’s face plastered on a shopping bag at your local mall.
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She was essentially fired for being "too real."
The Football Game That Ruined Everything
In 2013, Lawrence sat down with Conan O'Brien and spilled the tea on why her modeling career died before it started. The brand wanted "natural" shots. They took a group of models to the beach and told them to play football.
Now, if you know anything about Abercrombie’s old aesthetic, "playing football" usually meant posing gracefully with a ball while looking effortlessly sun-kissed. It’s a performance. It's hair-flipping and light sweating.
Jennifer Lawrence doesn't do "pretty" sports.
She grew up in Kentucky with two older brothers. She actually knows how to play the game. So, while the other girls were frolicking, Lawrence was out for blood. She describes herself in the photos as having a bright red face, flared nostrils, and hair matted with sweat. She was mid-air, tackling people.
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At one point, one of the other models actually yelled, "Get her away from me!"
The Photos That Never Saw the Light of Day
When the campaign finally launched, Lawrence was nowhere to be found. She’d done the whole shoot, but she was completely scrubbed from the final product.
Naturally, her agent reached out to the company to ask what happened. Why weren't the photos used? Abercrombie didn't send a long, corporate explanation. They didn't send a "thanks but no thanks" email.
They just sent the photos.
Basically, the images were so un-model-like that they served as their own explanation. They were proof that Lawrence was far more suited for an action movie than a catalog for overpriced polo shirts.
Why the Jennifer Lawrence Abercrombie Model Story Matters
Honestly, this story is the ultimate origin story for her entire "relatable" brand. Most actors try to hide their failed modeling pasts. They want you to think they were born with perfect lighting and a smize.
Lawrence leaned into it.
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- The "Unpolished" Factor: Abercrombie in the mid-2000s was obsessed with a very specific, exclusionary type of "all-American" beauty.
- The Transition: Failing at modeling was arguably the best thing that happened to her. If she had been "good" at it, she might have stayed in that lane longer.
- The Irony: Years later, after she won an Oscar, Abercrombie & Fitch tried to capitalize on the connection. They eventually tweeted out one of the few "usable" photos from the shoot to congratulate her.
It was a classic "look at us, we knew her when" move, even though they were the ones who rejected her for being too sweaty.
Comparing Her to Other A&F Alumni
A lot of people forget how many stars actually made the cut. Taylor Swift appeared in a "Rising Star" campaign back in 2003, looking very country-chic with her acoustic guitar. Channing Tatum was basically the poster child for their shirtless, low-rise jeans era.
Those stars fit the mold. They could do the "fake" sports and the "fake" laughter.
Lawrence’s failure as a jennifer lawrence abercrombie model highlights a fundamental truth about her talent: she can't help but be authentic. Even when she was 14 or 15 and desperately needed the work, she couldn't dial back the intensity.
What We Can Learn From the "Red-Faced" Photos
If you’re looking for a takeaway, it’s probably that your "failings" are often just signs you're in the wrong room.
She wasn't a bad model because she wasn't pretty enough. She was a "bad" model because she was too busy being an athlete. She was too busy being a human.
- Don't force the fit. If a brand or a job wants you to be a "prettier" version of yourself, it’s probably going to end in flared nostrils anyway.
- Keep the receipts. Lawrence’s ability to laugh at those photos years later made her more likable than any polished ad campaign ever could.
- Intensity pays off. The same energy that got her kicked out of an Abercrombie shoot is the same energy that won her an Academy Award for Silver Linings Playbook.
If you want to see the "proof," you can find that one lone photo Abercrombie released later. She looks great, but she also looks like she's about to tackle the cameraman. And honestly? That’s why we love her.
To dig deeper into her early career, you should look up her old MTV "My Super Sweet 16" promos. They're just as chaotic as the football story and prove that Jennifer Lawrence was never destined to be a background character.