[Mr-Dale]

We're very close to closing the first decade of the new century and entering a new one. Time to retrospect! Who were the defining faces of the zeroes? What trends came and went and why? What's the place of today's model in the fashion industry and how did it change? What were your personal hightlights and downs regarding models this decade? What will the next decade look like? Fire away!

[Leeroi]

My highlights were the early 2000's with the ultra bombshell models that rocked Versace. They really did give me hope that the supermodel was making a come back.

Then Gemma Ward came in and made the baby doll demure look the new trend of modeling. The supermodel personality was stripped completely from the modeling industry and left us with bland girls who had no expression on their faces; the stare.

However, this is why Daria Werbowy and Hilary Rhoda really did outshine many of the models of this era because they had personalities and didn't have a look that blended in with the other models. Daria with her unique beauty that catapulted her into major commercial contracts and Hilary Rhoda with her healthy All-American beauty landed her one of the most exclusive contracts any model can have; Estee Lauder.

Sadly though, I think the modeling industry as a whole is loving the bland faces of the moment that they pass off as models so I doubt big changes are to come in the next decade. I'd take the uber waifs of the late 90's than most of these factory made models any day; atleast they were great at walking and posing.

Defining faces? Daria Werbowy, Hilary Rhoda, Gemma Ward, The Russian Beauties, and Gisele Bundchen.

[haksare]

^ I absolutely agree with the Brazilian bombshells at Versace, as well as the doll faces such as Gemma, Heather, Lily Cole, Stam and Lisa Cant.

Of course the classic beauty of Hilary Rhoda, Julia Stegner, Daria Werbowy really made me begin paying attention to models' careers nearly 2 or 3 years ago.

I hope this upcoming decade will bring more exotic and fresh faces. I am not really paying much attention to new faces now, especially on the runways. It pains me to see young girls teetering on the runway as opposed to the attitude and glamour back in 04, 05 and 06. I'm definitely curious to see what's next in the face of models.

[lucy92]

hmmn, a highlight for is definitely learning more about models lives. i would say in the 80's and 90's most models were cyphers. we didnt know much about their private lives.

instead of simply a cover, a cover model usually gets an editorial spread as well. this is a welcome development for me.

[tullepen]

Along with unique,alien faces were great classically beautiful faces,like Doutzen Kroes,Bianca Balti,Inguna Butane,Ruslana Korshunova,Evgenia Volodina.Feminine,healthy,athletic,sophisticated women,with a bit of mystery to them.

[Bellaly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucy92 hmmn, a highlight for is definitely learning more about models lives. i would say in the 80's and 90's most models were cyphers. we didnt know much about their private lives. instead of simply a cover, a cover model usually gets an editorial spread as well. this is a welcome development for me.

Same with me.
I try to find out the as much as I can about the model live, backstage, all the things. I think that's very interessting!

And I also have to agree that there were imo too many new faces SS 10. The half will for sure dissapear next season or at least SS 11.

[Shelton123]

Hmm, I'll have to say that Lara Stone, Alek Wek, Raquel Zimmerman, Liya Kebede, Gemma Ward, and Sasha Pivovarova are the main faces of the decade. Lara Stone is androgynous yet sexy at the same time, and has done almost everything there is to do in the modelling world. Alek really changed the look from black girls looking African American, to black girls looking African. Raquel IS longevity personified, she's been in it for ten years. Liya has blazed the trail in general. Gemma Ward and Sasha Pivovarova started the doll face trend. Hye Park gets an honorable mention for being probably the biggest Asian girl of the decade. So yeah, those are the faces that defined the decade for me.

[carmen_kass]

You know what's a very curious phenomenon? A lot of the most successful (and I mean seriously successful with lasting careers) models of this decade were born in 1983 and 1987, I'm just going off models.com. Models.com has has 16 girls in their top 10 and 8-9 of them are born in 1983 or '87

1983:
Anja Rubik, Daria Werbowy, Elise Crombez, Lara Stone, Agyness Deyn, Raquel Zimmermann, Isabeli Fontana, Julia Stegner, Jamie Bochart

1987:
Gemma Ward, Freja Beha, Kasia Struss, Lily Donaldson, Caroline Trentini, Heidi Mount, Anna J (!), Abbey Lee, Vlada, Maryna, Hilary Rhoda, Tao okamoto, Katrin Thormann, Alana Zimmer, Kinga Rajzak, Siri, Olga Sherer, Elsa Sylvan, Dree Hemingway and maybe Anna S (although she's anywhere from 16-23)..

and loads more..

Of course there are exceptions, I'm not stupid, like Stam, Natasha, Coco and Sasha born in '85, '86 and '88 but top models born in other years are fewer and far between (86 has a lot though). It's crazy how many supermodels were born in those two years, I dunno maybe it's just a coincedence but after another 4 year jump, models born in 1991 also seem to be enjoying a lot of success.

[MulletProof]

Oh, great thread, Dale. I was actually trying to compose a post for Berlin's similar topic (focused on the Magazine industry) only a couple days ago and even though I never succeeded , I did manage to think more (from my own point of view) of the dramatic change of direction in the industry when 9/11 occurred. I remember Tom Ford being interviewed by Tim Blanks right after showing his S/S 02 collection (late September 2001) and he said the collection he had planned was vibrant and sexual and everything he did best I guess, but when the attacks happened [and the western world paralised for days], he reconsidered all of that and instead, sent down the runway a collection that was very loose, serene and a bit humorous. Even though I never considered Ford to be the kind of authority in fashion I would respect, that interview always felt like a reference point, cause I remember F/W 00.01, S/S 01, F/W 01.. publications like Dutch, the amount of independent designers [Jurgi, Adrover, etc], the already established ones that were going to far lengths to please consumers [Ford, Galliano..], the Brazilians boom, the Belgian models.. all taking different and occasionally the same gigs.. it felt like fashion was going through a very good, liberating phase where you could experiment so much to the point you'd easily reach very unconventional standards for 'regular world', and the modeling world only reflected that at the turn of the century, particularly with the Belgian wave that brought back androgyny just when it felt almost forbidden after the Brazilian Bombshells surfaced in the late 90s.

An Oost, Delfine Bafort / Anouck Lepere/ Hannelore Knuts


Ann-Catherine Lacroix / Kim Peers

[style.com]

Unfortunately, this change of direction seemed to have saved the Belgian aesthetic for later use, leaving many models that were in high demand at the time (Oost & Bafort) out and transforming the already well-positioned ones like Anouck and Hannelore to a more feminine direction.. for me, that's a tendency that never fully materialised, surely no one can deny its existence but it feels a bit interrupted in hindsight.. I think the uncertainty, the change of mood in society was so palpable that the industry only followed through, opening up to the 'whimsical', 'ethereal', otherworldly and even childlike in some instances, not just in models but it's also something you can see in photography and styling.. models like Heather Marks, Lily Cole, Lisa Cant, Gemma Ward, Jessica Stam.. even if most of them are no longer in demand and those that seemed like an extension, less condensed version of them went on to build longer, more successful careers (Lily Donaldson and Trentini to name two), they're for me the pioneers of this aesthetic, the models that represented that time and mood completely.


[style.com]

What happened in the very middle of the decade with the doll-like models is what will probably be the most remembered in the long run for me but I also think Natalia Vodianova arriving in the early 00s [with features that resembled more those of the Belgians than the rest of the Russians that followed since then] also helped bringing that natural, easy and slightly devastating beauty back to an industry that was in much need for around 2002/2003.. and will probably always need anyway, she's the only classic that can suit any designer, has been throughout the decade and will remain for a couple more, I think.

[herfamedgoodlooks]

As we head out of the decade and the crisis (the emotional, not financial one!) slowly vanishes, I think the fashion world is again showing a need to defy beauty as we know it and the work of Supreme seems to have represented a part of that in my opinion, maybe not going to the completely androgynous/obscure ways the Belgians brought but certainly picking up a bit of the bravery, celebrating intelligence, refusing to appear 'oblivious' to your surroundings and most importantly, acknowledging the diverse beauty of women.
Still too early to tell who their big, hard to expire star will be, Supreme may or may not last or someone might as well come around 2013 and introduce that much needed face that will perhaps convey some of what they're doing now and last for years but I think that, as of late 00s, they're the only ones introducing new concepts and pushing the boundaries with some of their girls.

[MulletProof]

By the way, on my last paragraph, I wanted to add that as the economy/mood/whatever seems to be gaining back the confidence that seemed to prevail also at the last years of the 1990s, while Supreme might be 'pushing some boundaries' and exploring more possibilities, there's also the need for the flamboyant, excess, celebration, sex, health, that always happens once people can sense more stability, and I think Lara Stone represents all of that to perfection. She might be doing what Gisele did ten years ago, only less Hollywood-oriented, but as someone pointed out above, she has the challenging features and health-looking body that make her unique and extremely memorable and the fact that there's a bit of a Dutch wave currently going on only adds to her longevity and place in time.


[herfamedgoodlooks.com]

[CharlottefromCA]

Gisele.

[Sea Of Love]

hmmm all of those are really defining names in modelling over the 00's but if you were to pick just one model to represent who would it be? (in the same way we all think Kate for the nineties although there were lots of others who were exceptionally good).

For me Gemma immediately springs to mind because although the babydolls were becoming really big she was the first one to really 'defined' this movement. She also took unbelievably beautiful photos and was sort of a fashion darling. BUT i don't know if it is just me thinking this because personally I am a big fan of hers so am biased in a few ways. Also, she was the big one around 2005 when I started becoming interested in models and the fashion world so I don't know if this has mystified her in my mind more than others like Coco who have come along in the time I have been following, they just don't have that allure IMO.
But who knows, it could be Natalia or Lara or Daria but I think you need to have hype not longevity to be considered the model of the decade, otherwise it would be Caroline T all the way.

[duprex]

If there was one model to summon up the 00s it would probably be a toss up between Gisele and Daria.

[Leeroi]

Lara Stone is just now getting attention, so I don't really think she would be the definition of the model of the 2000's. It was only a few seasons ago that people bashed her for her awkward walk and how they thought she tried to hard to be badass. Which makes me wonder why everyone is all of a sudden in love with her.

I think Gisele is still the model of this decade, and probably will be the biggest model in coming years.

Natalia Vodianova can be considered so also. She's a darling in the fashion world and consistently book some of the most exclusive editorials even with her high profile, given that most high profile models usually don't do alot of fashion eds anymore.

I think if Eugenia Volodina kept her career as tremendous as she did at the beginning, then she definitely would have been the ultimate Russian model, but she's been in hiatus for a couple of years.

[MTRLBY]

^
i agree with natalia and gisele
but i really do think of daria when i think of one of the most successful models of this decade as well.