As every season, this thread is for discussing what you notice in the castings of this season's shows. Any trends in girls perhaps, questions about who cast what or what cast you thought was incredibly amazing or simply bad. What is different in the casts of S/S 09 compared to those of F/W 08.09? Is there really more diversity in color, faces, types of girls? Fire away!
Model Casting S/S 09
- Thread starter Mr-Dale
- Start date
Wall Street Journal
September 15, 2008, 5:49 pm
Progress Report: Diversity on the Runway
Exactly one year and a day ago, a group of agents, casting directors, editors and designers got together to talk about the alarming lack of ethnic diversity on the runways at New York fashion week. This morning, as construction workers disassembled the tents at Bryant Park, many of the same people reconvened in the basement of the Bryant Park Hotel for a progress report.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Video: Designer Tracy Reese talks about race on the runway.
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Bethann Hardison, a former model and agent who has been leading all of the discussions about race in the fashion industry, called the meeting a “report card.” (It is a testament to Ms. Hardison that practically nobody left the room during the discussion; it lasted two-and-a-half hours.)
The verdict? Change is in the air, but the industry still has a long way to go. “I did see a difference,” said casting director Jen Starr. She said agencies have been spending more money scouting for ethnic models because, in a more inclusive environment, it is becoming easier for them to find work. The change has left many young models of color feeling more confident. “It makes you feel good that you’re wanted,” said Joan Smalls, who appeared on the runways of Oscar de la Renta and others, and is currently featured in an ad campaign for the fashion label Ports 1961.
Ms. Hardison urged the crowd to “call out who’s been good and who’s been bad, who’s been naughty and who’s been nice.”
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Bethann Hardison. Courtesy: Ms. Hardison.
[/FONT]
Oscar de la Renta and Ralph Lauren were praised as “nice.” They set the tone this season in promoting a more diverse vision of beauty, Ms. Hardison said. Mr. de la Renta, who opened and closed his show with a Dominican model named Arlenis Sosa, was an example of a designer “getting engaged with the fashion model again,” said Ms. Hardison, who admired the way all the models put their hands on their hips, tossed their jackets and walked with confidence in an “old school” way.
The “surprise of the week,” Ms. Hardison said, “was the genius of Ralph Lauren.” He used five dark-skinned models—as opposed to two last season—and closed his show with a Somalian model named Ubah. Another black model Mr. Lauren used, named Aminata, was “a great success story this season,” said Ivan Bart, a top agent at IMG Models. She was discovered on the streets of Paris by Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz, but didn’t break through in the American market until this season.
Among those in the “naughty” column was the design house of Badgley Mischka, which used no black models, a move that Ms. Hardison attributed to “ignorance and stubbornness.” A spokesman for Badgley Mischka says that the design house had “second options” on three black models–meaning that another design house already claimed the right of first refusal for the same time slot. Unfortunately, the spokesman said, “we didn’t get them. It was not intentional.”
Kyle Hagler, an agent at IMG Models, remarked that he still received emails from casting directors offering lower fees to black models than to white or Asian models of comparable experience. “If somebody is proposing that someone be paid less than she is worth, I will counter that,” said Mr. Hagler, in a conversation after the meeting. “I think that everybody should be paid according to their experience, not the color of their skin.”
Although IMG’s Mr. Bart said he was pleased with the progress that had been made over the past year “it’s got to go beyond the runways.” Italian Vogue published an all-black issue this summer, but the fashion advertising inside the magazine featured almost entirely white models. “Let’s not forget about the advertising season, and how many of these models are going to translate off the runway and into prestigious campaigns,” Mr. Bart said. –Rachel Dodes
September 15, 2008, 5:49 pm
Progress Report: Diversity on the Runway
Exactly one year and a day ago, a group of agents, casting directors, editors and designers got together to talk about the alarming lack of ethnic diversity on the runways at New York fashion week. This morning, as construction workers disassembled the tents at Bryant Park, many of the same people reconvened in the basement of the Bryant Park Hotel for a progress report.
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Video: Designer Tracy Reese talks about race on the runway.
[/FONT]
Bethann Hardison, a former model and agent who has been leading all of the discussions about race in the fashion industry, called the meeting a “report card.” (It is a testament to Ms. Hardison that practically nobody left the room during the discussion; it lasted two-and-a-half hours.)
The verdict? Change is in the air, but the industry still has a long way to go. “I did see a difference,” said casting director Jen Starr. She said agencies have been spending more money scouting for ethnic models because, in a more inclusive environment, it is becoming easier for them to find work. The change has left many young models of color feeling more confident. “It makes you feel good that you’re wanted,” said Joan Smalls, who appeared on the runways of Oscar de la Renta and others, and is currently featured in an ad campaign for the fashion label Ports 1961.
Ms. Hardison urged the crowd to “call out who’s been good and who’s been bad, who’s been naughty and who’s been nice.”
[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Bethann Hardison. Courtesy: Ms. Hardison.
[/FONT]
Oscar de la Renta and Ralph Lauren were praised as “nice.” They set the tone this season in promoting a more diverse vision of beauty, Ms. Hardison said. Mr. de la Renta, who opened and closed his show with a Dominican model named Arlenis Sosa, was an example of a designer “getting engaged with the fashion model again,” said Ms. Hardison, who admired the way all the models put their hands on their hips, tossed their jackets and walked with confidence in an “old school” way.
The “surprise of the week,” Ms. Hardison said, “was the genius of Ralph Lauren.” He used five dark-skinned models—as opposed to two last season—and closed his show with a Somalian model named Ubah. Another black model Mr. Lauren used, named Aminata, was “a great success story this season,” said Ivan Bart, a top agent at IMG Models. She was discovered on the streets of Paris by Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz, but didn’t break through in the American market until this season.
Among those in the “naughty” column was the design house of Badgley Mischka, which used no black models, a move that Ms. Hardison attributed to “ignorance and stubbornness.” A spokesman for Badgley Mischka says that the design house had “second options” on three black models–meaning that another design house already claimed the right of first refusal for the same time slot. Unfortunately, the spokesman said, “we didn’t get them. It was not intentional.”
Kyle Hagler, an agent at IMG Models, remarked that he still received emails from casting directors offering lower fees to black models than to white or Asian models of comparable experience. “If somebody is proposing that someone be paid less than she is worth, I will counter that,” said Mr. Hagler, in a conversation after the meeting. “I think that everybody should be paid according to their experience, not the color of their skin.”
Although IMG’s Mr. Bart said he was pleased with the progress that had been made over the past year “it’s got to go beyond the runways.” Italian Vogue published an all-black issue this summer, but the fashion advertising inside the magazine featured almost entirely white models. “Let’s not forget about the advertising season, and how many of these models are going to translate off the runway and into prestigious campaigns,” Mr. Bart said. –Rachel Dodes
Plato's_Cave
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I think we saw a positive trend towards a stronger, more grown up ideal in NY. Very nice to see confident, healthy looking young women like Arlenis, Constance, Eniko, Katrin Thormann etc. Of course there were a few extremes in the opposite direction too, but I still felt it was a step forward.
Plato's_Cave
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Oh, and I want to know what happened to Elsa Sylvan and Malin Ones? It seems neither of them will be walking at all this season. Not sure I'd like to get my suspicions confirmed, but I'm admittedly curious.
Yes indeed, the trend seems to go towards a more grown up ideal as far as new girls go. In my vision, that is defined as a model with a healthy body, and a face that is maybe more womanly and more desirable. That results in a full face, with defined cheeckbones and possibly a kissable lip. Examples being, Anastasija Kondratjeva, Cato van Ee, Asa Engstrom, Arlenis Sosa Pena, Constance Jablonski and even Laksmi Menon and Viktoriya Sasonkina. I just loooove this movement towards a powerful woman as opposed to a cute or quirky girl (which can be appealing as well, don't get me wrong). Even Eniko Mihalik would fit this description, just because of that killer body and that ever so addictive spark in her eye. Bring on the women 
J'ador-DioR
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Source: Theimagist
^Woah that is odd....who would be overexposed? Arlenis?! I can't imagine Europe ignoring her, that would be aweful. I can't really think of anyone else being overexposed since no other new girl did THAT ammount of shows.
CharlottefromCA
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Imogen perhaps? Maybe Anastaija? or Katrin Thorman. Its really strange that some girls EXPLODE in NY and then fizzle in Milan and Paris.. quite unpredictable.
á la Balenciaga
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anyone know who is the casting director for Prada?
erinclaire86
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Has anyone been following Vogue's Model Live show? Three models from IMG (Cato van Ee, Madeline Kragh and Austria ...I've forgotten her last name) are being filmed as they make their way through the four major fashion weeks. They were all pretty popular in New York but so far I've only seen Cato in shows in London. She has been in heaps though!
Russell Marsh.
J'ador-DioR
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Possibly, i took it that TI was talking about the more directional/exclusive shows and the people that cast them. All that comes to mind is Prada/Jil Sander. I can't see Arlenis showing up in either one, anyway.
Talking about casting directors. R. Marsh still casts Jaeger and Christopher Kane in London, right?. Practically all the girls that showed up at those 2 shows were also at Armand Basi. It seems like he's loving Georgie Baddiel and Daul Kim all of a sudden.
I'm also very curious about who casts Rodarte at the moment because the last 2 seasons have been quite stellar.
Angus Munro casts Hilfiger, Preen, M. Williamson, N. Rodriguez (possibly more)...he seems to excel in casting boys more so than girls. His line-up of male models at Daughters by Obedient Sons was amazing
CharlottefromCA
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Does Munro also cast Calvin Klein?
I think Maida and Rami does Calvin and also Jil Sanders.
Munro also does Pucci.
Who casts for Balenciaga? Thats also one of those highly exclusive shows...
Yeah I am curious who casts Balenciaga as well...I also wonder who always casts the Dior and Galliano shows...Galliano uses many of his personal favorites over and over again without those girls appearing in any other big shows. So I can't help but think he casts the shows himself? Or at least for a huge part...Anyone know?
IrvingLorenzo
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How exactly does casting occur? Does is occur before the fashion weeks or during the fashion weeks? How exactly did these casting directors (Marsh, Rami) become casting directors? Who chose them to be casting directors and why are they so influential when it comes to casting models in those big shows (CK, Prada, etc)?
Is their an article that talks about casting in detail somewhere out there? This casting process sounds very interesting and I think more people should know about this element of fashion week.
Is their an article that talks about casting in detail somewhere out there? This casting process sounds very interesting and I think more people should know about this element of fashion week.
violet_echoes*~
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Agreed IrvingLorenzo!
I like the faces of SS09, still so very doll-like! I love it.
I like the faces of SS09, still so very doll-like! I love it.
J'ador-DioR
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I think that Ghesquière does it himself (for the most part). I've read that he (along with Marie-Amelie Suave) contacted Women Paris when they saw a picture of Sheila Marquez somewhere and cast her for the FW07 show before they met her in person.
CharlottefromCA
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I also heard Ghesquire hand-picked Hilary, she did ZERO major shows before she did his show..
